The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-09


 for you? When you've just described without knowing. 1t the-the sort of a girl you think is perfect"
 His lips curled in way to quicken any woman's pulse.
 'You have me beaten," he laughed. His eyes, dark as was the shadow upon his face. made her breath unsteady. 'T would like to watch you play poker with Fat Joe. Your game would pug Sle him, more than little. Yes. you've surely left me without a leg on which to hobble off, because it would be small spirited in me, wouldn't 1t, if were to tell you that you are the ex- ception that makes my general rule hold sound? I wouldn't. however, pre-. scribe such degree of perfection for any other mans daily diet. It would prove his destruction"
 Your own superiority, of course, rendering you immuneY
 Maybe" At least, whether she knOv 1t or not, she loved his serenity. May be and maybe I'm an exception too"
 He sat very still. She had turned away once more.
 "You'n be back again in the spring7" he asked with that gentleness he saved tor her alone.
 II hope-I think so." Xhe. smallness Of her voice ansered her. She feigned A short carefree. laugh. ."Unless am too busy. Getting married seems to become a more and more complicated, problem of proper costuming, doesn't it, with every passing seasonT
 She couldn't have told why she said 1t. She was trying to think of some | thing else to say which would be kind- CT by far. AnG then, half lifting her, he had swung her around to him. For . moment he held her, face close to that small, frfghtened- facs buried in fits deep collar, while she struggled l uselessiy against those hard arms, which tried not to hurt her. Her lips continued to rebel long liter her eyes had closed -long after body and brain wers Quiescent
 You mustn'tw she gasped. "Oh, I can't let you-the moon n-we-we're sure to be seen!"
 His lips on herBs silenced that last 1ncoherent resistance. She sat, wavy brown head bowed, when he had set her free. s
 T was going to ask you not to for get" There vas no weariness now in his voice. T had planned to ask you just that little ago, and 1t would have been weak and useless request, wouldn't it7 Any man who has to beg to be remembered is.not the sort to re- main long in any woman's brain. So I have taught you to remember in- stead. You aren't going to forget ever now! You're coming back in the spring, and you,re comisg to stay! And now I'm telling you eeodby. It's time you were asleep"
 He helped her to her feet. Together they turned-and Archibald Wicker sham. taH to sauntness in the moon- light was coming across toward them from the direction of the cabin. The girls slim body stiffened, but Steve saw her chin come up. His own body grew lssier still it seemed in length and limb.
 Wickersham's approaching steps were crisply precise He stopped an arms length in front of them, and his words were an echo of that. last sen tence of Steve's.
 Its time you retired" he said, ig- nor1ng the other mans presence entire ly. Its cold, and you have a long, hard ride ahead of you tomorrow.
 For a barely perceptible moment, with the eyes of both men upon her, Barbara kept her place. Neither of them saw that her teeth were tightly closed over one full lip; neither knew that she had closed her eyes dizzily for an instant. And then without a word she put her hand upon the arm which Wf0kersham offered her. But Steve, on the other side, walked with her that night As far as the door of the storehouse shack. Miriam herself opened the door and snatched Barba-a within and then laughed with her con- snmmate impudence into both mems faces.
 s''G'lang wid ye's now" she flung at them, ~an' quit disturbin' dacint folks that fixes te sleep O nightsr'
 She slammed the door upon them z They stood there a second or two, 5Wickersham ap inch or more taller and inches narrower in shoulder and s1rth of chest Perfunctortly they nod ded each to the other and wheeled si- lently upon their heels.
 It was the next evening when Bar barn se-entered the house beyond the hedge. There was a streak of light running cut across the floor of the dim naIl from within. and the girl fingered on her hurried way to her own room to bid her father good night. But she found Wickersham alone when she pushed wider the door. The light was behind him, and she could not see how distorted was his face, yet as she paus. cd on the threshold and a thin and pungept odor crfnkled her nostrils she sensed somehow that he had not been long alone.
 Father gone to bedY' she called. "Well, that's wise. You'd better come, too; it's time you were asleep"
 She did not remember just then that