The Glenwood post., 1916-08-12

dug along that line through long. hot
months. She grew to know Lieber as
the tale went on and finally to love
him because of all things ieber
seemed to need love somebody
ejse's love-most. She amused herself
with Kemp and his drawl. She tried
to keep her thoughts away from Mar
garita and at the coming of Marga-
rita's boy, she WINGED.
AS he finished telling of the coming
of the Man, Gerry stopped short. The
thought came to him with tremendous
force that Alix too had gone through
that for him. The impulse to get up
and throw himself before her and on
his knees to thank her almost tore him
from his seat but he fought it down.
He hurried on with his story. He told
Of the coming of Alan and of the reve-
lation he had brought. And then in
choked voice and only because he had
set himself to tell the whole truth he
pictured the flood, the death of True
Blue, and the overwhelming by the
waters before his very eyes of Mar
garita and the Man. Then he arose
and with hands braced on the table
leaned towards Alix. Il have told you
this 80 that perhaps you may under
stand what am going to tell you now.
If the flood had not come-if Margarita
and the Man had lived-I would not
have come back"
.Alix sat very still and studied
Gerry's face. He had finished the task
he had set himself to do and he was
suddenly very tired. His eyes dropped
as though from their own weight and
then he raised them again to her in
scrutable face.
"Well?" he asked after long pause.
"Well?" replied Alix.
Gerry's stalwart figure drooped. ut
is quite just" he said, "after all that,
that you should not want me. 1 have
spent the last weeks making myself
ready for that. You waited for me;
I didn't wait for you. If you do not
want me, will go away"
Alix rose slowly to her feet She
looked very slim and tall in her cling
ing gown. To Gerry she looked very
cold. Before you CO." she said,
there is Just one thing. I wish you
would kiss me-once."
Gerry's body Strengthened and stiff
fened. He stared at her grave face
with wondering eyes. Then he felt
strange tingling ripple through his
blood and before he knew what he did
he had swept her from her feet,
crushed her to him, brushed the crown
Of hair back from her brow and kissed
her eyes, her mouth, her throat He
was rough with her. He was bruising
her body, her lips, but AK clung to
him and laughed. Then suddenly all
her slim body relaxed and slipped
through bis arms to little white heap
on the floor. She began to sob. Gerry
stopped down, picked her up tenderly
and laid her on the great leathern
couch. He knelt beside her. On one
arm he piIIowed her head, with the
other hand he sought hers. please,
Alix," he begged, please don't cry"
"I'm not crying" sobbed ALE, "I'm
Gerry smiled and waited. Soon AK
became quiet. Her eyes closed. She
drew long, quiverfng breath snd
then she opened her eyes again and
her lips broke into the Old dear smlIe,
the smile of an opening flower. II am
she said, "bst beiievel
I'm almost hungrier than am tired"
"I'u glad you said it irst," replied
Gerry, giving serious thought to the
fact that he was faint with hunger
himself. Ever since some funny
Johnny wrote, Feed the brute we
men have been shy about echoing our
stomachs. It's four O'Clock. Hours
after lunch time"
'RearyT said Alix, nesting down
closer to his arm and letting her smii
ing eyes wander over him. "How wea
this suit its you. There's something
about it 1t isn't, is it?"
Gerry nodded. "Same old suit. BY
the way, when came in John said you'll
told him to telephone to the club and
aay you wished to see me. What made
you think + would go to the club frstT'
Alix looked puzzled. II didn't. NJ
didn't tsli Jo6n to telephone" She
paused, still puzzling. then her face
cleared. '-Why-poor old John-he's.
getting very old, you know, Gerry.
That was three years ago told him to
day you never came
back. 1t mvse have been the suit. He
saw you standing there In the same
suit and three years became As one
day to the old fellow"
Gerry sighed. "Alix, do you want
those three years to become as q day
10 usr' s, -..-, .r
.Alix shook her head slowly from
side to side. mo, dear. don't. ThsFl
have given me-given us both-faa
more than they took away" She PIT
her bare arms around his neck, drew
him down and kissed him. "You DE-
not know yst all that they have stvss
vnn Yan think Won have come hnek