The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-11-02

Il would Ike 20 watch you pley POKER
with Fat Joe Your game would puz.
xle him more than q little. Yes. you've
surely left me without leg on which
to hobble on, because II would be
small spirited In me. wouldn't II, II
were TO tell you that you are the ex.
ception that makes my general rule
hold sound7 I wouldn't, however. pre-
scribe such a degree Of perfection for
any other mans daily diet. II would
prove his destruction"
"Your own superiority. Of course.
rendering you immuner
Maybe" At least, whether she knew
II 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'll be back again in the springr
he asked with that gentleness he saved
for her alone.
81 hope--I think So" The smallness
Of her voice angered her. She feigned
a short, carefree laugh. UNLESS l am
too busy. Getting married seems to
become a more and more complicated
problem of proper costuming, doesn't
II, with every passing season.
She couldn't have told why she said
II. She was trying to think Of some
thing else to say which would be kind
er by far And then, half lifting her,
he had swung her around to him. For
a moment be held her. face close to
that small, frightened face buried In
fits deep collar. while she struggled
uselessly against those hard arms,
which tried not to hurt her. Her lips
continued to rebel long after her eyes
had closed-long after body and brain
were quiescent
"You mustn'tr' she gasped. "Oh, I
can't let you-the moon-we-we're
sure to be seem
His lips on hers silenced that last
brown head bowed, when he had set
her free.
II was going to ask you not to for
get!" There was no WEAKNESS now In
his voice. II had planned to ask you
Just that a little ago, and 1t would
have been a weak and useless request,
wouldn't it2 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 coming to stay!
And now I'm telling you goodby. It's
time you were asleep"
He helped her to her feet Together
they turned-and Archibald Wicker
sham. tall to gauntness 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 lazier still II 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-
noring 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 q
word she put her hand upon the arm
which Wickersham 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 Barbara
within and then laughed with her con-
summate impotence into both mems
faces.
"G'lang wild yes now" she fiung at
them. AN quit disturbin' dacint folks
that likes to sleep O. nights!"
She slammed the door upon them.
! They stood there a second or two,
Wickersham an inch or more taller
and inches narrower In shoulder and
girth of chest. Perfunctorily they nod
| ded each to the other and wheeled ST.
lently upon their heels.
! II was the next evening when Bar
bara re-entered the house beyond the
hedge. There was a streak Of light
running out across the floor OF the dim