The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-10-12

n - Aa1s.eht VI pafoiyzeo cOhAuoioh "a
She Moved. she swept cut her hands.
and h wonder Of her eyes dimmed In
d a flood Of tears.
my Godl You can't care Cor me2"
he cried, h0arsely.
\ Then she me him. hands out
N stretched.
but I del dol"
i Swift as light Duane caught her and
held her to his breast. He stesd held
ing her tight, with the feel Of her
warm. throbbing breast and the clasp
OF her arms as flesh and blood realities
to fight q terrible fear. He felt her,
and for the moment the might Of It
! was stronger than all the demon that
possessed aim And he held her as
IL h q been his soul, his strength on
earth. his hope Of heaven, against his
lips.
The strife of doubt all passed.. He
found his sight again. And there
rushed over him a tide Of emotion un-
utterably sweet and full, strong like an
Intoxicating wine, deep as his nature,
fs~omething glorious and terrible as the
blaze OF the sun to one long in dark
ness. He had become an outcast, q
wanderer, a gunman, q victim Of cir
cumstances: he had lost and suffered
worse than death In that loss; he had
gone down the endless bloody trail, q
killer Of men. a fugitive whose mind
slowly n inevitably closed to all ex-
! cept h instinct to survive and a black
] despair; and now, with this woman In
his arms. her swelling breast against
/ his, In this almost OF resurrec-
ton, he bent under he storm Of pas
sion n Joy possible only to him who
a endured so much.
do you care-a little7" he whis-
pered, unSteadily.
He bent over her, looking deep into
the dark wet eyes.
She uttered a low laugh that was
half sob, and her arms slipped UP to
his neck.
"A little! Oh. Dusne-Duans-a
Their lips met in their first kiss. The
sweetness. the fire OF her mouth
seemed SO new, so strange. 20 irresist-
ible to Duane. His sore and hungry
heart throbbed with thick ana heavy
beats. He felt the ~outcasss need Of
love. And he gave up to the enthral-
ling moment. She met him half way,
returned kiss for kiss, clasp for clasp.
her face scarlet. her eyes closed, till,
her passion and strength spent, she
fell back upon his shoulder.
Duane suddenly thought she was
going to faint. He OWNED then that
she had understood him. would have
4 denied him nothing, not v her life,
In that moment. But she was over
| come. and he suffered q pang OF regret
4 at his unrestrafnt
Presently she recovered, and she
! drew only h closer, and leaned upon
him with her face upturned. He felt
her hands on his, and they were soft,
S,insi9 r. strong ssl9 E.. IKE e.. st. sao under saa vel ri.
warmth Of her breast. A tremor q
| over him. He tried 30 draw hack, and
II he succeeded a little her form swayed
with him, pressing closer. She held
her lace UP. and he was compelled to
look. 1t was wonderful now: white, yet
glowing. with the red lips parted, and
dark eyes alluring. But that was not
all: There was passion, ~unquenchable
spirit. woman's resolve deep and
I mighty.
81 love you, Duane!" she said. "For
my sake don't go out to meet this put
law face to face. It's something wild
In you. Conquer 1t II you love me-"
Duane became suddenly weak, and
\ when he did take her into his arms
again he scarcely had strength to
lift her to a seat beside him. She
seemed more than a dead weight. Her
calmness had fled. She was throb-
bling, palpitating, quivering, with hot
wet cheeks and arms that chung to him
like vines. She lifted her mouth to
him, whispering. Kiss mel" She
4 iiACdiit " CAidilBo IllLl, 1Olu ulIU.
Duane bent down, and her arms went
round his neck and drew him close.
With his lips on hers he seemed to
float away. That kiss closed his eyes,
and he could not lift his head. He sat
~motionless, holding her, blind and help
less, wrapped in a sweet dark glory.
She kissed him-one long endless kiss
or else 1000 times. Her lips, her
wet cheeks, her hair, The softness, the
fragrance Of her, the tender clasp of
her arms, the swell of her breast-all
these seemed to inclose him.
Duane could not put her from him.
He yielded to her lips and arms, watch
ing her, involuntarily returning her
caresses, sure now of her intent, las
cinated by h sweetness Of her, be-
Wildered, almost lost. This was what
1t was to be loved by q oma His
years Of outlawry had blotted out any
boyish love he might have known. This
was what he had to give up-all this
wonder OF her sweet person, this
strange fire he feared yet loved, this
mate his deep and tortured soul recog-
nized. Never until that moment had
he devined the meaning OF @ woman to
a man. That meaning was physical
inasmuch that he learned what beauty
was, what marvel in the touch OF
quickening flesh; and Il was spiritual
in that he saw there might have been,
Tor him. under happier circumstances,
a life Of noble deeds lived for such a
woman. ~
Don't go! Don't go!" she cried, as
he started violently.
Il must. Dear, goodby. Remember
I loved you'll"
He pulled her hands loose from his
stepped back.
"Ray, d~earest--I believe-pn come
back!" he whispered.
These last words were falsehood.
He reached the door. gave her one
last piercing glance, to fix for ever In
memory that white face with its dark,
staring, tragic eyes.
"Duanel"
He fled with that moan like thunder.
death, hell In his ears. "
To forget her, to get back his nerve.
he forced into mind the imagine Of
Poggin-Poggin, the tawny haired, the
yellow eyed, like a jaguar, with his rip-
ping muscles. He brought back his
supreme test. And this abnormal and ST
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