Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-08-03

not have saved Gerry 10 himHeif ana
spared her faith the test OF the three
long years lost ont Of their youths
Gerry stood erect BY he door. 0ne
hand still holding the knob Why was
he waitinxs Alix' raisst hand went
slowly ont to him In welcome but he
did not move. She s:niled ri him but
his eyer remained steadfast and grave.
a lump rose In AK throat and then.
N pride came 70 her aid. dare Of
color showed In her cheeks. Her lips
opessA What could abe nv 10 hurt
him sneuxh, to pay him hack TOR this
added. Anjust rebufff she knew -
little abcot this new Gerry. Hsw could
she wound himi
And thea he spoke. "Will you please
sit DOWN. There are things must tell
ron"
Gerry had Numbered ON magic
| words. There In no moment % emo
tionally tense that true woman VIII
not drop the immediate Issue to alt
| down and listen to the untold things
she has wanted to hear. AK was
true woman. The fare died out Of hor
cheeks. She sank into chair beside
the duly shining mahogany table and
with I nod Of her golden head mo-
toned Gerry to seat opposite her.
She watched the easy Awing OK his
body as be moved across the room.
Gerry's mind was In sore conflict, but
q body In perfect health has = way OF
taking care OF itself
Gerry sat down and gripped the edge
OF the table with outstretched hands
He looked steadily Into Alix' eyes.
The moment he had foreseen had come.
ak sat In Judgment. She planted her
bare elbowg on the table, laid one
hand. palm down on the ether and on
them both rested her cheek. Her head
with Its heavy crown of hair was thus
to one side but also tilted alightly for
ward. That slight forward tilt Eave
strength to the pose and intensity. a
curious, measuring look came into
Allx' eyes. She was silent and shs
was waiting.
Gerry dropped his eyes to the table
and began to talk. 1.-THE things have
got to tell you," he said, begin with
that day--our last day. went out
and walked for hours and realized that
had been rough and unjust and to
blame. / came over to the avenue and
was standing looking at some flowers
when You passed. saw you In the
plate-glass OF the window. turned
around to make sure. recognized
your trunk. I followed you to the sta
ton. l saw Alan signal to you.
saw you get into the train"
Gerry stopped. Ills premise Wal
finished and he found that he had M
tongue to tell the things he had thought
the long argument OF the soul. HI
realized that all that must be left out
He must conflne himself to mere phys
> ical facts, let them troop up In thu
: order in which they had come up0I
:. him and file naked before Alix. Sh.
must dress them as she NV nc, as hel
sympathies and her justice directed
He would give her but che ground
work. plain simple words such az b.
, , could command. telling the es~nts tina
: had come upon him and how he had
,, met them.
!, OF the trip out he had nothing q al
. but Of pernambuco he told her In u
. tail. Somehow IL seemed the least Il
!. could do for the filthy and beautiful
!. city that had given him an unques
!. tioning asylum. He told her Of III,
quay, the Lingueta. with Its line d
tall. stained houses, Its vast plan,
trees and its cobbled espianade, tn
stage where the city's life was In per
petual review. His words came slow
:. ly but they left nothing out. Uncon
D sciously he created an atmosphere. A
Q light Of interest burned in Alix' eyes
She saw the changing scene.
< charmed her to restfulness a. II hat
Q Gerry.
She smelt the stacks of pineappiea
r the heaped-up mangoes. the frying fisll
Q and through his eyes she saw the blu,
= skies dotted with white. still cloud
:, and glimpsed the secret, Highly allet
q gardens with their naring hibiscus
trailing fuchsias, fantastic gardeI
q cockscombs and dark-domed mang'
e and Jack trees. She sat with Gerr,
!, and, later. on the long slim coastini
o craft she listened with him TO the creal
o OF straining masts and stays and to tn
y lap Of hurrying waters. She foilowet
3 him up the San Francisco, felt his i'm
3 patience with Penedo, took the It'll,
: stern-wheeler and learned the fascina
r ton OF a river with endless, undiscov
+ cred turns. They came to Piranhas
o Here she felt herself on familiar
q ground. Letters from the consups en-
g voy had made this place hers. Uncon
y sciously she nodded as Gerry described
8 the tiers OF houses, the twisted, climb
o ing streets. the miserable little INN.
It Gerry told OF the happy days OF pom
derous canoeing and Of the unvaryini
e strings of fish. He fingered over tbos,
e days. Thus far he had brought ALI
n with him. He felt II. Now he came Il
d the morning when he must leave hol
b behind. He told her Of the gloriou.
n break Of that day, Of the sun fghtins
Z through swiriing mists. She saw hin
e standing afrfnnod on ri1e aandauff ShS