The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1917-08-16

Anyhow, he's cooking trouble for the
Austins, and / want to stand from
under"
Now that the speaker had dropped
all pretense, he answered Dawes ques-
tons without evasion and told what
he knew. 1t was not much, to Dawes
way OF thinking, but it was enough to
give cause for thought, and when the
men finally parted 1t was with the un-
Outstanding that Strange would
promptly communicate any further in
~telligence on this subject that came
his way.
On the following day Dawes duties
called him to Brownsville, where court
was in session. He had planned to
leave by the morning train; but as he
continued to mediate over Strange's
words, he decided that, before going,
he ought to advise Alaire of the fell
lows suspicious In order that she
other ways protect herself against his
possible spite. Since the matter was
one that could not well be talked over
by telephone, Dave determined to go
in person to Las Palmas that evening.
Truth to say, he was hungry to see
Alaire. BY this time he had almost
ceased to combat the feeling she
aroused in him, and II was in obedience
to an impulse far stronger than friepd
ly anxiety that he hired a machine ana,
shortly after dark, took the river roai.
The Fates are malicious jades. They
delight in playing ill-natured pranks
upon us. Not content with spinning
and measuring and cutting the threads
Of Our lives to suit themselves, they
must also tangle the skein, causing US
to cut capers to satisfy their whims.
At no tipe since meeting Alaire had
Dave Law been more certain of his
moral strength than on this evening;
at no time had his grip upon himself
seemed firmer. Nor had Alaire the
least reason to doubt her s%elf-control.
Dave, to be sure, had appealed to her
fancy and her interest in fact, he so
dominated her thoughts that the i'm
aginary creature whom she called her
dream-husband had gradually taken ON
his physical likeness. But the idea
that she was In any way enamored
Of him had never entered his mind. In
such wise do the Fates amuse them
selves.
Alaire had gone to her favorite after.
dinner refuge, a nook on one of the
side galleries, where there was a wide,
swinging wicker couch; and there, In
a restful obscurity fragrant with fiow-
ers, she had prepared to spend the
evening with her dreams.
She did net hear Dawes automobile
arrive. Her first intimation Of his
presence came with the sound Of his
heel upon the porch. When he ap-
peared, 1t was almost like the mate
REALIZATION of her uppermost thought
quite as If a figure from her fancy had
stepped forth full-clad.
She ose and met him, smiling. "How
did you know I wanted to see your
she inquired.
]. Dave took her hand and looked down
at her, framing a commonplace reply,
But for some reason the words lay I'M
spoken upon his tongue. Alaire's In
formal greeting, her parted lips, the
welcoming light in her eyes, had sent
them flying. 1t seemed to him that the
dim half-light which illumined this
nook emanated from her face and her
person, that the fragrance which came
to his aOstrils was the perfume of her
breath, and at the prompting of these
thoughts all his smothered longings
rose as IL at a signal. AS mutinous
prisoners in a jail delivery overpower
their guards, so did Dawes long-re-
pressed emotions gain the upper hand
OF him now, and SO swift was their
uprising that he could not summon
more than a feeble, panicky resistance.
The awkwardness of the pause which
followed Alaire's inquiry strengthened
the rebellious impulses within him. and
quite unconsciously his friendly grasp
upon her fingers frightened. For her
part, as she saw this sudden change
sweep over him. her own face altered
and she felt something within her
breast leap into life. No woman could
have failed TO read the meaning Of his
sudden agitation, and, strange to say,
1t worked q similar state Of feeling
in Alalre. She strove to control her.
self and to draw away, but instead
found that Der hand had answered
his, and that her eyes were fiashinA
recognition Of his look. All In an In
slant she realized how deathly tired
of her W struggle she had become.
and experienced a reckless impulse to
cast away all restraint and blindly
meet his first advance. She had NJ
time to question her yearnings; she
seemed to understand only that thia
man offered her rest and security that
In his arms lay sanctuary.
To both 1t seemed that they s<oot
there silently, hand In hand, for 0
very long time, though In reality there
was scarcely a moment Of hesitation
on the part Of either. A drunken
breathless instant of uncertainty, then
Aiaire was on Dawes breast, and his
strength, his ardor, his desire, wal
throbbing through her. Her bare arms
were about his neck; a sigh, the token
of utter surrender. fiuttered from her
throat. She raised her face to his anA
their lips melted together.