The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1917-04-05
the knob of the door to enter the room =
"Can help anyf"

MN disappeared. Lounging against
the windowslll opposite the door, he
waited. After long time the door
was stealthily reopened. Nan tiptoed
out. She closed IL softly behind her:
II waited for him to go to Sleep" slle
explained ns she started down the cor
ridor with De Spain. "He's Ind SO
much pain today-I hope he sleeps"
81 hope so, too," exclaimed De Spnin
fervently.
Nan ignored the implication. She
looked straight ahead. She had moth
ing to say. De Spnin, walking beside
her, deyoured her with his eyes; lis
tened to her footballs; tried to make
talk; but Nan was silent.
Standing on the wide veranda out
side the front door, she assented to
the beauty Of the distant illumination,
but not enthusiastically. De Spain
declared it could be seen very much
better from the street below. Nan
thought she could see very well where
they stood. But by this time she was
answering questlons-dryly, 1t is true,
and in monosyllables, but answering.
ACC opuih iCuNlhb thC way OtGp VI
two forward at q time, coaxed her
down the driveway.
She stood again irresolute, he drink
ing in the fragrance of her presence
after the long separation and playing
her reluctance guardedly. "Do you
know" she exclaimed with sudden re-
sentiment, "you make 1t awfully hard
to be mean to you2"
With laugh he caught her hand
and made her walk down the hospital
steps. "You may be us mean as you
like" he answered indifferently. "Only,
never ask me to be mean to you."
II wish to heaven you would be-"
she retorted.
"Do. you remember" Ire asked, "what
we were doing year ago today2"
"No." Before he could speak again
she changed her answer: "Yes, I do
remember. If said mo- you'd be sure
to remind me of what we were doing.
We can't see as well here as we could
from the. steps,"
But from here, you have the best
view in Sleepy Cat Of Music mountain"
ave didn't come out here to see Mu-
sic mountain"
II come here often to look at 1t. You
won't let me see you-what can 1 do
but look at where you live? How long
are you going to keep me away?"
Nan did not answer. He urged her
to speak. "You know very well 1t is
my people that will never he friendly
with you," she replied. "How can I
be?"
They were passing n lawn settee.
He sat down. She would not follow.
She stood In sort of protest ut his
side. but he did not release her hand.
"I'll tell you how you can be-" he re-
turned. snake me one of your people,"
"That never can be-" she declared
stubbornly. you know 1t rs well MS
I do. Why do you say such thlngsf"
she demanded, drawing away her hand.
"Do you want to know?"
"No."
"It's because love you"
She strove to command herself.
whether you do or not can't make
any difference" she returned steadily,
1--WE are separated by everything.
There's gulf between u.s. 1t never
can be crossed. We should both Of
us be wretched IL 1t ever were crossed"
He had risen from the bench and
caught her hand. "It's because we
haven't crossed 1t we're wretched," he
said determinedly. "Cross II with me
now" lie caught her In his arms.
She struggled to escape. She knew
what was coming and fought to keep
her face from him. With >resistless
strength, and yet carefully as mother
with an obstinate child, he held her
slight body against his breast, relent-
lessly drawing her head closer. "Let
me go!" she painted, twisting her avert
ed head from the hollow Of his arm.
Drinking in the wine of her frightened
breath, he bent over her In the dark
ness until his pulsing eagerness linked
her warm lips to his own. She had
surrendered to her first kiss.
He spoke. "The CULTS crossed. Are
you so awfully wretched?"
They sank together down ON the
bench. "What," she faltered, twill be-
come Of me now3"
"You are better or now than you
ever were. Nan. You've gained this
moment big brother, lover you can
drag around the world after you with
| a piece of thread"
aYou act as If could"
81 mean 1t; It's true. Pm pledged to
you forever-you, to me forever. Wen
keep our secret till we can manage
things; and we will manage them. Ev-