The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-05-26
AUTHOR Of THE LONE
WOLF" THE BRASS
BOWL,"ETC
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lndisputably In her understanding that
Craven's mode of life could never be
hers. They lived and thought on diff
ferent planes. Downing streets secret
agent must of necessity have his
secrets and guard them jealousy; but
love and loyalty could not endure in an
atmosphere of petty deception, useless,
persistent fibbing, feigned emotion In
trinsic selflshness.
She meant to leave him without de-
lay. Come morning, and she would
strike out for herself. And hat in
volyed forfeiture not only of her ia
Their, but of his friends that now were
hers. 1t would be impossible to keep
on terms of equality and companion
ship with those amiable creatures of
exalted responsibility, and spend her
days-behind a counterl She felt very
f%orlOrn, lonely, young and inexperi-
enced.
She turned at length from unseeing
contemplation of Central parks dismal
p~erspectives, to look curiously at Peter,
who forthwith grinned gracelessly.
"What do you want-madman?"
"Just to talk to you," he replied
frankly. You keep to yourself so
much-I get lonesome and desperate,
Think what it must mean not to see
you in over twelve hours to a man of
my mercurial temperament Honest,
l was feeling awful low when you
showed up just now. In another hour
I'd We been taking things seriously
the same as you"
"What makes you say that?"
Because you show it."
do 1, reallyT' she pleaded anx-
iously.
"Not SOS anybody'd notice it but me.
You'll have to learn that you can hide
nothing from me. Consider what a
swell time you'll have when we're mar
ried."
"No-don't joke, please. IL am not
very happy tonight
"You aren't7" Peter sat up at atten-
ton, serious for once at least.
Its nothing-don't ask me, please.
I'm just a bit low-spirited."
Nothing doingi" declared Peter
firmly. Discrimination isn't your long
suit. l know" He nodded with inn
mense gravity. you're fretting about
that cussed necklace" He drew a long
breath and lied magnificently. you
see, we were talking it over when you
came in: Quoin calling Betty down for
making Craven try to smuggle, and
Betty fighting back like a good one
the whole story coming out. / don't
care If Tad is your father, he hadn't
any right to put a raw deal like that
over on you. Now" Peter wound up
defensively, "turn loose the heavy artil-
leryl I've spoken my mind when it
was none Of my business, and it's up
TO me to take the count without a
whimper."
Lydia was silent, her face averted.
"No," she said presently, "Pm not
angry with you. Why should / be? 1
myself don't think 1T was right. It
it's pleasant to know somebody sympa-
thizes, when everybody else seems to
think it nothing at ALL"
mot my way Of looking at it." Peter
insisted. "Listen to me nowl Why not
marry me and chuck the whole game
Betty, Tad, Quoin, the whole outfit?
Think how good 1t would be to know
you don't have to care what they think
Just say Peter, you're ONT and we're
of-winter in Egypt-everything like
that. You see? Not a bit of use fret
ting about people when life makes it
self so easy"
"Please don't, Peter. 1t makes you
seem-unsympathetic, after all"
"Don't you believe it. I'm so full of
sympathy for you that it hurts me.
Please won't you marry mef"
II can't listen to you If you will go
on this way !" she cried, half distract
ed. I'm not thinking of marrying any
body"
81 know. It's just as good a line as
1t ever was, and you read it to perfec-
ton. But 1t loses force with repetition,
my dear. Don't forget that this is an
other scene-several chapters farther
on-and no other fellow has turned W
to make 1t difficult for you to decide. ]
know. cause I've been watching"
"Please be-kind-if you can't be
serious"
"But / am serious"
"Ah, but you promised me you never
were and never would bel" She tried
to laugh but not very successfully.
"That just goes to show how little
knew myself. The diagram is, of course
/ never wanted TO be serious before
fell in love with you. Don't you under
stand that, really? / love you, Lydia
The girl sighed and looked away
q troubled, a strange, sweet iuttering IL
her bosom. And Peter was searching
her Swallowed face with eyes she dared
not meet lest they surprise her agita
ton and wrest a victory from 1t. Hel
: lips grew tremulous, her eyes dim.
II love you" he repeated gently
r "Oh, believe me, heart of my hearth
r His hand closed firmly over her own.
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