The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-09-06

He didn't c,me 10 her; just stood
there, gripping the corner If her book
case and staring at her silhouette,
which was about all he could see OF
her against the window At last he
said, in strained, dry voice she'd
hardly have known for his:
''If you know that-lf I've let you see
that-then I've done just about the last
desplcable thing there was left for me
to do. I've come down here and
made you feel sorry for me. So that
with that-dlvine kin1liness Of yours,
you're willing to give me-every-
thing" '"~
He Strengthened up and came step
nearer. swell, won't have 1t, / fell
you. / don't know how you guessed.
II I'd dreamed | was betraying that to
you Don't / kn0w-lt's
burnt into me so that I'll never forget
what the memory of my love must
be to you? The memory of the hide
Gus things it's done to you? And now,
after all that-after you've won your
fight-alOne-and stand where you
stand now-fOr me to come begging
And take n gift like that / tell you
It is pity. 1t can't be anything else"
There was another minute of silence,
and then he heard her make n little
noise in her throat, noise that would
have been sob had there not been
something like a laugh in II. The next
moment she said, "Come over here
Roddy," and as he hesltated, as II ne
hadn't understood, she added: 81 want
you to look at me. Over here, where
there's light enough to see me by"
He came, wonderingly, very slowly,
but at last with her outstrctched hand
she reached him and drew him around
between her and the window.
'Look into my face" she commanded.
Look into my eyes-as far in as you
can. oh, my dearest" the sob OF
pure JOY came again-"is 1t pity that
you see? Don't you understandT
He did understand 1t with his mind,
but he was a little dazed, like one who
has stood too near where the light
ming struck. The hope he had kept
buried alive so long-buried alive be-
cause II wouldn't die-cOuld not be
brought out into a binding glory like
this without pain-exquisite, terrify-
ing pain.
The knowledge she had acquired by
her own suffering stood her in good
stead now. She did not mistake, ms
the Rose he had married might have
done, the weakness of his response for
coldness-indif'eren She led him
over to her one big chair and made
him sit down in IT, settled herself
upon the arm of it, and contented
herself with one Of his hands. Pres
emily he took one of hers, bent his
face down over it, and brushed the
back of it with his lips.
The timidlty of that caress, with al
it revealed to her, was too much fol
her. She swallowed one sob, and an
other, but the next one got away. from
her and she broke out in passionate fl
of weeping. That reused him from hi'
daze n little, and he pulled her dowr
IN his arms-held her tight-cOmfort
ed her. When she got herself in hant
again, she got up, went away to wasl
her face, and, coming back in the room
again, lighted a reading lamp ant
drew down the blinds.
"Rose," he said presently, "what arr
we going to do?"
"Shall we make II a real honeymoon
Roddy-make 1t as complete as w
can? Forget everything and let al
the world be :"
He supplied the word for her, "Rose
color?'
She accepted 1t with little laugl
."for q while"
"That's what l was fumbling for,
he said, "but l can't think YER
straight tonight. I've got 1t now
though. That cottage we had-befor
the twins were born-down on tn
Cape. There won't be a soul ther
this time of year: We'd have tn
world to ourselves"
"Yes," she said, "for a little whil
, we'd want 1t like that. But after
while-after day or two, could W
, have the babies? Could the nurs
= bring them on to me and then c
= straight back, so that l could hay
! them, and you, all together"
: He said, "You darlingw But t
. couldn't manage more than that.
Y At the entrance and just out
! range Of the elevator man, he kissC
o her good night"
"But will you telephone to me
. soon as you wake up in the morning,
4 that I'll know it's true?"
l. She nodded. Then her eyes we
e wide and she clung to him. us
r true, Roddy? Is it possible for a thiI