The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-07-14

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 seIf-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 Cd
| his physical likeness. But the idea
that she was in any way enamored
/ Of him had never entered his mind. IT
such wise do the Fates amuse them
selves.
Alaire had gone to her favorfte after
| dinner refuge, a nook on one of the
side galleries, where there was a wide.
swinging wicker couch; and there, in
restful Obscurity fragrant with flow
ers, she had prepared to spend the
evening with her dreams.
She did not hear Dawes automobile
arrive. Her first fntimation of his
presence came with the sound of his
heel upon the porch When he an
peared, it was almost like the mate
REALIZATION of her uppermost thought
quite as if a figure from her fancy had
stepped forth fulI-clad.
She rose and met him, smiling. How
did you know 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. AIaire'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 ilIumined this
nook emanated from her face and her
person, that the fragrance which came
TO his DostrilS was the perfume Of her
breath, and at the prompting Of these
thoughts all his smothered Iongings
rose as if at a signal As mutinous
prisoners in a Jail delivery overpower
their guards, so did Dawes Iong-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,
it worked q similar state of feeling
In Alaire. She strove to control her
self and to draw away, but instead
found that her hand had answered
his, and that her eyes were flashing
recognition of his look. All in an in
slant she realized how deathly tired
OF her own struggle she had become,
and experienced a reckless impulse to
cast away all restraint and blindly
meet his first advance. She had no
time to question her yearnings; she
seemed to understand only that this
man offered her rest and security; that
in his arms lay sanctuary.
To both it seemed that they stood
there silently, hand in hand, for
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
Alaire was on Dawes breast, and his
strength, his ardor, his desire, was
thrObbing through her. Her bare arms
were about his neck; sigh, the token
Of utter surrender, huttered from her
throat. She raised her face to his and
their lips melted together.
CTO BE CONTINUED