The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-09-21

I'm going to try to earn it."
SIS that-all you want?" she asked
and then, hearing the little gasp h.
| gave, she swung around quickly ant
| looked at him. 1t was pretty dark ii
the room, but his face in the dusl
seemed to have whitened.
SIS friendship all you want Of me
| Roddy?" she asked again. She stoot
there waiting, full minute, in silence
Then she said: you don't have tt
tell me that. Because / know. Oh
oh, my dear, how well I know"
He didn't come to her; just stood
there, gripping the corner of 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:
eff you know that-if I've let you see
that-then I've done just about the last
despicable thing there was left for me
to do. I've come down here and
made you feel sorry for me. So that
with that-divine kindness of yours,
you're willing to give me-every-
thing"
He Strengthened up and came step
nearer. swell, won't have it, tell
you. don't know how you guessed.
If I'd dreamed l was betraying that to
you Don't / know-it's
burnt into me so that I'll never forget
what the memory CT 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 a gift like that! 1 tell you
it is pity. 1t can't be anything else"
There was another minute of silence,
and then he heard her make a little
noise in her throat, noise that would
have been a sob had there not been
something like laugh in it. The next
moment she said, "Come over here,
Roddy," and as he hesitated, as if he
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 outstretched 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 it pity that
you see? Don't you understand"
He did understand it with his mind,
but he was 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 it wouldn't die--could not be
brought out into binding glory like
his without pain-exquisite, terrify-
ng pain.
The knowledge she had acquired by
Ter own suffering stood her in good
stead now. She did not mistake, as
he Rose he had married might have
lone, the weakness of his response for
ldnesS-indifferen She led him |
'ver to her one big chair and made
lin sit down in it, settled herself |
lpon the arm of it, and contented |
lerself with one of his hands. Pres
ntly he took one of hers, bent his |
ace down over it, and brushed the
ack of it with his lips.
The timidity of that caress, with all
revealed to her, was 100 much for
er. She swallowed one sob, and an
ther, but the next one got away from
er and she broke out in passionate fit
f weeping. That reused him from his
axe little, and he pulled her down
1 his arms-held her tight-comfort-
d her. When she got herself in hand
gain, she got up, went away to wash
er face, and, coming back in the room
gain, lighted a reading lamp and
rev down the blinds.
"Rose," he said presently, "what are
e going to do?'
shall we make 1t real honeymoon,
oddy-make it as complete as we
an? Forget everything and let all
lie world be :"
He supplied the word for her, "Rose-
)lor?"
She accepted 1t with 8. little laugh
.''for while?" d
"That's what I was fumbling for"
: said, 'but 1 can't think very
raight tonight. I've got it now,
ough. That cottage we had-before {
e twins were born-down on the {
APE. There won't be a soul there I
is time of year. We'd have the :
orld to ourselves"
"Yes," she said, 'for a little while, S
ed want it like that. But after {
a day or two, could we 1
We the babies? Could the nurse h
ing them on to me and then go G
raight back, so that I could have a
EN-, and you, all together?" Ii
He said, you darlingw But he
uldn't manage more than that. s.
AZ the entrance and just out of h
nge of the elevator man, he kissed il
r good night" il
''But will you telephone to me as a
on as you wake up in the morning, so S,
1T I'll know it's true?" ="
She nodded. Then her eyes went fl
de and she chung to him. us it W
lie, Roddy? Is it possible for a thing OF
come hack like that2 Are we really b;