The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1917-02-08

excitement. "You don't mean you've
felt anything of the sort?"
mo, P'-her voice broke as If with
wearlness-'T don't mean that, pre-
cisely, 1 mean Probably 1 don't
know what 1 do mean. I'm really
very tired, too tired to go on, just
now-to sit here with you, badgering
our poor wits with esoteric subtleties.
[ think-do you mind?-Pd better go
| in"
She rose quickly, without waiting for
his hand. Whitaker Strengthened out
his long body with more deliberation,
standing finally at full height, his
grave and moody countenance strongly
relieved in the ruddy glow, while her
face was all in shadow.
zone moment" he begged humbly-
before we go in. I've some
thing else to say to you. If may"
She waited, seriously attentive.
II haven't played fair. Pm afraid"
he said. lowering his head to escape
her steadfast gaze. I've just told
you that I love you, but :"
"Well?" she demanded in an odd,
ringing voice. isn't it true2"
''TrueT He laughed unnaturaIly.
tits so true I-wish had died before
told your
'Please explain" she urged a trace
wearily.
81" he stammered-'T am already
married"
She gave a little, stifled cry
whether of pain or horror or of indig-
nation he could not tell.
'Tm sorry-I-" he began.
"Don't you think you might have
thought of this before?"
'T you don't understand"
$50 It would seem," she put In
cruelty.
'Please hear mel It was several
years ago 1 married a girl I'd never
seen before, to help her out of des-
perate scrape she'd got into. We
never lived together, never even saw
one another after that hour. She
had every reason to think me dead
as should have been, by rights. But
now she knows that I'm alive--is about
to sue for divorce"
After a long pause, during which
neither stirred, she told him, in faint
voice: 'Thank you"
She moved toward the house.
''If you will forgive me-"
"Oh, I forgive you, Mr.. Whitaker.
My heart is really not quite so fragile
as all this implies. I think I'll go
to bed. I'm very, very tired, in spite
of my sleep on the sands. That didn't
rest me, really"
They returned to the kitchen.
In silence, while Whitaker fidgeted
about the room, awkward and un-
happy, the girl removed a glass lamp
from the shelf above the sink, as
sured herself that 1t was filed, and
lighted 1t. Then over her shoulder:
II hope you don't mean to stay up
all night"
'T-well, I'm really not sleepy"
'As soon as you feel the least need
of sleep, you'll go to bedT
81 promise"
'Very well, then"
The insistent note faded from her
tones. She moved toward the table,
put the lamp down, and hesitated in
one Of her strange, unpresaged moods
of dlfHdence, looking down at the
flnger-tips with which she traced a
meaningless pattern on the oil-cloth.
"YOu are kind" she said abruptly,
her head bowed, her face hidden from
/ him.
"Kind" he echoed dumfounded.
'You are kind and sweet and gen
erOus to me-" she insisted I'm level
voice. "You have shown me your
heart--the heart of gentIeman-with-
out reserve; but of me you have
asked nothing"
81 don't understand"
II mean, you haven't once referred
to what happened last night. You've
been content to let me preserve my
confidence, to remain secretive and
mysterious i'm your sight. That
is how ] seem to you-isn't it7"
"Secretlve and mysterious2 But I
have no right 20 your confidence; your
/ affairs are yours. inviOlable, unless
you choose to discuss them"
"YOu would think that way-of
coursew Suddenly she showed him
her face illuminated with it's frank.
I shadOwy smile, her sweet eyes, kind
and as fedrless as the eyes Of a child.
I "Other men would not, know. And
you have every right to know"
T-W
"You; and 7 shall tell you. q.
But not now; there's too much to tell,
TO explain and make understandable; /;
and I'm too terribly tired. Tomorrow,
perhops-or when we escape from this
weird place. when I've had time to
think things out"
at yOUT pleasure" he assented
gently. "Only-don't let anything
worry you"
Impulsively she caught both his
hands iu q clasp Of once soft and
strong. wholly straightforward and
frlendly.
do you know" she said IN n laugh
ing voice. her head thrown hack, soft