Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-04-26
ooh, nor she cried Indignantly.

I'll, 1O enc AIIC1 1LiAl LIdhtlS~
He laughed silently: "I'll stay here
Nan disappeared. Lounging against
the windOwsill opposite the door, ne
waited. After a long time the door
was steaIthily reOpened. Nan tiptOed
out. She closed it softly behind her
Il waited for him to go to sleep" she
explained as she started down the cor
ridOr with De Spain. He's had so
much pain today hope he sleeps. y
Il hope so, too,' exclaimed De Spain
fervently.
Nan ignored the implication. She
looked straight ahead. She had moth
ing to say. De Spain, walking beside
her, devoured her with his eyes; lis
tened to her footballs; tried to make
talk; but Nan was silent
Standing on the wide veranda out
side the front door, she assented to
the beauty of the distant illumination,
but not enthusiastically. De Spain
declared it could be seen very much
better from the street below. Nan
thought she could see very well where
they stood. But by this time she was
answering questions-dryly, it is true,
and in monosyllables, but answering.
De Spain leading the way a step or
two forward at a time, coaxed her
down the driveway.
She stood again irresolute, he drink
ing in the fragrance of her presence
after the long separation and playing
her reluctance guardedly. ''DO you
know" she exclaimed with sudden re-
sentiment, ''you make it awfully hard
to be mean to your"
With a laugh he caught her hand
and made her walk down the hospital
steps. you may be as mean as you
like" he answered indifferently. "Only,
never ask me to be mean to you"
II wish to heaven you would be- -
she retorted.
DO you remember" he asked, "wnat
we We're doing a year ago todayw
''NO." Before he could speak again
she changed her answer: Eyes, l do
remember. If I said mo- you'd be sure
to remind me of what we were doing.
We can't see as well here as We could
from the steps,"
but from here, you have the best
view in Sleepy Cat of Music mountain
''We didn't come out here to see DIu-
sic mountain
81 come here often to look at it. You
won't let me see yOu-What can I do
but look at where you live? How long
are you going to keep me away?"
Nan did not answer. He urged her
to speak. you know very well it is
my people that will never be friendly
with you" she replied. "How can l
be?"
They were passing a lawn settee
He sat down. She would not follow.
She stood in a sort of protest at his
side, but he did not release her hand
''rll tell you how you can be-" he re-
turned. MAKE me one of your people"
THAT never can be" she declared
stubbornly. You know it as we'll as
I do. Why do you say such things?'
she demanded, drawing away her hand.
DO you want to know?"
mo"
cts because I love you"
She strOve to command herself.
whether you do or not can't make
any difference" she returned steadily.
1--WE are separated by everything.
There's a gulf between us. It never
can be crossed. We should both of
Us be wretched if it ever were crossed"
He had risen from the bench and
caught her hand. It's because we
haven't crossed it we're wretched," he
said determinedly. Gross it with ne
now - He caught her in his arms.
She struggled to escape. She knew
what was coming and fought to keep
her face from him. With resistless
strength, and yet carefully as q mother
with an obstinate child, he held her
slight body against his breast, relent-
IesSly drawing her head closer. Let
me got" she painted, twisting her avert
ed head from the hollow of his arm.
Drinking in the wine of her frightened
breath, he bent over her in the dark
ness until his pulSing eagerness linked
her warm lips to his own. She had
surrendered to her first kiss.
He spoke. "The CULTS crossed. Are
you SO awfuIly Wretched?"
They sank together down on the
bench. what she faltered, will be-
come of me now?"
''You are better off now than you
ever were, Nan. You've gained this
moment a big brother, a lover you can
drag around the world after you with
a piece OF thread"
"You act as if I could"
81 mean it; it's true. I'm pledged to
you foreyer-you, to me forever. Wen
keep our secret till we can manage
things; and we will manage them. Ev-
erything will come right, Nan, because
everything must come right"
81 only hope you are not wrong" she
murmured. her eyes turned toward the
sOmber mountains.
CHAPTER XVII