Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1918-06-25

excitement. you don't mean you've
felt anything of the sort?"
mo, r'-her voice broke as If with
weariness-"T don't mean that, pre-
cisely, / mean . Probably / don't
know what I 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.
I think-do you mind?-rd 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 rudy glow, while her
face was all in shadow.
zone moment" he begged humbly-
before we go in. Eve some
thing else to say to you. If l may"
She waited, seriously attentive.
81 haven't played fair I'm afraid"
he said, lowering his head to escape
her steadfast gaze. i've just told
you that love you, but :"
"Well?" she demanded in an odd,
ringing voice. isn't it truef
"True? He laughed unnaturally.
"It's so true wish had died before
told you'll"
"Please explain" she urged trace
YEARLY.
a." he stammered-T am already
married"
She gave q little, stifled cry
whether of pain or horror or of indig-
nation he could not tell.
I'm sorry-I-" he began.
"Don't you think you might have
thought of this before?"
81 you don't understand"
$50 1t would SEEM" she put in
cruelty.
please hear mel 1t 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 l should have been, by rights. But
now she knows that I'm alive-is about
to sue for divorce"
After. 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, 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 it was filed, and
} lighted it. Then over her shoulder:
II hope you don't mean to stay up
all night"
"I-well, I'm really not sleepy"
"As soon as you feel the least need
: of sleep, you'll go to bedT
81 promise"
every 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 dlffidence, looking down at the
. finger-tips with which she traced 9
meaningless pattern on the oil-cloth.
"You are kind" she said abruptly
her head bowed, her face hidden from
him.
"Kindw he echoed, dumfounded.
"You are kind and sweet and gen.
: erous to me-" she insisted In a level
voice. "You have shown me your
heart-the heart of gentleman-with
out reserve; but of me you have
asked nothing"
II don't understand"
81 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 In your sight. That
is how 1 seem to you-isn't itf"
"Secretive and mysterious? But
have no right to your confidence; your
affairs are yours, inviolable, unles:
you choose to discuss them"
"You would think that way-oi
course J" Ouuuenty SHe showed MN
e her face Illuminated with its frank
4 shadowy smile, her sweet eyes. kind
and as fearless as the eyes of child
s "Other men would not, know. Ant
J. you have every right to know"
= "I-r
:, you; and 1 shall tell you.
v But not now; there's too much to tell
|, to explain and make understandable
/. and I'm too terribly tired. Tomorrow
+ perhaps-or when we escape from thii
d weird place, when I've had time t
o think things out"
o AT your pleasure" he assentet
n gently. "Only-don't let anythin.
t worry you"
s Impulsively she caught both hi
y hands in a clasp at once soft ant
strong, wholly Straightforward anS
Q friendly.
"DO Won know" she said In a lauph