Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1918-04-18

few minutes of silence, he began rather
awkwardly, and David Arnold Duke
was not usually awkward:
"Carol, you'll think I'm cad to say
what I'm going to, after doing what
have just done, but I'll have to risk
that. You shouldn't let men kiss you.
1t isn't right. You're too pretty and
sweet and fine for it. know you don't
allow 1t, commonly, but don't at all. l
hate to think Of anyone even touching
girl like you"
Carol leaned forward, fitting back
her head, and looking up at him
roguishly, her face a-sparkle.
He blushed more deeply. "Oh. l
know It," he said. 'Tm ashamed of
myself. But I can't help what you
think of me. I do think you shouldn't
let them, and hope you won't. They're
sure to want to-"
Eyes," she said quietly, very grown
up indeed just then, Eyes, they do.
Aren't men funny? They always want
to. Sometimes we hear old women
say, Men are all alike never be-
lieve it. / hate old women who say 1t.
But-are they all alike, professor?"
NO." he said grimly, 'they are not.
But l suppose any man would like to
kiss a girl as sweet as you are. But
men are not all alike. Don't you be-
heve it. You won't, then, will your
Won't believe it? No."
At mean" he said, almost stammer-
ing in his confusion, 81 mean you
won't let them touch you"
Carol smiled teasingly, but in mo-
ment she spoke, and very quietly.
"P'fessor, I'll tell you blood-red Sc
ret If you swear up and down you'll
never tell anybody. I've never told
Lark-well, one night, when / was a
sophomore-do you remember Bud
Garvin?"
eyes, the tall fellow with black hair
and eyes, wasn't he? In the fresh
man zoology class"
Eyes. Well, he took me home from
a party. And Bud, well-he put his
arm around me, and-maybe you don't
know it, professor, but there's a big
difference in girls, too. Now some girls
are naturally good. Prudence is, and
SOS Lark. But Fairy and well,
we've got a lot of the original Adam
in us. Buds rather nice and let
him-oh, just little, but it made me
nervous and excited. But / liked 1t.
Prudence was away, and / hated to
to11y fa rly hnt NIGHT I cnQQKQd
in Fairy's room and asked If / might
sleep with her. She said l could, and
told me to turn on the light, it wouldn't
disturb her. But was so hot I didn't
want any light, so I undressed as fast
as I could and crept in. Somehow,
from the way snuggled up to Fairy,
she caught on. / was out of breath,
really / was ashamed Of myself, but
l wasn't just sure then whether I'd
ever let him put his arm around me
again or not. But Fairy turned over,
and began to talk.
"She said that once, when she was
fifteen, one of the boys at Exminster
kissed her good night. And she didn't
mind 1t a bit. But father was putting
the horses in the barn, and he came
out just in time to see it; it was a
moonlight night. After the boys had
gone, father hurried and took Fairy
indoors for a little talk. just the two
of them alone. He said that in all the
years he and my mother were married,
every time he kissed her he remem-
bered that no man but he had ever
touched her lips, and it made him hap
by. He said he was always sort Of
thanking God inside, whenever he held
her in his arms. He said nothing else
in the world made man so proud, and
glad and grateful, as to know his wife
was all his own, and that even her lips
had been reserved for him like a sa-
cred treasure that no one else could
share. He said it would take the
thinks there aren't many as mean as
that, to go back on a woman like that.
Fairy said she burst out crying be-
cause her husband wouldn't ever be
able to feel that way when he kissed
her. But father said since she was SO
first time, it wouldn't really count
Fairy swore off that minute-never
againl OF course, when knew how
father felt about mother, wanted my
husband to have as much pleasure In
me as father did In her, and Fairy and
! made solemn resolve that we would
never, even hold hands, and that's
very simple, until we got crazy enough
about a man to think we'd like to
marry him If we got a chance. And /
never have since then, not once"
"Carol," he said In low voice, II
wish had known 1t. wouldn't have
kissed you for anything. God knows
wouldn't. IL think I am man enough
not to have done 1t anyhow If I had
only thought q minute, but God knows