The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1918-01-24

lie condemned himself mentally In no
uncertain terms for having yielded to
the temptation of her young lOvellness.
Carol still laughed, determined by her
merrlment to set the seal Of lnSlgnIh-
canoe upon the act.
"COme and walk a little farther,
Carol" he said In a low voice. 81 want
to say something else" Then after a
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, hut don't at all.
hate t. think Of anyone even touching
Il girl like you"
Carol leaned forward, fitting back
her head, and looking up at him
rOgulShly, her face a-spNrkle.
He blushcd more deeply, "Oh,
know It," he said. am ashamed of
myself. But l can't help what you
think Of me. l do think you shouldn't
let them, and l hope you won't. They're
sure to want to-"
"Yes," she said quietly, very grown
up indeed just then, "yes, they do
Aren't men funny? They always want
to. Sometimes we hear old women
say, Men are all alike never be-
lieve it. l hate old women who say 1t.
But--are they all alike, professorf"
no." he said grimly, they are not.
BN / suppose any man would like to
kiss a girl MS sweet rs you are, But
men are not all alike. Don't you be-
lleve it. You won't, then, Will you"
M,on't believe 1t? No."
81 mean," he said, almost stammer-
Ing In his confusion, II mean you
won't let them touch you"
Carol smiled teasingly, but in mo-
ment she spoke, and very quietly.
"Pfessor I'll tell you a 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 n
sophomore--do you remember Bud
Garvln2"
ayes, the tall fellow with black hair
and eyes, wasn't he2 In the fresh
man zoology class"
"Yes. Well, he took me home from
a party. And Bud, well-he put his
arm around me, and--maybc You don't
know 1t, professor, but there's n big
difference In girls, too. Now some girls
are naturally good. Prudence is, and
SOS Lark. But Fairy and well,
we've got lot Of the original Adam
in us. Buds rather nice and | let
him-oh, just little, but 1t made me
nervous and excited. But I liked It.
Prudence was away, and | hated to
talk to Lark that night so | sneaked
In Fairy's room and asked II | might
sleep with her. She said ! could, and
told me to turn on the light, II wouldn't
disturb her. But l was so hot | didn't
want any light, so l undressed as fast
as l could and crept in. Somehow,
from the way l snuggled up to Fairy,
she caught on. I was out Of breath,
really I was ashamed Of myself, hut
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.
"Shc said that once, when she was
fifteen, one Of the boys nt EXminster
kissed her good night. And she didn't
mind II a bit. But father was putting
| the horses in the barn, and he came
out Just In time to see 1t; 1t was a
moonlight night. After the boys had
gone, father hurried and took Fairy
Indoors for q 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 remcm-
bered that no man but he had ever
touched her lips, and It made him hap
ny. 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 n 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 q sa'
cred treasure that no one else could
share. He said II would take the
meanest man on earth, and father
thinks there aren't many as mean as
that, to go back on 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 Sc
young and innocent, and 1t being The
first time, It wouldn't really count
Fairy swore off that minute-nevel
again! OF course, when l knew how
father felt about mother, wanted m!
husband to have as much pleasure II
me as father did In her, and Fairy anC
| made a solemn resolve that we woult
never, even hold hands, and that
very simple, until we got crazy enOugl
about q man to think we'd like t,
marry him II we got chance. And
never have since then, not once"
"Carol." he said In low voice, "
wish I had known 1t. wouldn't hav
kissed you for anything. God know
wouldn't. II think am man enougl
not IN have done II ANYHOW if I ha,