The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-04-16
BATON ROUGE GIRL
BY MICHAEL LANE.

suddenly her lively expression for n
that was serious but kind, II am sor-
ry, very, very sorry for you-but 1
cannot marry you"
He wilted within. He felt his very
existence crumbllng away. He was
silent for a space. Then he said:
"Why?"
"Well, to tell you the truth, l do not
love you, and surely you would not
want to marry a woman who did not
love you? Come now, would you'll A
l~oveless marriage"
He took heart.
But this would not be loveless. BY
no means. You know l love YOU. 1
have told you so a thousand times,
have attested Ii with my tears-and
/ am not given to weeping-have
proved 1t to o dear Katherine. /
would die for you. / would lie down
and let you walk upon me. 1 would
tear out my heart and give 1t to
you"
"Oh, please do not say things like
these" she softly interrupted. "They
only pain me. l know you love me,
but l do not love you. If / did"
And she sighed.
But you could learn, you know.
You might in time"
"No," she answered languidly. at Is
useless" Then, Frightening. "You will
recover from this. It's hard, 1 know,
but you'll recover. You'll live to laugh
at 1t yet. Cheer upi Cheer up. my
merry men, nor fear, nor wind, nor
wave as Columbus said to his marin
ers."
She beamed on him, radiant like an
angel. He could not resist her and
he, too, smiled in turn.
"Therel !" she exulted, you are bet
ter already. Didn't | tell you? And
then, you know, this is only your first
experience. You've never loved any
body but me, have your"
The question hit him hard, and he
away from her.
yes" he said, as If speaking to
himself.
"Oh," she said, In the most uncon-
cerned of ways, you never told me
that before. Tell me all about 1t
now"
ut was in Baton Rouge" he began.
and his eyes themselves seemed to be
In Baton Rouge as he spoke. II was
only twenty. She was eighteen. Yes,
l loved her. / did, indeed"
"Was she dark or llghtf'
(Katherine herself was light.)
Ozark" he answered, "her hair was
rich chestnut and her eyes big and
brown, like the eyes of Homer's OK
She was Creole, you know, and full Of
the South"
Katherine (who was herself north
ern) moved uneasily and devoured the
face of her lover with eyes of strange
interest.
go on" she urged. 'Why didn't
you marry her? Did she love your"
"That she did" he exclaimed with
animation, looking Katherine full in
the face. "Oh. yes. But she was
religious and there never had been a
free thinker in the family"
"How did you part?" she asked.
"In tears. You see, / was a boy
and intellectually proud, and / could
not break my manhood by pretending
to believe in a religion my intellect
rejected. / could not believe In any
religion whatever, and l conceived 1t
degrading to pretend to do so"
what was her nameY' (This In a
weak, hesitating voice.)
"Nana," and his lips caressed the
sound.
Another long pause.
would you join a woman's religion
now If you loved herr"
"Why, of course" replied Charless
carelessly. II am not a boy now. What
difference would Ii maker
He arose and walked toward the
window.
'Mr. Charless," exclaimed RATHER
inc family, "Why not you go down
there and marry herr"
He turned. She, too, had risen,
and was now near him. He looked
at her fondly.
"You ought to know why" he re-
turned.
Would you advise me to do It? Do
you think the old love would come
back? l wish I knew for certain, my
self"
She was very near him by this time.
Her eyes were cast down and her form
was shrinking. He drew close to her
and touched her shoulder. In a mo-
ment her arms were around his neck
and her head nestled In just the right
spot. A long space of silence. Then
she whispered, Sweetheart |"
what is 1t, lover"
"DO you love me more than you
loved the girl in Baton Rouge2'
What answer he made | will not dis
close; but / will say this, that Baton
Rouge was never so far way as Ii
was at that very moment.
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)
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