The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-12-12


dear. and you were seventeen I
wna just home from four yearr'
work In Germany. was afraid OF
girls your age
"Afrsid-of me7'' The three words
were like n carcss. like holding her
In his arms.
I'm afraid sor' he said. not quite
steadily. I'm afraid I've always
liked you too well. IL oare--that
you're unhappy. that your unkindly
treated, I-f-wiah | could do some.
thing. Rachael"
You do do something" she said.
deeply stirred In her turn. TIN
you don't know how fond I am OF
you. Greg
For answer she felt his arms
about her. and for a throbbinR min.
ute they stood 40. Rachael braced
lightly. her beautiful breast rising
and falling. her breath coming
quickly. Her magnificent eyes.
wtds.opcn. like a frightened ehild's
were fixed steadily upon him lie
caught the fragrance ~ her hair. of
her fresh skin. ho felt the softness
and firinness 81 her slender arms.
'Raehaslf' he. said. in a sharp
whisper. "Don't--don't say that--if
you don't-mean itr'
-Gregr' an. answered. In the same
tone "Dont--frighten msr
Instantly she waa free, and he was
standing by the fire with folded
arms. looking at her.
You have missed love. and have
missed IT, Warren Gregory said
presently. Wen b. patient. Rachael
IN wait. wen both walt"
"0regr' she could only answer stin
In that stricken whisper. stiii pale.
She stood just AZ he had left her.
A silence fell between them. The
phynicianstook GU. a cigarette from
his gold case with trembling fingers
I'm n little Eiddy. Rachael" he
said after a moment lon my
honor I don't know what's happ-ped
20 mel You're the most wonderful
woman In the worid--f've always
thought that--but Il never occurred
10 u,e--the possibility
He paused. confused. unable TO
find the right words.
You've been facing this all alone. ''
he continued presently. 'Poor
Rachael You've been nplcndid--won.
drrfuliy brave, You have me beside
you now. III help you ~ may. Some
day We may find a way out Well"
he finished abruptly. suppose I go
IN and see ciarcnorg"
For answer she rose. and ws,hou,
speaking again went ahead Of him
up the stairway and len him q, the
door Of her husbands room. lie did
not sec her again thin, night
Halt an hour later he came down.
disrnissed his car. and walked home
under the spring stars. In his veins.
like a fire. siill ran the excited.
glorious consciousness OF his mad.
ncHA In his ears rtiii echoed the
wonderful golden voice, he could
hear her very words. and he took
certain phrases from his memory.
and Eioatsd over them as another
man might have vioated over strings
OF pearls I'D like TO be far away
from cities and people. a flshcrmanis
wife on an ocean shore with n baby
coming every year, and JUS, the de.
iicious Yea 20 watch "GreE--don't
Brighten mer'
Exquisite. desirable. enchanting
every inch OF hcr-her voice, her
cyes. her slender hand with it's gold
circle. what n woman What n
Wife what radiant youth and
beauty and charm--and all trampled
In the miro by Clarence Breckcn.
ridge. OF all insensa,e hrutcS' How
could laughter and courage and
beauty survive Ut
He was going to the club. n mile
away from the Breckenridge house.
but long before the visions born
/ that evening were exhausted. he saw
the familiar iights. and the awningrd
porchcH. and heard the faint echoes
OF The orchestra They were dancing
Warren Gregory turned away
again. and plunged into the dark.
ness Of the roadside nfrcsh. My
dear Don Quixoto'' with what
look OF mothcriy amusement and
tenderness ahc had said a.. What
woman He had never kissed her.
lie had never even thought OF kiss.
ing Clarence Breckcnridge's wife.
He thought OF his mother tried 10
forget her with a philosophical shrug
and found that tho slender. black.
| clad. quietvoiccd vision was not 20
be 40 easily dismissed. II was said
OF old Madam Gregory that she had
never been heard 10 raise her voice
In the course OF her sixty honored
years OF the four sons she had
borne. three were dead. and tho hus.
band she had loved 80 faithfully lay
beside them. She was slightly
crippled. her outings confined to n
slow drive every day. She was soil.
tary in rctinue OF servants. But
that modulatcd voice and those cool,
temperate eyes were still a power.
His mothers displcnsurc was very
real thing 20 Warren Gregory. and
the thought OF adding another sor.
row TO the weight on those thin
shoulders was not an easy one for
him TO entertain.
1t would be sorrow. Mrs Gregory
was rigid Catholic. her life's prayer
nowadays was that her beloved son
might become one. too. Her mar.
rage at seventeen TO n non Catholic
had been undertaken in the firm
conviction that faith like hers must
win tho conversion Of hor beloved
Iancs. the best the most honorable
OF men when her oldest son was
born. and given his fathers name,
she saw. In her husbands willing
ness TO further plans for the hap
tiam, definite cause for hope. An
other son was born. there was an
other christening; II was the fathers
own hand that gave the third baby
lay.baptism only n few moments be
fore the tiny life slipped back into
the eternity from which II had so
lately come.