Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1919-06-04

squatter population ON their private |
planet. The world was too much with
them. The little car was transparent.
Even at night etiquette required them
to light it up within.
Wimburn did not return to New
York so soon as he expected. 1t
seemed impossible to uproot himself
from that pleasant soil. One after
noon when he had already overstayed
his furlough Daphne and he were rid
Ing in the little car through the outer
suburb known as Shaker Heights-a
section rapidly evolving from a sleepy
religious community to swarm Of city
residences.
The late afternoon moon had risen
in sky still rosy with the afterglow
of sunset. The air was murmurous
with pleading.
Suddenly Wimburn cried aloud, to
his own surprise and hers, Daphne
Miss Kip! 1 can't stand everything,
you know! Pm only human, after all"
"What'S the matter?" she asked in
prosaic phrase but with a poetic fiut-
ter of breath.
II love you, d|n it!-pardon me,
but I'm Internally in love with you.
I'm tormented. l came here on bust
ness, and instead of my finishing it
you've finished me. I'm two days over
due in New York and I've had to lie
to the office to explain why. And all
/ can think of now is that I'd rather
resign and starve to death than 60
back and leave you here"
Honestly" she barely breathed.
desperately he moaned. "What's
to become of mel"
you'd better go back, I suppose.
You'll soon get over it and find some
body else to love-"
"There's nobody else in the world
worth loving. I'd die if gave you up!
I'd simply die"
He went on with aching anxiety:
could you care for me just little?
If you could love me or just promise to
try to, 1 could face my exile for
while. Do you think you could love
me ever?"
She dropped her chin on her breast
and sighed.
u guess do now"
The miraculous felicity of this situa-
ton overwhelmed them both. He clipt
her in his arms and she flung hers
about him, forgetting entirely the
: steering wheel. The neglected little
car promptly scattered off the road,
crossed a gutter into a vacant lot,
scooped up "For Sale" sign, and was
about to tip over into az excavation
: when Daphne looked up long enough
to shut off the power. Then in blind
longed-his embrace.
; Soon she was assailed with fears for
the credibility of this wonder work,
, and when he said:
"When shall we announce our en-
gagement?" she protested:
"Oh, not till we are sure"
"rm sure now"
"But we must be terribly sure. It's
such a dangerous thing, getting mar
ried. So many people who think they
love each other find out their mistake
too late. You don't know me very
WELL"
"You mean you don't know me very
: WELL"
I'm not afraid of you, but for you.
I'd hate to disappoint you, and don't
really amount to much. l can't do
anything except CAD around; and you'd
tire Of me-"
mot in this world-nor in the next"
"It's darling of you to say it, and
- you think you mean it-now. But"
II know it, Daphne, honey, now and
forever. I don't want anybody but
you. Life won't be life without you.
You've promised to be my wife. l
hold you to your promise"
"All right" 1t was exceedingly sat-
: isfying to surrender her soul into his
keeping. She had reached harbor al
ready after so brief and placid a voy-
a, age.
He ended long, coy silence with
the surprising remark, II suppose
ought to ask your parents consent"
. The daughter of the twentieth GEN.
, fury laughed: parents consent! You
do read a lot Of ancient literature,
don't your"
"Still I imagine we'd better break 1t
> to 'em."
q "You leave it to me to break it to
!. 'em. They'll be glad enough to get me
v Off their hands,"
o 'I'll never believe that"
b When they reached her home 1t was
9 late and his hotel was so far that,
q since he would be spending his last
4 evening with her, anyway, she asked
Y him to stay to dinner.
She broke that news to her parents,
l and 1t caused them acute distress. Her
:. father and her mother were deep in
s the battle that always broke out be-
d tween them when the monthly bills ar
i rived. Daphne was so used to this
s that she hardly noticed It.
+ After dinner the parents retired to
e the living room to read and sew and