The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-02-14

/ them. The little car was transparent
} Even at night etiquette required then
to light it up within.
Wimburn did not return to New
| York so soon as he expected.
J seemed impossible to uproot himself
from that pleasant soil. One after
noon when he had already overstaye(
his furlough Daphne and he were rid
ing in the little car through the outer
suburb known as Shaker Heights
section rapidly evolving from a sleepy
religious community to swarm of city
residences.
The late afternoon moon had risen
in a 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! I'm only human, after ALL
whats the matter?" she asked in
prosaic phrase but with a poetic fut-
ter of breath.
81 love you, d-n it!-pardon me,
but I'm Internally in love with you.
I'm tormented. 1 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 go
back and leave you here"
Honestly" she barely breathed.
desperately he moaned. whats
to become of me?"
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 L gave you up !!
I'd simply die"
He went on with aching anxiety:
Gould you care for me just little?
If you could love me or just promise to
try to, / could face my exile for
while. Do you think you could love
me ever?"
She dropped her chin on her breast
and sighed.
81 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 an excavation
when Daphne looked up long enough
to shut off the power. Then in a blind
rapture she returned to where she be-
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"
'Its darling of you to say it, and |
you think you mean it-now. But"
81 know it, Daphne, honey, now and
forever. / don't want anybody but
you. Life won't be life without you.
You've promised to be my wife. l
lold you to your promise"
"All right" 1t was exceedingly sat
styling to surrender her soul into his
keeping. She had reached harbor al
.eady after so brief and placid a voy-
lge.
He ended long, coy silence with
he surprising remark, 81 suppose I
,ught to ask your parents consent?"
The daughter of the twentieth CEN
ury laughed: parents CONSENT You
10 read a lot of ancient literature,
lon't you?"
"Shll I imagine we'd better break it
O 'em."
"You leave it to me to break it to
EN-. They'll be glad enough to get me
IL their hands,"
'I'll never believe that"
When they reached her home it was
ate and his hotel was so far that
ince he would be spending his last
yening with her, anyway, she asked
i'm to stay to dinner.
She broke that news to her parents,
nd 1t caused them acute distress. Her
ather and her mother were deep in
he battle that always broke out be-
ween them. when the monthly bills ar
ived. Daphne was SO used to this {
hat she hardly noticed it.
After dinner the parents retired to
he living room to read and sew and I
rumble over their mutual grievances,
lille Daphne and Wimburn sat and {
he piazza which the moon turned into '
blue portico Of mystic spell. It
CHAPTER ~ It