The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-12-25

| look IL. HHVcut you WUdt Hc
meant to say was: Haven't you heardY p
Haven't what?" she asked: and he
saw that Eugene had not told her.
Nothing" he gasped. "May l.
may turn and walk with you little
way"
Eyes, indeed!" she said cordially.
He would not have altered what had
been done: he was satisfied with all
that-satisfied that 1t was right, and
that his own course was right. But he
began to perceive a striking inaccu-
racy in some remarks he had made to
his mother. Now when he had put
matters In such shape that even by
the REIMBURSEMENT of his ideals Of
life" he could not have Lucy, knew
that he never could have her, and
knew that when Eugene told her the
history of yesterday he could not have
q glance or a word even friendly from
her-nOw when he must in good truth
"give up all idea of Lucy" he was
amazed that ne could have used such
words as ''nO particular sacrifice" and
believed them when he said them! She
had looked never in her life so bewitch-
ingly pretty as she did to-day; and as
he walked beside her he was sure that
she was the most exquisite thing in the
world
Lucy" he said huskily, 81 want to
tell you something. Something that
matters"
Il hope it's lively something, then"
she said, and laughed "Papa'S been
so glum today he's scarcely spoken to
me. Your Uncle George Anderson
came to see him an hour ago and they
shut themselves up in the library, and
your uncle looked as glum as papa.
I'll be glad If youll tell me funny
story, George"
"Well, it may seem one TO you" he
said bitterly. 'Just to begin with;
when you went away you didn't let
me know; not even a word-not
line"
Her manner persisted in being in
consequent. "Why, no." she said. 81
just trotted off for some visits. Don't
you remember, George? We'd had
grand quarrel, and didn't speak to
each other all the way home from a
long, long drive! SO, as we couldn't
play together like good children, of
course it was plain that we oughtn't
to play at ALL"
play" he cried.
"Yes. What mean is that we'd come
to the point where 1t was time to quit
playing-well, what we were playing"
"At being lovers, you mean, don't
your"
Something like that" she said light
ly. For US two, playing at being
lovers was Just the same as playing at
cross-purposes. l had all the pur-
poses, and that gave you all the cross
ness; things weren't getting along at
ali. 1t was absurd!"
''Well, have it your own way" he
said. at needn't have been absurd"
"No, it couldn't help but bel" she
Informed him cheerfully. "The way
/ am and the way you are, 1t couldn't
ever be anything else. So what was
the use?"
81 don't know" he sighed, and his
sigh was abysmal. "But what / want
ed to tell you was this: when you
went away, you didn't let me know
and didn't care how or when l heard
/ 1t, but I'm not like that with you.
This time I'm going away. That's
what l wanted to tell you. I'm going
away tomorrow night-indefinite
Lucy, this Is our last walk to-
gether."
Evidently" she said. "If you're go
ing away tomorrow night"
"Lucy-this may be the last time
I'll see you-ever-ever in my life."
At that she looked up at him quick
ly, across her shoulder, but smiled as
brightly as before, and with the
same cordial inconsequence: "Oh,
can hardly think that !" she said. "An(
of course I'd be awfully sorry to thinl
1t. You're not moving away, are you
to liver
II don't know when I'm comm,
back. Mother and are starting tomor
row night for a trip around th'
world"
At this she did look thoughtful
"Your mother is going with you"
"Good heavens !" he groaned. Lucy
doesn't 1t make any difference to yo'
that am going?"
At this her cordial smile Instant,
appeared again.
"Yes, of course" she said. "I'm sur
I'll miss you ever so much. Are yo'
to be gone long?'
He stared at her wanly. 81 told yo'
indefinitely" he said. "We've mad'
no plans--at all-for coming back"
"That does sound like long trip |!
she exclaimed admiringly. "Do yo'
plan to be travelling all the time, o
will you stay in some one place tn
greater part Of it7 think 1t woul
be lovely to"
He halted; and she stopped wit
him. They had come to corner q
the edge Of the business section" o
the city, and people were everywher
about them, brushing against then
sometimes, In passing.
II can't stand this" George said, 4