The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-14

Af'NARANf o. nAANAf wv HWY AlifiA > " u
care TO say right out loud. You |
and I together could make a home /
we'd be proud OF. want you, and
YOU want 20 get away from this. It's
natural. Marry me and play the
game fair, ana don't think youll
be sorry I'm putting II as badly as
I can. You stand 10 win everything
with nothing TO lose-but your do
nestle chains" the CLEAN Of a smile
lit up his features for "A second.
Wont you take a chance?"
mo" she declared impulslvely.
Il won't be a party 10 any such
cold.booded transaction"
you don't seem TO understand
me. he said soberly II don't want
to hand out any sentiment, but II
makes me sore 20 see you wasting
yourself on this sort OF thing. II you
must do IT,, why don't you do II for
somebody WHOM make II worth
while? II you'd use the brains God
gave you. you know that lots OF ocu.
pies have married on flimsier
grounds than we'd have. How can
thing about each other TN they've
lived together? Just because we
don't marry with our heads in the
fog Is no reason we shouldn't get on
fine. What are you going 10 do?
Stick here at this till you go crazy?
You won't get away. You don't re-
alize what n oneidea. determined
person this brother you yours Is. He
has just one object in life. and he'll
use everything and everybody in
sight 10 attain that object. He
means TO succeed and he Will You're
purely incidental; but he has that
perverted, middle-class family pride
that will make him prevent you from
getting out and trying your own
wings. Nature never Intended a
woman like you to be celibate. any
more than | was so intended. And
sooner or late youll marry some.
body-if only TO hop out OF the fire
into the frying pan"
~ hate YOU" she flashed passion.
ately, when you talk like that"
mo, you don't" he rturned quietly.
l"iou hate what | say. because it's
the truth-and it's humliating 20 be
helpless. You think don't sabe?
But I'm putting a weapon into your
hand. Let's put II differently: leave
out the sentiment for a minute.
Wen say that / want "A housekeeper.
preferably an ornamental one. be.
cause / Ike beautiful things. You
want 10 get away from this drudgery.
That's what IL is. simple drudgcry.
You crave lots OF things you can't
get by yourself. but that you could
help me set for you. There's things
lacking In your life. and 40 IL there
In mine. why shouldn't we so part
norsY You think about IT,"
81 don't need TO-" she answered
coolly. ut wouldn't work. You
don't appesS to have any idea what
II means for woman to give her
self up body and soul TO a man she
doesn't care for. For me IL would
be plain selling myself. / haven't
the least affection for YOU personally.
might even detest you"
You wouldn't he said positively.
what makes you so sure OF that?"
she demanded.
1T would sound conceited II I told
you why" he drawled. IL listen.
We're not gods and goddesses. we
human beings. Were not. after all.
IN our real impulses. SO much Diff
ferent from the age when a man took
his club and went after a female that
looked good 10 him. They mated.
and raised their young. and ve.y
likely faced on an average fewer
problems than arise In modern mar.
riaEes supposedly ordained IN
Heaven. You'd have the one big
problem solved-the lack OF means to
live decently which wrecks more
homes than anything else. far more
than lack OF love- Affection doesn't
seem to thrive on poverty. what is
lover"
His voice took on a challenging
note.
Stella shook her head. lie puzzled
her. wholly serious one minute, a
whimsical smile twisting up the cor. |
ners OF his mouth the next. And he |
surprised her. too, by his sureness /
OF utterances on subjects she had |
not supposed would enter such a |
mans mind.
II don't know she answered alb.
sently. turning over strips Of bacon
with the long-handled fork.
There you are" he said. II don't
know either. We'd start even. then.
for the sake OF argument. No.
guess we wouldn't either, because
you're the only woman I've run
across so far with whom [ could |
salinly contemplate spending the rest
OF my life In close contact. That's a
fact. To me it's a highly important
fact' You don't happen to have any
such feeling about me. eh?"
No. | hadn't even thought of
you IN that way" Stella answered
truthfully.
You want to think about me" he
said calmly. You want TO think
ABOUT me from every possible angle
because I'm going to come back and
ask you this same question every
once IN while, so long as you're in 4
reach and doing this dirty work for
d thhhkless boss. You want to think
OF me as a possible refuge from lot
OF disagreeable things. ia like to
nave you to chum with, and ia like
TO have some incentive to nut a big
Whlte bungalow on that old founda.
ton Tor us two" he smiled. "In I
never do 1t for myself alone. Go on.
rake gambling chance and marry
me- stella. Say yes, and say it
now
fut she shook her head resolutely.
ana as Katy John came in just then.
rye took his foot off the stove and
went out OF the kitchen. lie threw