Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-16
those trembnnx excitement matched

WuO90 Lx0Ak0lA1A8
his own. .
The latching Of the door behind
him ended the brief instant OF reveia.
ton. At once she turned to MIN ule
cordial comrades face he knew.
.'.Dinner Is served" she
merrily. A least, It is waiting IN
the oven. We have hot biscuits,
scrambled eggs. q flfty-etghth vailets
Of baked beans, and strawberry Jam.
There is no meat, you on.y
shopped at q grocery, sir. DO YOU
really adore canned oysters, An
thing ?''
II never tasted one" he slowly re-
piled, putting down the packages ne
had brought, without taking hAs gaze
from her.
well. you bought six tins OF
them" she shrugged.
He made no pretense Of replying
this time, moving across the room 10
ward her. He was remembering
fession loved him, and that he naa
given her nothing except the gold ring
compelled by custom; not q caress'
not a flower, even, to speak Of tender
ness and reinsurance. He was as
founded at himself, appalled, by his
degree Of selfish absorption. All a
she had given him fof her Understand
ing, her warm companionshlp, ner
gracious tact and heartening cheerful
ness, exacting nothing-and he hao
taken. oh, yes, he had taken!
Troubled by his. silence, her color
mounting In a vivid sweep, the girl
tried to turn aside from his approach.
I'VE must have a little cat" h
essayed diversion. Il hope you x
kittens? Purrs should go with
cracking logs. Not an Angora or a
Persian; just q pussy"
Her voice died away. Very qusetly
and firmly Adriance had taken her In
to his arms.
"I've made a bad beginning" he
made grave avewai. Il am learning
how much I need to learn. And I
don't deserve my luck in having you
to teach me-"
She rested quietly in his arms, dS II
c%onceding his right, but she did not
look at him. She was very supple and
soft to hold, he found. There breath
ed from her a fresh, faint fragrance
like the clean scent Of just-gathered
danodils, but nc perfume that he
recognized. She was individual even
she was thinking. The uneven rise
and fall of her breast timed curiously
with the pulse Of his heart as she
leaned there. and the fact affected him
unreasonably. He did not want her to
move; warmth and content were flow-
ing into him. Content, yet Sud-
denly, he knew; a nan confronted
with a blaze of light after long CROP
Ing:
ing through the room his great
She looked at him then, putting her
two little hands on his breast and
forcing herself back against his arm
that she might read his face. But he
would not have it SO. compelling her
submission to the marvel hat had
mastered him., What the church had
essayed to do was done, now. An
thony Adriance had taken a wife.
Il love you." he repeated. in%articu-
late still with wonder. his lips against
her cheek. why didn't you tell me I?
I love you"
He never forgot that she met him
generously, with no reminder of
his hardness. She took his surrender,
and set no price on her own. Her lips
were fresh as q cup lifted to his thirst
for good and simple things; he
thought her kiss was to the touch
what her eyes were to the gaze, and
tried clumsily to tell her {.
When they finally remembered the
ueidyeo supper, tnat meal was In nee0
Of repairs. And because now Adri-
ance would not suffer the width Of
the room between himself and his
wife, he insisted in aiding her in the
process. thereby delaying matters still
further. Nine o'clock had been
struck by the clock in the corner
when they sat down to table, lighted
by the new lamp. 1t had a garnet
shade, that lamp, upon which it's pur-
chaser received the compliments Of
Mrs. Adriance. -
Continued in Mondays
Evening Herald.