The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-05-13


"Is that all?" There was relief in
his voice. "I don't know you? Haven't
seen you day by day7 Haven't !
seen your self control tried, proved
haven't seen your justice, when you
could pot understand Look at me !"
She Shook her head, her eyes on the
sand under her feet. He could scarce
ly. catch her words. They did not
know each other. He did not know
herl - u
/ "Dear! I don't know whether you
love red or blue, that's fact; Ibsen
or Rostand; heat or cold. Does that
matter? I know your"
An upward glance had caught him
smiling. Her speech was routed. 'Tm
-the-only girl here!" ..... e
'Do you think that's why love
your .... -
'"Ah, but you loved Gerty!" That
slipped from her. She had not meant
to say that!
'sDoes that hurt?" Abashed by her
own daring, yet she was glad she had
dared. She wanted him to deny 1t.
For he would deny it? She wondered
if he were. e.angry, but she could not
look at him.
The minutes, dragging like weighted
hours, told her that he was not going
to answer her. It came to her then
that she would never know whether
Gerty's story were wholly false, or
partly true. She knew, then, that no
wheedling, wife's or sweetheart's;;
would tease that story from him. It
did not belong to him.
His silence frightened her into ar
ticulateness. He must not think that
she was foolish! 1t was not that, in
itself, she meant. The words jostled
one another in their soft swift rush.
He-he had made q mistake once be-
fore. He had liked the sort Of woman
he had thought Gerty was. She her
self was not like the real Gerty any
more than. she was like the other, the
woman that did not exist. He would
find that they did not think alike, be-
lieve alike, that there were differ
ences-
"Aren't you making something out
Of nothing, Innesr
That voice could always chide her
into silence! Her speech lay cluttered
in ruins, her words like useless broken
bricks falling from the wall she was
building.
He took her hand and led her to q
pile Of rock the river had not eaten.
BE pulled her down beside him.
"Isn't It true, with us?'
"Tt is. with me-" breathed Innes.
Their voices were low as though they,
were in church. -'''
"And you think is isn't, with mel.
Rickard stood before her. "Is it be-
cause I trust you; wonderl That +
loving you, love to have the Others
love you, too?. Don't you suppose +
know how 1t is with the rest, Mac
Lean; how it was with Estrada ?
Should I be jealous? Why. In, not
I'm proud Isn't that because 7 know
you, know the fine steady heart Of
you? You hated me at first-and am
proud of that. I don't love you
enough" He knelt at her feet not
listening to her pleading. BE bent
down and kissed One foot; then the
other. II love them" The face he
raised to her Innes had never seen be-
fore. He pressed kiss against her
knee. "That, too! It's mine. I've not
Sc my prayers since I was boy. I
shall say them again, here, you teach
ing me-" His kisses ran up her arm,
from the tips of her limp fingers. His
mouth, close to hers, stopped there.
He whispered: -,s, ,'-s.l -: s>s's*'".
"Yot-kiss me, my girl" '..,-
Slowly, unseeingly, as though drawn
by an external will, her face raised to
his; slowly. their lips met. His arms
were around her; the world was blot
ted out. ..:...
Innes, minutes later, put her mouth
against his ear. 1t was the Innes he
did not know, that he had seen with
others, misehievous, whimsical, romp-
ing as a young boy. ......
81 Lowered" she whispered. "And
heat and sunshine. But I love blue,
on you; and cold, If it were with you
and the rest of the differences"
He caught her to him. "There are
.ot .,o,no IN ha anv GifferencesiS