Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-01-09
BATON ROUGE GIRL
BY MICHAEL LANE.


'Mr. Charless,' she said, changing
suddenly her lively expression for one
that was serious but kind, 81 am sor-
ry, very, very sorry for you-but ]
cannot marry YOU"
He wilted within. He felt his very
existence crumbling away. He was
silent for space. Then he said:
"Why?"
swell, to tell you the truth, do not
love you, and surely you would not
want to marry a woman who did not
love you? Come now, would you'll A
loveless marriagel"
He took heart.
"But this would not be loveless. By
no means. You know love you. I
have told you so a thousand times,
have attested it with my tears-and
I am not given to weeping have
proved it to you dear Katherine. I
would die for YOU. I.would lie down
and let you walk upon me. I would
tear out my heart and give it to
you"
"Oh, please do not say things like
these" she softly interrupted. "They
only pain me. I know you love me.
but do not love you. II did"
And she sighed.
"But you could learn, You know.
You might in time"
NO." she answered languidly, sit is
useless" Then, Frightening, "You will
recover from this. It's hard, I know,
but you'll recover. You'll live to laugh
at 1t yet. Cheer upi Cheer up, my
merry men, nor fear, nor wind, nor
wave,' as Columbus said to his marin
ers."
She beamed on him, radiant like an
angel. He could not resist her and
he, too, smiled in turn.
'aThere !" she exulted, ''you are bet
ter already. Didn't / tell your And
then, you know, this is only your first
experience. You've never loved any
body but me, have your"
The question hit him hard, and he
changed instantly. He turned his face
away from her.
"Yes," he said, as II speaking to
himself.
"Oh," she said, in the most uncon-
cerned Of ways, "you never told me
that before. Tell me all about it
now"
''It was In Baton Rouge" he began,
and his eyes themselves seemed to be
In Baton Rouge as he spoke. II was
only twenty. She was eighteen. Yes.
loved her. did, indeed"
"Was she dark or nght?"
katherine herself was lightly
Ozark" he answered, cher hair was
rich chestnut and her eyes big and
brown, like the eyes of Homer's OK.
She was Creole, you know, and full Of
the South"
Katherine (whO was herself north
ern) moved uneasily and devoured the
face Of her lover with eyes Of strange
interest.
'tGo onv she urged. ''Why didn't
you marry her? Did she love your"
'"That she did," he exclaimed with
animation, looking Katherine full In
the face. 'Oh, yes. But she was
religious and there never had been a
free thinker In the family"
"How did You part2" she asked.
''In tears. You see, I was boy
and Intellectually proud, and / could
not break my manhood by pretending
to believe In religion my intellect
rejected. could not believe in any
religion whatever, and conceived 1t
degrading to pretend to do So"
''What was her nameY (ThiS In q
weak, hesitating voice.)
''Nana," and his lips caressed the
sound.
Another long pause.
would you join woman's religion
now If you loved herw
''Why, of course" replied Charless
carelessly. II am not boy now. What
difference would it maker"
He arose and walked toward the
window.
'Mr. Charless,' exclaimed Rather
inc family, "Why not you go down
there and marry her9'
He turned. She, too, had risen,
and was now near him. He looked
at her fOndly.
'You ought to know Why" he re-
turned.
''Would you advise me to do it? Do
you think the old love would come
back2 wish knew for certain, my
SELF"
She was very near him by this time.
Her eyes were cast down and her form
was shrinking. He drew close to her
and touched her shoulder. In mo-
ment her arms were around his neck
ord ho1. hood y,oc%Iod IN inst fhn ri pht