Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-26
A LONG TALK
CHAPTER 81

So the following day. which was a
Sunday, she went with David for n
tramp over the Palisades.
By this time Alice knew the great
city fairly well-better, I'm fact, than
most of the people who had always
lived in it-as Is the case with most
newcomers. She had been through its
museums. its parks. its large zoo: she
had been around its harbor and to
the many seashore resorts which are
within an hour of the great beating
heart Of the city itself.
But the Palisades. those wonderful
clifs hat rise SO majestically from
the Hudson. were still new to her.
So, rolled up in furs and wearing an
old, comfortable pair of shoes. she
crossed the ferry with David and
climbed the road that zigzags up the
rocky wall. and then turned north
with him on the road that runs along
the top of the cliffs.
Like many girls brought up in or
near the country. Alice had lever
taken any long tramps. The joy of
singing a lunch in a knapsack over
her shoulder; of wearing loose, warm
clothes, and of trHmping with Ions
steps and taking long breaths OF
fresh air, was a new joy to her. The
through her. her cheeks tool on their
clear bright scarlet. and her eyes
anced with health and pleasure. For
q time she forgot all that a wor-
ried her in the sheer joy of the cold
air and the long walk.
Sentiment goes with a stroll. Tt has
little TO do with a healthy tramp. So
for some hours they chatted and
laughed of impersonal things-an
amusing student in the biology class.
an incident that happened at a col
lege dance Alice attended, a concert
they had heard together some time
before. But when they had built a
fire high on a fiat rock, with the river
hundreds of feet below them and the
city spreading out in the distance,
gray and gold in the winter sunlight
then the talk drifted to more per-
sonal matters.
I'm always so happy when I'm
with you." David remarked once.
You have the incest laugh 1 ever
heard. Most girls are shrill when
they laugh, or else they litter. But
your laugh is simply happiness. It's
rather hearty for a woman, but it's
awfully nice to listen to-"
Alice looked over at him. They had
finished the luncheon David had
brought. and sat down by the dying
fire, which sent gusts of warm air
over them. along with the cold wind
from the river. David had worn a
fur-lined overcoat and a cap. The
caps deep visor seemed to bring out
his profile ever better thai did the
soft hat he usually wore.
There was no weakness in that
profile, Alice thought. His forehead
was nicely high; his nose somewhat
irregular, but very we'll formed; his
mouth fell into firm lines and his
chin had no lint of weakness. Per
haps 1t had, though-she looked
again. II was a little delicate for a
mans chin. But she liked 1t better
for that-and his deep gray eyes
were steady in expression. not way
ering, as are the eyes of people with
weak character. Drawn by the mag
netic attraction of her look, David
turned to face her and their eyes met.
And more than could be told In
chapters passed in that n stead
glance. j..
1t was Alice who turned away. and
made herself watch h far-off city
and the occasional boats below on
the river.
But she could feel David's eyes on
her, n she turned back to him
again. All mask for formality was
dropped between them. After that
they did not pretend any more.
What are we going to do, Alice z?
David asked, and Alice guessed all
the unhappiness of the past years IN
his voice.
II don't know" she answered.
Except this-that IL we are to be
friends there are certain things we
must not talk about. Ourselves. prln-