The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1920-01-08

''His neck" ne said. between his teeth,
aus like that"
They reached an open space. Some
thing black-or was 1t red?-lay on
the ground. Dave bent over II q mo-
ment, then looked up to her white,
clear face, white and clearer than ever
since witnessing the strength of his
hate.
''It's calf" he said, as calmly as he
could. "Half ct up. Wolves, guess"
"The poor. poor thing" she breath
ed. 1.-THE poor, innocent thing! Why
did 1t have to dief"
tits always the innocent things at
SUFFERS" he answered.
always the innocent things" she
repeated mechanically. always"
She sprang to her feet and faced him.
"Then what about the justice OF
God?" she demanded.
II don't know nothin' about the JUS
tice of God" he answered bitterly.
"All / know is the crittur at can't
run gets caught"
There was long pause. SIT doesn't
seem right" she said at length.
sit amt right" he agreed. But
guess it's life. l see 1t here on the
prairies with every Twin thing. 1
guess 1 was like that, some. I've been
caught. l guess a baby amt respon-
sible for anything, is it? 1 didn't
pick my father or my mother, did /?
But got to bear it,"
There was something near a break
in his voice on the last words. She
felt she must speak.
II think your father is a wonderful
old man." she said, land your mother
must have been wonderful, too. You
should be proud of them BOTH"
'Reenie. do you mean that?" he de-
manded. His eyes were looking
straight into hers.
Absolutely" she answered. Sab.
solutely l mean it,"
''Then I'm goin' to say some more
things to you" he went on rapidly.
Things at / didn't know whether to
say or not, but now they've got to be
said, whatever happens. Reenie,
haven't ever been to school or learned
lots Of things / should "a learned, but
l amt a fool, neither. 1 didn't learn
to break all those bottles in a day.
Well, 1 can learn other things, too,
an 1 will, If only 1t will take me
across. I'm goin' 10 leave this old
ranch, some way, JUS as soon as 1t
can be arranged. I'm goin' to town
an work. I'm strong; can get pretty
good wages. I've been thinkin' it all
over, an was askin' some questions
in town today. l can work days an
go to school nights. An I'll do tiff
it'll get me across. You know what /
mean. amt askin' no pledges, Rec
ME, but what's the chance? / know l
don't talk right, and i don't eat right
you tried not to notice but you couldn't
help-but, Reenie, think right, an 1
guess with a girl like you that counts
more than eatin' and talkin'."
She had thought she could say yes
or no to any question he could ask,
but as he poured forth these plain,
passionate words she found herself
ChNtlOpCh III a Al1lut llldl lOuuu uO tA-
preston In speech. She had no
words. She was glad when he went
on:
II know I'm only q boy an you're
only a girl. That's why 1 don't ask
no pledge. leave you free, only 1
want you to stay free until 1 have
my chance. VIII you promise that?"
She tried to pull herself together.
you know I've had a good time with
you, Dave" she said, land I've gone
with you everywhere, like / would not
have gone with any other boy / ever
knew, and I've talked and Ter you talk
about things / never talked about be-
fore, and 1 believe you're true and
clean and-and-"
"Yes," he said. "What's your an
swer?"
II know you're true and clean," she
repeated. "Come to me-like that
when I'm a woman and you're a man,
and then-then Wen know"
He was tall and straight, and his
shadow fell across her face, as though