Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-07-30

1NO0GN0NOOC0CO COCOCNCOOAON
it struggling with the apparently i'm
possible it was as though she, in her
little studio, had been suddenly called
upon to paint all the portraits in the
world In some degree she I'M
derstoOd the difficulties; in equal de-
gree she sympathiZed with those who
were striving to overcome them, and
she hung on from day to day in her
search with a logged determination
| which set its teeth against admitting
that the search was hopeless.
AT last one great fear had settled
| on her heart. Suppose Dave should
not enlist under his right name? In
such case her chance of finding him
was the mere freak of accidental meet
| ing; a chance not to be banked upon
| in country already swarming with
its citizen soldiery. And yet
there was nothing to do but keep on.
She had sought park bench where
groups of soldiers were continually
moving by. The lights shone on their
faces, and her own tired eyes followed
them necessarily. Always her ear
was alert for voice that should set
her heart a-pounding, and more than
once she had thought she heard that
voice; more than score of times she
had thought she had seen that figure
with it's stride of self-reliance, with
strength bullying in every muscle And
always it had been to learn that she
had been mistaken; always it had been
| to feel the heart sink just little
lower than before. And still she kept
on. There was nothing to do but keep
| on
! Often she wondered how he would
receive her. That cold look which
| had frozen his features when she
seized the revolver in his hand, would
1t still sit there, too distant and de-
tached to be even scornful? Would
she have it to break down? She could
not know; she could only hope and
| pray and go on.
AS she turned her eyes to follow a
| group of men in uniform she became
aware of soldier sitting alone in the
| shadow a short distance away. Some
quality about him caught her atten-
ton; his face was not discernible, and
his figure was too much in the shadow
to more than suggest it's outline, but
she found herself regarding him with
an intentness that set her pulses rae
| ing. Should she dare risk it again ?
And yet there was something. .
She had sudden plan. She would
make no inquiry, no apology; she
would walk near by and call him by
| name. If that name meant nothing to
him he would not even notice her pres
ence, but if it should be-
Dave" she said.
He turned quickly in his seat; the
light fell on her face and he saw her
he was on his feet and had taken a
step toward her. Then he stopped, and
she saw his features harden as they
had on that dreadful occasion which
now seemed so long ago.
"Well?" he said. His voice was me-
chanical, but in it was something
which quickened her hope; something
which suggested that he was making 1t
mechanical because he dared not LET
it express the human emotion which
was struggling for utterance.
| Let me talk to you, Dave" she
pleaded. Il have followed you around
the world for this. Let me talk.
can explain everything"
| He stood still so long that she Won
dered if he never would speak. She
dared not reach her hands to him !;
she could only stand and wait.
Irene" he said, "why did you fol-
low me here?'
''There is only enc answer, Dave
Because l love you and would follow
you anywhere. No one can stop me
doing that; no one, Daye-except YOU"
| And again he stood, and she knew
| that he was turning over in his mind
| things weightier than life aud death
and that when he spoke again MS
course would be set. Then, in the
| partial shadow, she saw his arms
slowly extend; they rose, wide and
strong, and extended toward her.
There was quick STEP and they met
about her, and the world swooned and
went by.
II can explain everything she said,
when she could talk
you need explain nothing" he re-
| turned II have lived the torments of
the damned. Edith Duncan was right :;
she said if it were real love it would
never give up. 'Endureth all things
she said. All things she said
| There is no limit"
| "But l must tell you, DEAR" she said.
$50 that you may understand" And
then she patched together the story,
from what she knew and from what
| Edith Duncan had told her, and Dave
filed in what neither had known, in
Guiding the incident earlier on that
Hateful evening. She could see his
jaws harden as they pieced the plot
together and she knew what he was
thinking.
(TO BE CONTINUED)