The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-08-21

petuiance. but. at close quarters. sppearst
to have interrupted . love passage. and for
the nrst time felt that they had reached
an understanding from which was excluded
Blanca, felt very sure - looked .t her
passionate eyes and hungry mouth. v.ntss
to Be Kissed no whit les than Marshall
Gaunt wanted TO kiss her: e was unsatisnst
longing more than fatigue or artistic imps-
tiencs that made them % auerulous and
brought that golden red Light into Gaunt's
restless eyes: and the fact that had inter
for It's end Gaunt. ut . little over forty.
and Blanca At ] suppose. seventeen. had
this In common. that sex had played lfttjs
part In their conscious hfe- Gaunt. belisvN
had experienced . romance In boyhood and
had lived faithful to IN memory for twenty
years; Blanca, I dare swesr. had never befors
been Kissed. II they had been ovsrvrouEht
all day. that broken moment Of embrace had
maddened them
Untn I could see some hope Of avoiding
disaster Il was impossible TO Danish the mis-
Eivings. Even Il Gaunt recovered his senses
In time to pack up for England before any
mere harm was done he sun could not undo
the harm Of having unsettled the foundations
Of this little savsseis mind: It was nkely
enough that he had given her . distasts for
the simpler appeal Of her scowiing sveet
heart: It was even possible that by lighting
Ara IN. hSr ~ a. -.
compel the flames to lick their way. N tents-
live exploration. untn they found something
else to consume
II. on the other hand. Gaunt allowed him
self to be swept away. blind and mad. re.lts
ing his madness and rushing on indifferent
10 It. there would be bodily disaster and
sordid tragedy for Biancas portion. spiritual
disaster and remorse for his own; that he
could protect himself from the vengeance Of
the girls family and friends by carrying her
to distant security. I was ready to assume.
though any general survey OF bis risks could
not overlook the hundreoth chance that he
might be followed across Europe and La
with a knife between his ribs-
II ever n were worth . nan's whne to
break head or heart against such obstacles.
It was not worth while with poor little BIana>
as sole prize Al grew TO know her better
I did indeed realize that beauty Of usliness
which had nr1t excited Gaunts artistic intsr-
est; am prepared to 80 further and 70 say
that discovered In It Q sinister attraction.
In the portr.it-end II 10 the sole merit q
that unsatisfactory work-Gaunt contr1ved
to bring out what thought then and believe
more strongly now TO have been the essencs
OF Blanca; the pure animal in the guise OF
woman which led him to christen her
daughter Of Pan. Religion and some rudi-
mentary education affected. indeed. to bind
her at least with ropes Of sand: but always
felt that these conventions In which st heart
she did not believe, obscure6 the essential
Blanca as her conventional clothes blurred
the outline Of her animal body. When nrst
I saw her. vorac,ously goboling chocolates
and suspiciousy clutchins the box. nkened
her to q wolf In the early stages Of domestiea-
ton by food: but, a. observed her day after
day for a month. she seemed. IN every move
ment that revealed her nature. to shed dones-
tication. Ike a half tanned dog that from afsr
hears the forgotten, ancestral pack IN cry
until in the tense. thundsrous atmosphere OF
the day and moment when Marshall Gsunt's
lips met hers. she stood forth bare and unis
numbered a. the animal spirit
It was only BY flash Of lightning. - n
were. that I saw her. By the time that
glasses she had reverted to the guarded
friendliness which she reserved for thess
repasts at the end Of the day's work. and 70
was In Gaunt that the change Of manner no-
gered- Excited and boisterous from the b.
ginning. with gntterinE eyes and nush On
his long. white face. he seemed to be stonins
for his moment Of harshness By extavassnt
affection when he was not nnins Bianc.f
glass or pressing her navortte sweetmea1
upon her he was pstting her cheek. stroktns
her hand. or playing with her hair. Both
were drinking more wine than usual. drt,A
ing II, too. without water.
had stood up to fetch another fash. and.
while my back was turned and my head han
inside the cupboard heard Q scuf1e Gaunt
had been stting with his arm round Biancas
shoulders: when came back he had drawn
her on to his knees In . moment he was
bending to kiss her again. and vas fortu-
nate in reaching the divan In time 70 grip
and drag back the brown. powerful little
hand that was EraspinE . long knife and had
already pricked Gaunt's chest TIL hin shirt
showed 4 widening circle OF blood
I remember wondering before al else 10
the exclusion OF all else, whore she had con-