The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-11-18

Won'nueu Z fvm rage 81
rerlmentai. lie stroked vida's hand.
he put his arm earelessiy about her
shoulder.
~Don'tr' she said sharply.
you're cunning thing" he Of
Tered. patting the back OF her shout.
der I'm an explanatory manner.
white she strained away. she
ionsed 20 move nearer 90 him. lie
bent over. looked at her knowingly.
She glanced down at his left hand
as a touched her knee. She sprang
up. started noisily and needlessiy to
wash the dishes. He helped her. lie
was too lazy 20 adventure further
and too used 20 women In his pro
feSsion. She was grateful for the
impcrsonaiity OF hts talk. it en-.
ahied her to gain control. she Knew
that she had skirted wild thoughts
- month after. on sicighinE.
rarity. under the buffalo robes In
the bcbsied. he whispered. You
pretend to be a Erown-up school.
teacher. but you're nothing but
Riddle" His arm was about her.
She resisted
-ponv you IKE the poor. lonely
bachelor he hammered In . fasu.
Gus way.
enc. I don't, You don't csre for
me In the least. You're just prae-
ucing on mo-
~you'r. SO meani I'm terribly
fond OF you
arm not Of you. And I'm not
going to let myself be fond OF you.
either
He perSissensiy drew her toward
him. She ciutched his arm. Then
she threw off the robe, climbed out
Of the sled. raced after II with Harry
Havdock. Al the dance which fol-
lowed the sicigh-ride kcnnicoet was
devoted 10 the watery prettiness OF
Maud Dyer. and Vida was noi-ily I'm
serc~tcd In getting up q Virginia
Reel. without seeming TO watch
yennicots. she knew that he did not
once look nj her.
affair.
He ravs no sign OF remembering
that he was terribly fond" She
waited for him: she reveied In long.
ing. and In . sense OF guilt because
she longed- Sho told herself that
she did not want part Of HIM unr
less he gave her all his devotion <he
would never let him touch her: ana
when she found that she was prob
ably lying. she burned with seoru-
She fought Il out In prayer. She
kneit in q pink flannel nishtgown.
her thin hair down her back. her
forehead a. full Of horror a. . rnAsk
OF tragedy. while she idcntified hef
love for the SON Of God with ner
love for q mortal. and wondered II
any other woman had ever been 20
sacriicgious. She wanted to be
nun and observe perpetual alteration.
she bought q rosAry. but she had
been 80 bitterly reared ~ = Protest
ant that she could not bring herself
70 use IT,
Yet none Of her intfmates In the
school and In the boarding house
knew OF her abyss Of passion. They
.natd she was 80 optimistic
When she heard that kcnnicost
was 10 marry . girl pretty. young.
ana imposingiy from the Cities. Vida
despaircd- She congratulated kennr
colt: eareiessly ascertatned from MIN
the hour Of Marriage A. that hour.
sittinx in her room. Vida pictured
the wedding In ST. Paul Full OF an
ecstasy which Mortified her. she fol-
lowed Kennicott and the girl who
hsd stolen her place. followed them
10 the train. uhru the evening. me
night
she was relieved when shs had
worked out . belief that she wasn't
really shameful, that there wrs
mystical relation between herself and
Carol so that she was vicartously
vet veritably with kennicotf. and
had the right TO be.
she saw Carol during the first
five minutes IN Gopher Prairie She
stared nj the passing motor. At Ken.
nicott and the girl beside him. In
that fog world Of trAnsfercncs Of
emotion vida had no normal 1eaL
ousv but = conviction that since
thru Carol she had received Kenni-
cott's love, then Carol was . part
<Uf her. an astral self. heightened
and more beloved self. She was glad
Of the girls charm. of the smooth
black hair, the airy head and young
shoulders. But she was suddenly
angry. Carol glanced at her for
quarter second. but looked past her.
II an old roadside barn IL she had
made the great sacrifice. at least
she expected gratitude and recognl