Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-15
CHAPTER xiv
Peter Burns His Boat.

"You know" Dorothy said suddenly
since this happened. and I've been up
here al! alone. I've thought what beasts
children are sometimes to their mothers
| They do everything for us when were
little, and when we grow up we think
| they are old fashioned and silly, and
get ashamed of them. 1 got ashamed OF
mother" Then suddenly she laughed.
THAT sounds like a death bed re-
| pentance, doesn't itT' she said fnppanuy.
"well. it's not. I'm not sorry for any
thing I've done. I'm only sorry l didn't
| do more, and have a better time when
/ l had the chance.
| You'll have the chance again--an the
/ rest Of your life"
| She did not answer for a moment; then
| she said, in a slow. tense voice
'If, when they take these ofr-and
she touched the bandages with the tips
| of her fingers-"lf l look frightful, I'll
kill myself:
| Nothard rose to his feet.
You're talking nonsense" he said
0ngrily. "Cowardiy nonsense How dc
you suppose other people manager And
there are thousands of people terribly
dishgured in the world who lead per
fectIy happy. normal lives, and you are
only going to be slightly Scared. Dor
| othy, Ira ashamed of your
| She seemed hardly to hear himl heI
eyes were fxed on the are, with a far
away expression in them, as she said
| painfully:
81 remember once sitting down to
lunch at a table with man who had
/ terrible face-hurned. I suppose, like
mine. He had nice eyes, and l think he
| must have been good-looking once upon
time. But l couldn't bear TO look at
| him, and I think he knew 1t. l got up
and walked away to another table Hor-
rid Of me, wasn't itf Well l shall be
paid out, because that's what people will
be doing to me. soon!"
| Nothard turned to the door. There was
something tragic about her today that
Jared on him. all the more Leoause he
did not care sufficiently for her to be
able to soothe her or comfort her.
You're morbid, and it's wrong to
encourage yourself IN such thoughts he
| said sternly. You seem TO forget that
you might have lost your life. You ought
| to be thankful you are safe and we'll
/ II would rather have died!" she an
swered him harshly.
Nothard walked out of the room with
out another word and shut the door. He
was angry with her and with himself
and yet before he had got half way down
stairs be was sorry.
She was only butterfly, after all, with
| the soul of a butterfly, and he knew well
enough that her face had been her rell-
gion.
! Nothard was painfully conscious Of his
| own helplessness He knew that he was
no help 20 her-that he was powerless to
| shield her against the dread that was
making life hideous to her, and he real
! lied how different things would have
/ been had Ninette been in Dorothys place.
i He could have helped Ninette. he
! knew: his love would have been bar
! rier between her and the future his
love would have fenced her round, and
made her happy.
So he went back TO where Dorothy sat
biting her handkerchief and staring into
the fire, and out Of his pity for her he
knelt down beside her and took her I'm
his arms.
81 am sorry I went away like that" he
said. ut was selfish of me, Dorothy.
VIII you-when will you marry me,
dear?"
He had tried to say 1t every time he
had seen her since the accident but
somehow the words always refused to
pass his lips. And he held his breath
now, waiting for her to speak, horrible
feeling in his heart that he had just
| signed his own death warrant
| But he was not prepared for the fresh
storm of sobbing which broke from her,
or the pitiful way in which her arms
suddenly chung about his neck
do you mean it? Do you mean it :?
thought you didn't really want me