Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-08-18
gan, q lie about you"
He laughed a little.

4 Aoo6ASN q .#l. .ra-. S.#.. #e.
And about myself"
He stopped laughing and made an
uneasy motion in her direction.
Alec forced me to it. At least, I
felt as If I were being driven back
and back and back. and it was all
slippery, and there was no help. And
then I thought of you, and what you'd
said to me, some time ago."
He was beside her, holding her
hand.
ALEC forced me to say something.
He asked me, and he asked me-and
he asked me-
"what?" Sir Georrey got out
rather harshly.
1T began by just a little foolish
question. He wanted t. come with
ME and Humphrey to the nursery,
and when I hesitated, and found rea-
sons why he had better not come, then
He said, quite bitterly, You don't
want me- Them don't know lust
how it was-I couldn't answer, and
he said I liked to hurt him, and when
l still didn't say anything he began
to ask. DO you want me, Aline?' And
he took me by the wrists" Aline
was shaking. sent Humphrey away
And he held me. He asked me just
that over and over. DO you want
| me, Aiine? Oh, Sir Godfrey, you
cant think how it made me feel"
Sir Godfrey was silent. His face
had grown hard. He fitted hiss eye
glass into his deepest eye, put his
hands behind him, and stood up
straight.
And then-and then, he kissed my
hands, first n and ~then the other,
and said he liked to hurt me, 30
and SO. It seemed to me that I had
no protection, n help. And" She
in her throat. :
Sir Godfrey waited.
! felt SO helpless that there wasn't
anyone to take hold of-to turn to,
And then Here Aiine put out I'd
her listener a hand that shook. "And
them thought Of you. and what
you'd said"
Again he waited, smoothing the
II told him"-Aline dropped he,
other hand and lifted to him a PAL,
OF wildly unhappy, frightened, and
remorseful eyes-''that I was Engage
to marry-you."
AND then n snatched the hand
from him, covered her face, crum.
pied up in her chair, and cried. :
Sir Godfrey walked away quickl,
and came quickly back. His glass
a dropped out Of his eye, and his
hands, behind him, worked into each
other. Also, his face had lost it,
frank expression. 1t looked as
though some one behind were pulling
at the little wires which were fasten.
ed about his mouth. e
! You did perfectly right he be.
gan at last in a hurried voice. He
paused, then went on steadily. "]
told you that II the time ever came
when you needed the protection Of m,
name. you were to use 1t, just in thai
way. Your father made me a kind
Of guardian to you all, and I saw
Either he doesn't know his own mind
or he feels he isn't free. It wa,
right OF you; splendid of you. But
But what, Sir Geoffrey?"
But what you told him need no,
count unless you want II to. pleas.
stop crying, dear. It's quite all, right
Do you want it to be so really, AlIne
Orr wa It only
*?ousknow all about me- whisper:
edEAAine. You know how I turn t
you. Do you think you can make
me forget this other feeling? Ia "a Al;
80 hopeless and SO wrong. Alec viii
marry Claire Wilton. I don't know
how he feels towards me. Not deem.
Ily, l am sure. He il often 40 sunkind
He has never considered me, / An
sure he has never really thought 3
marrying me. Why should he? OnI,
2 wonderful person like you could
Hush, Alinel"
IT want to love you she cried
Icinging to him. II want to. N Il.
cry va I need you. II I were such
mo, Ali4e; We won't 70 over inst
It's not foolish. tvs thought oyeI
this matter q thousand times. "a va,
know. And very often i've come n
the ,concluston--that the other bust.
ness being hopeless, q you say and
Alec not being his cwn master. Ina,
you couldn't do better than marry ma
viii not press yon. I'm not Ike I
Ihot-headed young fellow, you know
Never mind what you raid to Alet
this morning. II you find You cans
marry me, youi can toll him, hter
that you've changed your mlnd-any.
thing you like. Only on my honor
young lady, Igpelieve you'd s. dotns
. sensible thing II you Just stick rs Il
q believe Heaven put the words int
.You,re ~ good she Whispered
sCcme, littie girl. You nnustn,1
scrt any more. Do you want 10 think