The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-01-27

silk underwearI" exclaimed Mr..
Randolph, mystified and interested In
spite Of himself.
"Of course you couldn't understand
that" she said, mot unless you had
seen some poor girl bury her face in
crepe de chine and lace, .tremble to try
them on, and then sob because she had
to e clothes over them"
Look here" said Mr.. Randolph,
shuddering at the pity Of It,: well
pass on to the next, If you don't mind"
Curiosity comes next" resumed the
girl o~bediently. "A woman is weak
until she knows everything. Then
comes a funny one that you won't I'M
derstand at all. It's called Because
Because he had On a coat that re-
minded her of an old coa t-that a man
she had loved used to wear"
my dear girl" protested MI. Ran
dolph.
II said they weren't interesting"
she reminded him dispassionately. Her
eyes widened.. "And now" she con-
tinued, 1--WE 60 up and up-spite that
stabs it's own heart; the lonely soul;
consuming fire. and, last and greatest
reason of all, just love-" Her eyes
glowed to some distant focus. If all
myself, my honor, my past, and my
future dissolve to the single drop Of a
present moment in the crystal cup of
love, then let me give myself to a
lovers lips for, once drained, nothing
will be left upon which to hang the
badge Of shame-nothing remain in
all the world but the spirit and-and
the sacrifice"
Girl" said Mr.. Randolph, crushing
her to him as though he snatched her
back from just beyond his clasp,
where is your mind wandering? What
have you been thinking7 That I was
asking you TOTO give yourself to
me?" .
Her eyes came suddenly to his face.
"Yes," she said; II thought that"
He stared at her for a long silent mo-
ment, his lips wavering n~ervously be-
tween pity and severity. A flush
swept ove her face, and into her eyes
crept a look of fear. you don't want
meT' she whispered; then, as he did
not speak: kiss me. I wish You to
kiss me-"
There was something in her insist
ence that clutched at his heart and
bent him forward. He drew her head
up slowly to meet his lips and kissed
her as lightly, as impersonally as
brother ever saluted sister, but far
more f%earfully. Immediately her body
vent limp in his arms, turned to a
dead weight Of uninspired flesh.
1T is true" she murmured, des-
perately. "You don't really want me
and l can never love you now"
Randolph awoke to that still cry.
He shook her, seized her head I'm both
his hands, and forced her eyes to meet
the blaze in his.
"You generous, careless, adorable
little fool" he growled. "Why, you're
the most desirable and precious bundle
of lovable charm that robber man
ever trembled to hold in %sacrilegious
arms"
She stared at him amazed.
"Why don't. you kiss the way you
talk?" she demanded.
Because there's no reason for your
desperate barter, my dear Imogene
Pamela Thornton"
In n 1.-the motion she was out Of
his arms, On her feet, back to the fire,
head upthrown.
"How dare you-how dare you call
me by that name?" She was trans
formed; her eyes flashed with such q
light as made the blaze In his own a
paltry thing. DO you think she would
lie in your armsT She asked, gulping
out the words. "Vivienne Vivierre"-
her lips curled in distaste at the name
-"ah, yes; poor d~espairing thing! But
Pamela Thornton! Oh, who are
your Why did your" She dropped
her face in her hands and sobbed as
though her heart had broken. s.
Randolph did not leap to comfort
her this time; he did not even watch
her. With his eyes IN the edges Of
fire that peeped from between and
round her ankles, he began to talk.
II knew you; I knew Sport; I knew
Maggie. Just once I met you all, and
I've never forgotten. I couldn't" He
smiled crookedly. "You and 1 sat down
so hard together and you cried out,
MY, what a bumpr and laughed and
laughed-just like tonight, back there
at the stage-door Of the Crocodile" :
Pamela stopped crying. +.
$50 you were that awfully nice
boy" she said, disclosing tear.stained
cheeks and looking him over as though
she were inventorying a long list of
points Of deterioration.
Robert Hervsy Randolph, six feet
tall. freckled-nosed, open-facsd, blue
eyed and broad-shouldered, looked up
at, her almost appealingly az If his
whole sum and substance were crying
out to be appraised at face value but
no less.
That's me-" he said vapidly. my
name is Robert Hervey Randolph.
0>-- --1N G~ r& g.