The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-08-14
THE GIRL WHO SMILED THRU


must not talk about. Ourselves,
Can 1 tell you-~can I talk frank
~ today. ~ I promise not 10 be per-
son1i after thatf" he asked.
You cnR talk about everything
want tnday-there "a only ono word
you must not mention. and you
know that" She did o have To
plainiy-Devid knew as well aa she,
that all talk OF love was not 60 be.
Il want to talk about Lois-nnd
you he said. ; you won't think
too harshly Of me
So they talked over the brief
days OF their engagement. OF Lois
coming. OF the things she had said
10 scad Alice 10 think the feeling
between David and herself was
more than casual. David told her
all he remembered Of the afternoon
when. ms Lois insisted. he had ask
ed her 10 marry him.
And he told bitterly some % the
incidents sf their lie since. and me
thoroughiy hard, selfinh little wom-
an Lois had become. And Alice
talked a little OF tho wretchedness
Of the dayn following the brcakinE
Of their engagement and the half
happiness she had had IN fAvr-
cncc's devotion.
anu now 40 you NNihk We ftN
be friendsg" she asked.
Chapter 81.
ct CANNOT BE"
Can We he friends and only
friends, after all that has happened p
David repeated her question, look
ms past Alice and far dow the
shining silver surface OF the riycr.r =
Can we7" Alice asked again.
The man turned TO her. his gray
steady and compelling.
w can. We have TO be- he an
They a for a long time. saying
nothing. The emberr OF the fire blew
about a bit. David mechanically
broke n dry stick into short pieces
and tossed q on the bed OF glowing
ashes. The cold river wind blew
sparks and smoke about. and gusts OF
heat occasionally over the two peo-
pic who sat on tho fiat rock. An
other party out for a winters walk
trnmped past and were lost along the
path.
The sun was as bright and as old
h The cyes OF a hcartless But
Alice nor David noticed aich
external things.
There's nothing else TO do" David
expressing aloud the thoughts
had both been busy with. I'm
tied hand and foo to Luis. She's
my wife whether she lives with me OF
LOT She wouldn't free mc-even II
would ask me TO be free, even
Il you believed in that sort Of thing"
"D~ivOrce7" Alice asked. Il don't.
That Is. / didn't. / don't know what
| believe In. any more. Everything
b 30 mixed up" Her tone sounded
drcary enough.
Il deserve il. It's my own punish
David said. rive thought
all along. After all. I was no
child that she kidnapped. And N I
was enough OF n fool To he blinded
by her surface prettiness 30 hat ]
no longer appreciated your value
why ] deserved to spend the rest Of
lie paying for ~ | thought you
forget and be happy"
4 tried 10 forget. I'm afraid
never could"
But now I've seen You again. !
got along without YOU" David
II was, Alice felt IN her morsi
expression of David's weakness.
Mere friendship, after the love that
had been between them. must be a
on her part as well as his
He wis ready to make Tho sacrifice
because he had 10 sce her. ANA he
was ready to ask her TO make IL too.
But this weakness endearcd him TO
still moro. For Alice was very
much a woman. And 20 a woman. a
sacrifice for the man she loves rs a
privilege.
you did 80 much for me-" Alice
said drcamliy after a time.
III ! ncver ala anything-except
hurt you" David answered.
You gave me an ideal" Alice went
ar though he had not spoken. u
never had one before. ia beeu ioo
haking N cooking and clean
n doing garden work know
there were people and things I didn't