Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-10-14
ing string and wrapping.

ing string and wrapping.
Her attention was not fixed on
what her slender fingers were about.
She drew from the parcel a fiat
morocco case with a coat of arms
and crest stamp On it in gold, black
and scarlet.
For a few moments she stared at
the object stupidity. The next mo-
ment she heard Stormont's spurred
tread on the stairs; and she thurst
the morocco case and the wrapping
under the pillows behind her.
She looked up at him in a dazed
way when he came in with the tea
and bread. He set the tin tray on
the bureau and came over to the
berside.
Eve" he said, you look very
white and ill. Have you been hurt
somewhere, and haven't you admit
ted it?"
She seemed unable to speak, and
he took both her hands and looked
an~ixiously into the lovely, pcllid
features.
After a moment she turned her
head and buried her face in the
pillow, trembling now in overwhelm-
ing realization of what she had en-
dured for the sake of two cakes OF
sugar-milk chocolate hidden under a
bush in the forest.
For a long while the girl lay there,
the feverish flush of tears on her
partly hidden face, her nervou
hands tremulous, restless. now seek
ing his, convulsively, now striving to
escape his clasp-eloquent, uncertain
little hands hat seemed to tell sc
much and yet were telling him moth
ing he could understand.
Eve, dear" he said, ARE you in
pain? What is it that has hap
pened to you? 1 thought you were
all right. You seemed all right
IT am" she said in a smothered
voice. You'll stay here with me,
won't your"
"Of curse 1 will. It's just the
reaction. It's all over. You're re-
taxing. That's all dear. You're safe,
Nothing can harm you now"
please don't leave me."
After a moment: II won't leave
you. 1 wish 1 might never
leave you"
In the tense silence that followed
her trembling ceased. Then his
heart, heavy, irregular, began beat
ing SO that the startled pulses in hel
body awoke, wildly responsive.
Deep emotions, new, unfamiliar
were stirring, awaking, confusing
them both. In a sudden instinct tC
escape, she turned and partly rose
on one elbow, gazing blindly about
her put of tear-marred eyes.
II want my room to myself" she
murmured in a breathless sort OF
way, Il want you to go out
please"
A boyish flush burnt his face. He
got up slowly, took his rifle from the
corner, went out, closing the door
and seated himself ON the stairs.
And there, on guard, sat Trooper
Stormont, rigid, unstirring, houi
after hour, facing the first great pas.
sion of his life, and stunned by the
impact of it's swift and unexpected
blow.
In her chamber. on the beds edge
sat Eve Strayer, her deep eyes fixed
on space. Vague emotions, exquisite
ly recurrent, new born, possessed
her. The whole world, too, all
around her seemed to have become
misty and golden and all pulsatine
with a faint, still rhythm that indie
finably thrilled her pulses to re-
Spouse.
Passion, full-armed, springs fam
ing from the heart of man. Woman
is slow to burn. And it was the deli
cate phantom of passion that Eve
gazed upon, there in her u%npainted
Ichamber, her sun-tanned fingers
linked listlessly in her lap, her littls
feet like bruised white flowers droop.
ing above the floor.
Hour after hour she sat there