Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-10-20
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Meb ROBERT W CHAMBHRs
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, ceiling of the bed chamber.
But the kerosene lamp cast two
shadows on that-tall shadows or
human shapes that stirred at times.
The shadows on the ceiling were
cast by Eve Strayer and her State
Trooper.
Eve sat on her beds edge, swath-
ed in a lilac kimona-delicate relic
| of school days. Her bandaged feet,
crossed. dangled above the rag-rug
on the floor; her slim. tanned hngers
were interlaced over the book on
her lap.
Near the door stood State Trooper
Stormont. spurred, booted, trig and
trim, an undecided and flushed
young man, fumbling irresolutely
with the purple cord on his cam
paign-hat.
She looked up at him again, visit
fully. Perahps he was restless.
bored. sitting there beside her half
the day, and, already, half n night.
Men of that radioactive, nervous
young men accustomed to the open,
can't stand caging.
"I want you to go out and get
some fresh air." she said. It's a
wonderful night. Go and walk a
while. And-if you feel like-com-
ing DaCk 10 me
will you sleep?
mo, I'll wait for you"
Her words were natural and di-
rect, but in their simplicity there
seemed a delicate sweetness that
stirred him.
"T'll come back to you" he said.
Then, in his response, the girl in
her turn became aware of some
thing beside the simple words-a
vague charm about them that faint
ly haunted her after he had gone
away down the stairs.
That was the man she had once
tried to kill! At the sudden and
terrible recollection she shivered
from curly head to bandaged feet.
Then she trembled a little with the
memory of his lips against her
bruised hands-bruised by handouts
which he had fastened upon her.
She sat very, very still now, hud-
died on the beds edge. scarcely
breathing.
For the girl was beginning to dare
formulate the deepest of any
thoughts that ever had stirred her
virgin mind and body.
If it was love, then it had come
suddenly. and strangely. 1t had
come on that day-at the very mo-
ment when he flung her against the
tree and handcuffed her-that ter
rible instant-if it were love.
Listening there where she sat
clasping the book, she heard his
steady tread patroling the veranda;
caught the faint fragrance of his
brier pipe in the still night air.
"I Think think it's-love," she
said under her breath. . But he
zN,zIl-FA 100. %lH-Ir 90 - 1ura rr1
listening to his spurred tread below.
After a while she placed both
b%andaged feet on the rug. 1t hurt
her, but she stood up, walked to the
open window. She wanted to look
at him-just a moment
By chance he looked up at that
instant, and saw her pale face, like
a flower in the starlight.
"Why, Eve he said, you ought
not to be on your feet"
"Once," she said. you weren't so
particular about my bruises"
Her breathless little voice coming
down through the starlight thrilled
him.
DO you remember what I did?"
he asked.
Eyes. You bruised my hands and
made my mouth bleed"
L u4u pSlldiiCt-lOT YOUR IlduuS.
eyes, you kissed them!"
What possessed her-what ire
sponsible exhilaration was melting
her to a daring utterly foreign to
her nature? She heard herself
laugh, knew that she was young,
pretty, capable of p~rovocation. And
in a sudden, breathless sort of way
overwhelming desire seized her
to please, to charm, to be noticed
by such a man-whatever. on after
thought, he might think of the step
child of Mike Clinch.
Stormont had come directly under
her window and stood looking up.
Il dared not offer further
penance," he said.
The emotion in his voice stirred
her-but she was still Laughing
down at him.
She said: "You did offer further
penance-you offered your handker-
chief. So-as that was all you Of
fered as reparation for-my lips
Then I'm coming up to complete
my penance-"
"TH lock my door!"
would you?"
"I ought to. But II you are
in great spiritual distress. and If you