The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-12
A SURPRISE
Chapter "a

How much?" Gladys insisted when
Morton hesitated.
ooh, a lot" he evaded.
Not very nue." and she pouted
and turned away her head. Il be-
lieve you are in love with Dora"
NO. I'm not" and IN his effort to
make her comfortable and to bring
conversation back TO an impersonal
level he put a convincing warmth in
to his denial.
Gladys turned radiant. She was
pretty, of course and just now her
face was lit up with eagerness. She
was blindly following out an instinct
that was strong within her. whose
power she didn't entirely realize, and
she saw her triumph ahead of her.
Her hand went back to Morton's,
who let his fingers close over hers.
I'm glad. | was afraid you were"
she said, believing at the time that
she ever had doubted his early affec-
tons for her cousin. 1T made me SO
miserable"
"Why?" Morton looked concerned
felt concerned. He could almost feel
the blood beating through her hand,
which was warm in his, with fingers
that pressed his n~ervously.
"Because-because-' she hesitated,
and stumbled on, the words coming
~uneasiIy. Because then it would
have been wrong of me-to like you
so muchi'
This was going a long way, even for
Gladys. With any other man that she
knew. some demonstration of affection
would have met her willingness Ions
before this.
But Morton's shyness, his indiffer-
ence, both made her more and more
eager to force some sign of affectio1
from him. She was never unwilling
TO be somewhat sentimental. In Nor.
ris City that was considered quite all
right-to hold hands was expected
kiss was not often refused.
But Norton! OF all the men she
knew, he alone had failed to give in
TO her. His indifference was fire to
dry wood. She was willing to do any
thing, almost, to make him fall in
love with her.
AS the weeks went on, and she
gained only a passive friendship, as he
submitted to her attentions, without
really seeming to care whether she
liked him or not, she grew so eager,
and so angry-that she leased herself
into falling in love.
She did not mean to make him pro-
pose to her when they started out, she
didn't entirely mean to this minute.
She wanted him to say he was in love
with her, which meant nothing serious
in her little crowd. Jesse said he was
in love every time they were together,
Morton only rannotnH etnniHly-
"Wrong?"
Which made her ~furiously vexed
And which made her want him to fall
in love seriously.
"Yes!" She was still down in the
mouth, outwardly. She turned 10 him
Don't you see-if you were in love
with her. when I was in"
Why wouldn't he say it? Curiously
she wanted to slap him! But she
leaned nearer to him instead, feminine
instinct teaching her what to do. do
you think I'm wicked? l can't help
it,"
There was attraction in her eyes, II
her red lips, in her nearness. 1t would
have affected a far more Indifferent
person than Morton. Morton wa:
yielding to her physically, as he yield
ed to her mentally weeks before. Hi;
fingers frightened, which was all tn
encouragement she needed
"Of course I don't! What do yol
mean?" he said, his head not quit.
clear, confused, pleased, and for tn
first time, wishing to be nearer to her
"Yon know what I mean! Don
make me say it," she begged, he
mouth near his. Kiss me-please
Morton"
Morton put his arms around her
and with her eager caress forgot en-
tirely the little wistful-eyed face h
had been thinking of often for weeks
You 90 love me. don't you" sh,
was saying. please tell me-"
81 do love you" he repeated, sud