Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-11-23
PeriWinkle House

1t was long way to his canoe near
the Muscadine isle, and then long
pull to Periwinkle house, but there
was time enough. Stepho would not
go away till Thursday. All, he would
| go away no more, for now on Tuesday
he must settle with the spirit of Alfred
| BRACE.
Mists lowered about, but the island
was in blaze of light Silently the
canoe slit the satin water. Silently
he landed. Determined vengeance may
pick its way as softly as eager love;
and In the cane, sharper of whisper
now that the weather was cool, he
made not a sound. Out into the open
he peered. No one within sight. On
the bark Of the live oak were the dead
flowers of yesterday There in the
| shade was the box that had served as
table, once so prettily strewn with
| violets.
In spite of his vow of vengeance and
his hatred of Stepho, these things
caught at Braces heart, shook his
fixed purpose of action. For many
minutes he waited--no sign of Stepho,
of anyone. And then his blood leaped;
for soft hands suddenly blinded him
from behind, soft laughter dubbed
over at his establishment. And dark
thoughts and dark purposes fled on
the wind as he caught Nadine and
Rugged her close.
"Now for your punishment And
he kissed her
"Oh, you must not again
Virgil | cannot like you when you are
rude. You must not !"
II don't want you just to like me-"
''You do not? Then I will try not to.
Come and sit down, Virgil.
You worked so hard for your kisses
you must be tired How did
you guess"
Guess what?" he asked as she led
him to the sofa and he sat gazing en-
tranced as she captured and impris-
oned her guerrilla bands of hair.
"That Father and Tony had gone
hunting today. But they may be back
at any time, Virgil. You must not
stay"
"But must stay; you hold me pris-
oner. / must stay until you love me
as madly as do you"
"As madly as you do me? That
might not be so much mad Virgil.
But why should I love your
because you are to be my wife. We
are engaged
"Are we? I did not know that
Why you not tell me sooner?"
II did, and now you must know It,"
But l did not. Then I must be
stupid, yes?"
1.-THE whole universe is stupid If it
denies it. The angels are stupid If
they fail to see It,"
oh, you must not talk like that. 1t
is worse than swearing the big oath.
And l am to be your wife, Mrs
Virgil? Then what do we do? Go
about and sing with the fiddler
mo, we go to the beautiful places
on earth and look upon them-togeth-
! er. We"
mo, no, you must not think like
| that You take my father by the wrist
and he hate you, And do so
wrong to see you. am the sinner, but
/ believe that the Blessed One, she
ask for my forgiveness. No,
Virgil, we can only play together and
then 1t will live In the mind
our childhood here. My fa-
Their Is not well all the time now, and
/ must be good to him. Only
I must see you, sometimes. That is
the only wrong | do him.
"For Il love you. did not
want to tell you, but cannot keep it
/ all the time down in my heart. ;.
/ dream of you all of the night, and
kneel down and pray that you always
| love me. There, I have told
you so much. And l kiss you, too.
Now-you may stay for little
time, and then you must CO."
| Boy and girl they played, not from
the book but from loves ever-varying
text. In his canoe they padded affair
off where the lily-pads paved the sur
face of the pond They landed on
knoll where was spread over persim-
mon saplings an arbor of muscadine
here an adventurous catbird had her
nest of young. She cried and flut-
tered about in great alarm, but when
she saw that they We're not her en-
emies, that they caught grasshoppers
to feed her brood, she sat high among
the vines. calling her mate, the musi-
clan, and here he came, scared at first,
but when she had explained to him he
sang his medley, ending with the cat
call whence comes his unpoetic name
The sun had been speeding, and went
behind cloud. Fear seized Nadine,
and taking Virgins hand, she urged
him toward the boat.
my dear one, we must go now. Tse
sun was jealous that we so happy and
win go into the dark 80 pout.
[ will show YOU the near way for YOU