The Adair County news., 1922-06-20


dangerous place. The wipd blew
strongly, sfndihg hSt skirm Hftng
about her, ana tdmbflne her hAlr Hpoh
her shoulders.
"Come back, Kittyi" called Wilton.
making his way across the planks un-
til he reached her side. he put out his
hand to steady her. Then he saw that
the tears were streaming down her
cheeks.
"Why, Kitty, what is itf" he begged.
'T didn't hurt your"
She shook his hand from her arm
with a violent gesture, leaning back;
and suddenly she lost her stance and
toppled from the edge Of the trestle
into the river below.
A plunge into that viscous water was
more dangerous than a fall. Wilton
realized it instinctively. He leaped feet
first and found himself struggling in
the gluey swamp, half mud, half wa.
ter. Kitty, who had fallen into the
center of the stream, appeared half q
dozen feet away, her white face up
turned, her hands catching for support
as the shallow current carried her to-
ward the lake.
Fighting madly, Wilton detached his
limbs from the sucking mud and man
aged to grasp her skirt as she drifteq
drew her to him and struggled
through the yielding muskeg until he
was able to catch an upright Of the
trestle-work
He glanced at Kitty as he halted to
catch his breath. She lay passive in
his arms, her eyes closed; she seemed
to have tainted, but she breathed cas-
lily, though quickly. Her dripping
clothes clung to her tightly, and her
fair hair streamed over his arms.
Then, plodding through the yielding
swamp, he struggled on until he
reached the shore. Kitty opened her
eyes and fixed them upon his.
"Thank God, we're all right nowI"
said Wilton. 1T was a near thing In
that muskeg. You lie quiet and rest a
little, and then We'll hurry back, and
you must change your things quickly"
There was a quick catch of Kitty's
breath. "Oh, VIII, you are so blind J"
she whispered. Couldn't you see? Are
you going to make me tell you, WIFI
Are you going to make me tell you
that 1 love you"
She put her arms about his neck, and
her face on his shoulder. Wilton, dunn
founded, hardly stirred; he did not
know what to do.
"PI tell you because see must,
she whispered. I've always loved you,
viii. And 1 never cared for joe"
'Kittyr'
The cry that broke from his lips
held all the anguish of his disillusiOn'
ment His face grew scarlet. He tried
to free himself, but she clung tightly
to him.
you've made me tell you, VIII, anC
you must hear me now," she said. %
never cared for Joe-nOt in that way
He wanted me, and 1 thought l could
learn to love him. l was happy will
him, but what could he expect? H'
would have been old enough to have
been my father What right had lie t.
marry me, ignorant as l was of low
and of the world? 1 was happy will
him-till met you.
81 always loved you, VIII, and |
was my right to love you. 1t was yO1
built up In your mind all that about M
loyalty to joe 1 cared for Joe in
way, but that was. all. If you imagine,
all that you did, was 1 to blame for 1t
Sometimes you nearly drove me Graz
with your talk about Joe, about hi
work, about my loyalty to him, whe
1 was hungry for your love.
"Pm ashamed-God knows how II
] ashamed to tell you this. You mad
me, Will. While Joe lived 1 was tru
! to him. I'm free, and you are free, an
, love cannot be bound. And 1 don
care a snap of my fingers for the Mi
I satibi. 1 care for you. I'm shameless
now, when 1 say this, but you shoul
, have Seen-yOu should have know
What right had you to drone out you
! | refrain Of Joe, Joe, all the day to m
!, when my heart was crying out for yo
7 and you would not hear 1t? 1 wal
your love, Will! 1 want you to 10y
T me, and to take me away from Man
, toba, where I'll never hear Of the Mi
, satibi again-Or JOep
Afterward it seemed to Wilton Ill
n q dreadful dream. Gently he put h,