The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-11-01
BEING IN LOVE
Chapter SO

Chapter SO
'In loye," echoed Pan knew you
cared lot for me, you were always 50
nice-I thought perhaps you loved me
but that's different from being in
love-isn't it,"
81 should say!" And George rose,
crushing the unsmoked cigaret into 4
tray, and stood before her, looking
down upon her.
'In love!" Pan said again wonder
ingly, and sat looking up at him. Il
was so sure it was Gloria"
1T was never Gloria-that way
Gloria I've always loved and adored,
except when she annoyed me-but
that's quite different. My dear"
He held out one hand. to pull her to
her feet and into his arms. But the
girl did not rise, she let her hand lie
in his. And suddenly her eyes filled
with tears, which rolled unheeded
down her cheeks.
Then George who much as he had
cared. had always kept their friend
ship unsentimental dropped down>to
the arm of her chair and put his arm
around her shoulders. pulling her close
to him.
Don't cry" he begged.
Her answer was gulping sound. as
Pan tried to stop what Threatened to
be real sobs.
He touched her straight dark hair
gently.
Il mean, do go ahead and cry"
George amended. Il think all women
cry when they're being proposed to
sweet little unworthy ones like you,
anyway"
He patted her shoulder. thrilled at
her nearness, yet feeling suddenly hun
dreds of years older than she was.
Pans answer to this was to laugh a
little She drew back and looked up
at him with smiling lips and tear-filled
eyes.
I'm not crying" she contradicted.
in spite of abundant evidences 81
mean, not really crying. ! don't know
why ! should have-seemed to. Any
way, you're not proposing TO me-"
I'm going TO if you'll give me time, "
George held her tighter, and smiled too
as she wiped away the last drop OF
moisture and looked suddenly as radi-
ant as the sky when the sun comes out
after a summer shower. But first
tell me what made you do it,
Cry? / don't konw. / was sur
prised, and happy, because you said
you were in love with me-and not
with Gloria"
"Then you do love me? You must
or you wouldn't have been glad | was
rot in love with Gloria"
''Oh no-you don't understand"
Clearly George didn't, so Pan went
on. winding her fingers between his as
his hand lay on his knee, feeling his
other hand resting on her shoulder
and so stirred emotionally by his near
ness and the knowledge of his love
that she forgot all her old little inhi
bitions and tightnesses. She could talk
now.
81 do love you, of course. But you've
always known that. Ard I'm glad, OF
course. that you're not in love with
her. Selfishly glad, and glad too, be
cause she did not care for you that
way.
But you see-you and Gloria have
been my two best friends, really my
two only friends because-nice as
Bobby, and Mrs. Clarke, and Ned have
been-theyre different They donf
count And wanted you TO be happy
and l thought you would be happy to
gether"
She paused a moment, then hurried
on:
Il thought you were in love with
each other, way back last winter wheI
| first came to live with Gloria. Sht
was so clever and brilliant, so man.
men were attracted by her-it seemed
natural enough that you should be
And you were at our house a grea
deal, Gloria depended on you, she wa!
always quite independent of tht
others
Il was her Oldest friend. you see,
George explained.
Il know" the bent head nodded an.
Pan went on:
But ! thought. because her name
with you was different, because sh
did seem TO depend on you-that sh
loved you. And then one evening"
you remember, you gave a party an
we came late. and Gloria was yer
tired and keyed up and wouldn't dane
with you"
Il remember"
You stood near me in the doorwa
ard looked so cross! said som
thing about you and Gloria--somethin
| shouldn't have said probably-bu
you answered. yes. we're all in Low
With hef.
We all were. There are shades an
distinctions of love, as you will fin
out when you are really grown up,
George answered
We'll. later as l came 70 know he
better, | found out about Santley
knew she really loved him-and we a
knew that it was only a question {
time when she would be free to MARI,