Middletown transcript., 1922-08-19
CHAPTER Vll-Continued,
g.

But she went on without needing
him, until she stood almost at the end
of the shaking structure. 1t was
dangerous place. The wind blew
strongly, sending her skirts flying
about her, and tumbling her hair upon
her shoulders.
Come back, Kitty!" 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 ity' he begged.
Il didn't hurt you"
She shook his hand from her arm
with 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 1t 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
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 drifted
past him. With a desperate effort he
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 now!"
said Wilton. 1T was near thing in
that muskeg. You lie quiet and rest
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 |"
she whispered. Couldn't you see? Are
you going to make me tell you, VIII?
Are you going to make me tell you
that love your"
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.
"I'll tell you because see I must"
she whispered. "I've always loved you,
VIII. And never cared for joe"
"Kittyl"
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, and
you must hear me now," she said. II
never cared for Joe-not in that way.
He wanted me. and 1 thought 1 could
learn to love him. I was happy with
him, but what could he expect?' He
would have been old enough to have
been my father. Whatright had he to
marry me, ignorant as 1 was Of love
and Of the world7 I was happy with
hlm-till met you.
II always loved you, Wnl, and It
was my right to love you. It was you
built up In your mind all that about my
loyalty to Joe. / cared for Joe in a
way, but that was all. If you imagined
all that you did, was to blame for it?
Sometimes you nearly drove me crazy
with your talk about Joe, about his
work. about my loyalty to him, when
/ was hungry for your love.
"Pm ashamed-God knows how Tn
ashamed to tell you this. You made
me, VIII. While Joe lived was true
to him. I'm free, and you are free, and
love cannot be bound. And ! don't
sara q snap of my fingers for the Ms