Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-12-01
Her hand fumb,ed and groped for

lie smiled down ut ner--a grave,
strange little smile that moved her
in secret ways. mot given up hope,
Linda" he said gently. They were
standing at the door and the sunlight
coming low from the south--was on
his. face 1--WE never had any hope
to give up-just realization of what
lay ahead of us. I'm locking it all
IN the face now. just as did al first"
"And what you see-makes you
afraid?"
Yet She need not have asked that
question. His face gave an unmistak
able answer: that this man had con
quered fear in the terrible night with
the Killer. "NOt afraid, Linda" he
explained. "Only seeing things as they
really are. There are too many against
us. If we had that great estate be-
hind us with all its wealth, we might
have q chance; If we had an arsenal
of rifles with thousands of cartridges,
we might make stand against them.
But we are three-tWO women and one
man-and one rifle between us all. Five
little shells to be expended in five Sec
onds. They are seven or eight. each
man armed each man rifle shot.
They are certain to attack within a
day or two-befOre we have the moon
again. In less than two weeks we
can no longer contest their title TO the
estate. A little month or two more
urf11 in--Uifh
chance to get out at ALL"
perhaps before that she told him.
"Yes. Perhaps before that"
They found confirmation of this
prophecy in the signs of fall without
the coloring leaves. the dying flowers
the new, cold breath of the wind. Only
the pines remained unchanged; they
were the same grave sentinels they
always were.
"And you can forgive me?" Linda
asked, hnmbly.
"Forgive you?" The man turned to
her in surprise. what have you done
that needs to be fOrgiven?"
"Oh. don't you see? To bring you
here-out Of your clties-tO throw your
life away. To enlist you in a fight
that you can't hope to win. I've killed
YOU, that's all I've done. Perhaps
tonight-perhaps a few days later"
He nodded gravely
"And I've already killed your smile,
she went on, looking down. "You don't
smile any more the way you used to.
You're not the boy you were when you
came. Oh to think of it-that it's all
been my work. To kill your youth,
to lead you into this slaughter pen
where nothing-nothing lives but
death-and hatred-and unhappiness.'
The tears leaped TO her eyes. He
caught her hands and pressed them be
tween his until pain came into her
fingers. Listen, Linda" he command
ed She looked straight up at him
Are you sorry I Gamer
"MOre than I can tell you-for your
sake"
But when people look for the truth
In this world, Linda, they don't take
any ones sake into consideration. They
balance all things and give them their
true worth Would you rather that
you and l had never met-that l had
never received Elmira's message-that
you should live your life up here with
out ever hearing of mel"
She dropped her eyes. 1T isn't fair
to ask me that"
"Tell me the truth. Hasn't 1t been
worth while? Even If we lose and
die before this night is done, hasn't
1t all been worth while? Are you sor-
ry you have seen me change? Isn't
the change for the better-a man
grown instead Of a boy? One who
looks straight and sees clearT'
He studied her face; and after a
while he found his answer. 1t was
not In the form Of words at first. AS
a man might watch miracle he
watched new light come into her
dark eyes. All the gloom and sorrow
Of the wilderness without could not
affect its quality. 1t was a light OF
joy, Of exultation, Of newfound
| strength.
"You hadn't ought to ask me that
Bruce" she said with a rather strained
distinctness. ut has been like being
born again. There aren't any words
to tell you what 1t has meant to me-
And don't think / haven't seen the
change In you, toO-the birth of a new
strength that every day is greater
higher-until 1t is-almost more than
l can understand. The old smiles are
gone, but something else has taken
tiielr piace--SOineuIlIng mucn more
dear to me-but what it is / can hard
ly tell you. Maybe it's something that
the pines have"
But he hadn't wholly forgotten how
to smile. His face lighted as remem-
brance came to him. They are a diff
| ferent kind of smiles-that's all" he
explained. Perhaps there will be
many of them In the days to come.
Linda, l have no regrets. I've played
the game. Whether 1t was Destiny
that brought me here, or only chance,
or perhaps-if we take just life and
death into consideratlOn-just misfOr-
tune, whatever 1t is / feel no resent