Omaha daily bee., 1922-02-26


Sylvia offered TO send
them home In the Gates car. but Nancy de-
clinsd.
NO" said she. after all this excitement
I'd like to quiet my nerves by a good walk.
It's only about mile across the neck" She
looked at Matt, and IL seemed TO him that
for the first time since their meeting there
was a softening In her blue eyes and sort
of invitation. You can ride home IL you
Ike" said she. -but I'm going to walk"
"In go. too" said Matt
So they set out on a path which led
through the Gates orchard. then entered
wood which was rather In the nature OF
park with solemn stately oaks so widely
spaced that the sward grew under them fresh
and green, and they passed through areas OF
brilliant light and softly tinted shadow.
About halfway they came to a spring which
had been cared for and stoned, and was
edged about with mossy bank. while cress
had been planted In its overflow.
I'm tired and thirsty" said Nancy, "let's
get a drink and sit down and rest for a
minute. Where's the gourd?"
The gourd had disappeared, whether car.
ried OF by boys or picknickers who had neg.
lected TO return IL. or destroyed by some
enemy to society such as unfortunately exist.
The surface Of the crystal basin was too far
below its coping to admit Of leaning down
to drink, at least with any comfort or salts.
faction, and there were no proper leaves with
which to shape a cup. and Matt's hat was a
cloth one. Curious to see IL Nancy would
accept such a goblet. Matt rinsed his hands
In the overflow, then capped them with
woodsman's skill and raised them filled with
water.
"I don't see how you do that" said Nancy,
my fingers always leak it out" and to
Matts infinite surprise. she bent her rudy
golden head and drank. Dear. but that's
good! Some more, please"
Matt for some reason was swept by a sud.
den warm wave. This is: apt to happen to
young man very much in love when the
object Of his alteration. from scorning all
service, Unexpectedly accepts one OF Ger.
tain intimacy. For there is unquestionably
something very intimate in the act Of taking
food or drink directly from the hand of an.
other. ITO eat right out of my hand" is
no idle expression of close and friendly rela-
uonship, old as the ages and to drink from
them means even more. No woman could
possibly thus drink from the hands of man
for whom she felt the faintest shade of an.
tipathy. More than that, it is doubtful il
dainty or fastidious woman could thus serve
herself from the hands Of one with whom
she did not feel herself united by some bond
OF sympathy. 1t is in way more personal
than kiss because that caress might be
perfunctory or. to get back to our theme,
impulsive.
Some powerful emotion, elusive and sweet
swept over Matt as Nancy in drinking from
his cupped hands bent her golden head di.
rectly under his face and so close to it that
bnr hair br, ,beel r.
him that some intoxicating perfume which
had nothing to do with the odor Of even the
most delicate cosmetic came from it. This
aroma was rather like that of some fairy
flower which, as happens in a fairy tale
might become endowed. not only with SOUL
but incarnate in a physical body. II he had
not been too much in maze to analyZe this
impression, he might have thought OF it as
Nancy perfume" All lovers will under.
stand Immediately what is meant by this.
So would all dogs. and describe it much
better if they had the faculty for descrip-
tion. For dog will tell you that just as no
face in any way resembles the face they
love, and no voice has the timbre Of the
voice they love. SO can no scent, however
subtle, have the scent OF the one they love.
None Of this psychology had time to ordi-
nate in the mind Of Matt, because at that
ue WdS IccllHB TdlueT LAdu
ing. In fact, he felt as though he never
wanted to think again, at least cold-blood-
edly. He was overwhelmed with delight that
Nancy should not only be willing to drink
from his hands but even relish doing so,
and ask for more.
She looked up from her draught and smiled
at him, and Matt was conscious OF an ex
traordinary impression Of change in her, as
though he had given her some mystic po-
ton by which all previous relations between
them had been abruptly altered.
For gone was the antagonism. Gone was
the offensive defensive proportion in which
they had previously stood, so that instead
Of feeling on his guard with her or even the
necessity Of guarding her against himself,
there seemed to have been mysteriously
established a comradely sentiment and one
from which they might view all things with
mutual instead of a jealous vision.
But it was more than this. The strong,
insstent egos Of the pair had passed through
a phase which left them and their separate
interests, first mutual, then with a sense Of
duality. Friends may be mutual. but only
lovers achieve that divine emotion Of duality.
There was forest bird trilling its soft
nesting notes in the tree tops overhead as