Graham guardian., 1922-08-15
makes me feel SO out of place and use

Don't say thatl" she cried fiercely,
and, turning swiftly from him, began
TO make her passage across the tenn
porary sleepers. Twelve feet beneath
them the sluggish stream forced its
narrow channel through the muskeg.
Wilton called to Kitty.
you'd better come back" he shout
ed. at isn't very secure, and you
I might lose your footing"
But she went on without needing
him, until she stood almost at the end
of the shaking structure. 1t was q
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 itT' he begged.
II didn't hurt yoaf"
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 trestIe
into the river below.
A plunge into that viscous water was
more dangerous than 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 desperate effort he
drew her to him and struggled
through the yielding muslseg until he
was able to catch an upright of the
trestle-work.
lie 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 hes
eyes and fixed them upon his.
Thank God, we're all right now r.
said Wilton. ut was a 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 quick catch of Kitty's
breath. "Oh, win, you are so blind!"
she whispered. Couldn't you seer Are
you going to make me tell you, VIII?
Are you going to make me tell you
that love youT'
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'm tell you because / see must"
she whispered i've always loved you,
WILL. And never cared for Joe"
"Kittyw
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 chung tightly
| to him.
you've made me tell you, WIN, and
you must hear me now" she said. II
never cared for Joe--not In that way.
He wanted me, and thought could
| learn TO love him. I was happy with
him, but what could he expect7 He
would have been old enough to have
been my father What right had he to
marry me, ignorant as l was of love
and Of the worldP was happy with
him---till met you.
81 always loved you, VIII. and II
was my right to love you. 1t was you
built up In your mind all that about my
loyalty 70 Joe. cared for Joe In a
way, but that was all. II you imagined
all that you did,, was ] to blame for itf
Sometimes you nearly drove me crazy
with your talk about Joe, about his
work, about my loyalty to him, when
i was huukrs lVt SVuI hNc.
"Pm ashamed--God knows how I'm
ashamed to tell you this You made
me, Will While Joe lived was true
to him. I'm free, and you are free, and
love cannot be bound. And ! don't
care snap of my fingers for the Mis-
satibi. I care for you. I'm shameless
now, when | say this. but you should
have seen--you should have known.
What right had you to drone out your
refrain of Joe, Joe, all the day to me,
when my heart was crying out for you,
and you would not hear It? want
your love. Will Il want you 10 love
me. and to take me away from Mani
toba, where I'll never hear Of the Mis-
satlbi again--or Joe
Afterward 1t seemed to Wilton like
a dreadful dream. Gently he put her
arms from his neck, and rose to his
feet. And, because the nature OF the
man was Of that simplicity that In
stinctively understands, II was not nm
ger, but deep pity that filled his
heart.
I'm sorry; Kitty be said "What