Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1923-06-01

u her, mis- arms nat al his sides, .
FPS open. his expression one Of COM
oined anger. dismay and wonderment.
The soft arms frightened still more
sboCt his neck.
kiss me. John-pIeasew
Hardy"
But don't you understand? I was
just trying 70 make you say the things
sou did say-it was the only way
could think to do il. Don't you seer I
didn't know any other way In thu
world 10 make you quarrel with me. 10
forget that eternal counting TO hun
bred before you'd ever answer, toto
John, please-wOn't you kiss meF
don't love anyone in the world but
you. swear it-nObody in the world
John. Don't you see? II" Then
the tears camel just couldn't stand
1t any-any more"
Stand it-stand what?"
"Why-why. everything, John. You
just can't endure things forever with
out salt and pepper. 1t isn't natural.
lit Just got on my nerves until
thought I'd 20 crazy. L"
whats the" Frank amazemeni
was his now. Il don't understand you
can't make you out, Medaine- Salt
and pepper"
Just what mean, John. Put your
arms around me, won't you please?
Please. John?" She caught hand ard
] raised 1t TO her shoulder, where 1t hung
a moment, then dropped Imply. But
he did not resist her now, as he had
done a moment before. ''Tell me, John
is this the first time you've ever
thought me splnelessT
de shook his head, saying silently
what he would not say in words. It
seemed to please her. She kissed him.
"And haven't you wondered often
how on earth you ever married me?
Haven't you wondered If 1 really had
| enough spirit TO even have a quarrel
with a tradesman? Haven't you. Johnl
I've thought that about you-wondered
how on earth you managed to trans
act your business. how you ever got
| the backbone even to discharge an
employee. You've never shown it at
home. I've tried TO nettle you, anger
| you-and all you did was count to q
hundred"
THAT was our bargain" He said it
somewhat grudgingly.
"Just the trouble-just what hurt
me, that you'd stay by a silly bargain
like that. JOHN she looked at him
| quickly, during the time we've been
married, have you really been happy?"
'IY he paused His lips pressed
tight for an instant Then: IF you
want the frank TRUTH haven't"
"Why?
Again pause. Then:
"Oh, never mind
But 1 want to know, Is It for the
same reason that haven't been happy
because everything has been just
The same, Just the regular monotony
| Of sugar, sugar, sugar all the time and
aever bit OF bitter-sweet? Is that
the reason, John? And 1 have been
unhappy, John. I've known every min
ute what you were going TO do.
knew the minute you were going TO
leave home, the minute you would tel
! ephone me, the minute you'd get here
at night. and what you'd talk about
at the dinner table. I knew to a dot
what you'd do and say and how you'd
act And, John-a woman may say
she wants that, but she doesn't She
NE h---H1r-l WALL hn r-nnd 70
her most Of the time, but who now and
then-well, who won't. We can't be
superhuman, John. 1t isn't in US.
You've been on time TO dinner for ten
years. 1 haven't even had the excite
ment of scolding you for being late.
I" Then, as if with an inspiration,
she looked at him-"John. did you ever
notice how an electrical storm
clears the air? And how suItry it has
been beforehand? We've never even had
the chance TO know how beautiful
things can be after the clouds have
gone. We've had nothing but sun
shine-until its blinded US and we
haven't been able to see anything"
Then she halted-suddenly beaming.
A light of understanding had come in
to the eyes Of John Darlington The
tired expression faded. TO give way 10
one which Medaine had not seen in
years. Slowly his arms raised and
clasped about the form Of his wife. He
kissed her-slowly. as one who tastes
long at a sweet he is loath to leave.
Ten years seemed 10 have rolled
away. ten drab uneyen-ful years which
now bore no more Importance in retro
spect than the fiatness OF monotonous
plains. A soft hand touched his tenn
pie and fingered there.
We've just been driftwOod. John"
He nodded and kissed her again.
Then. like a streak. he turned from her
and bounded up the stairs. Wonder
ing. she heard him fumbling about in
an upper room, banging az drawers I
and uttering strange things under his
breath. A grunt. Another. Louder. /
Then