The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-01
THE LOVE. CAMf,
A CITY
 ROMANCE sY VIP6lNIA TrQgUNE, VsNlsWn1rp
CHAPTER 130

CHAPTER 1s0
 She was sure that she loved him as he kissed her cheek, then her lips.
 Had she not loved him, she told herself, she could not have endured his caresses,
 So, when he released her and asked her to forgive him if he had taken too much for granted, she tried to smile at him.
 If you love me-" she murmured. "vhv ask my forgiveness?"
 'Because," his breath coming fast. ''ir you do not care for me l have no right to kiss you"
 Again she was impressed by his mans idealIsm. He was the sort of man girl could trust to the end of the world. Impulsively she laid her hand in his.
 "Richard" she said softly. cant you see that I care for you? I did not know it myself until now, but now"
 She got no farther, for once more he took her in his arms.
 My angel!" he whispered. T will try to be worthy your trust in me and your love for me-"
 She submitted to his demonstra- tions of affection, yet she did not put her arms about his neck and kiss him as she had kissed Donald She won dered why she did not feel like doing that. She supposed it was because she had not known Richard as long as she had known Donald.
 Then she tried to banish all thought Of Muir from her mind. He had been hard and unjust and she could never, never love him.
 It was not difficult to keep her thoughts on the man who was telling her of his adoration of her. To the inexperienced girl it was wonderful to be assured that Richard had fallen in love with her on the very first day he had met her..
 T knew then that there was only one woman in the world for me- Rankin declared. "I was poor, and like a worm looking up at a star you were so infinitely above me. But l was happy in being in your pres ence. Afterwards, when I was not with you, 1 would have been miser- able had I not kept my life full of beauty and poetry by thinking of you"
 Did you really care as much as that?' the girl asked, her lips curving in a smile of pleasure.
 Youth adores adoration of Itself. This girl had been treated as a child had been shut away from many of the pleasures natural to her age. From boarding school she had come into a world that would have been lonely for her had it not been for the admiration of two men. Then. when one man piqued her by what she considered his too authoritative at titude, she accepted eagerly the love protestations of the man who never admitted that she had fault
 She listened happily. as do all young girls, to the detailed recital of his first impressions of hen-of how beautiful he thought her. of what he had felt upon this and that occasion. And when the story was told she would have been glad to hear it all over again.
 But even a romantic like Richard Rankin finished his tale-for the time being-and touched upon some of the practical points of life.
 Tt seems hardly fair" he said at last, ito bind your beautiful life to me. Yet the very thought that we are engaged makes life glorious to me-"
 Engaged! Yes. she was actually ergagedi Which meant that marriage would follow! She, Winifred Scott, engaged to be married and without having asked anybodys permission! There was a thrill in that thought, too.
 ,.'You will not mind waiting for me- will you, darling?"
 "Waiting?" she repeated.
 Yes. For, as you know, I am very poor. Yet, had l not believed that things would come my way soon,i I would never have dared to tell you of my love, nor ask you to promise yourself to me. But something makes me sure that my luck has turned. and that before a year has slipped away may be able to ask you to marry me-
 "There-there-is no hurry!" she stammered.
 He laughed softly. For you, per haps not. But for newly, my darling-it will mean heaven Yet, much as l. long to have you for my very own, I would not ask you to share my present poverty with me. It would not be fair"
 He looked at her expectantly. She did not reply immediately. When she did, 1t was tentatively, almost timidly.
 People are often engaged a good while before they marry, aren't they?" she murmured.
 "Certaioly they are!" he exclaimed reassuringly.
 And as he bent his handsome head above her she told herself that he was the most wonderful man she had ever known.
 Gro Be Continued)