The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-03-28

Clavering had tied the boat to .
tree in . little inlet far down the
lake, and they were walking
through = wood Of spruce trees
and balsam. There was no leafy
curtain here, although they could
see one swaying on either sids
through open vistas between the
rigid columns Of the spruce. A
trail was hardly necessary for
there was no underground. and al :
though the trees were set close to-
gether they were easily circum.
navigated.
1t was some time since they had
spoken. His face was graver than
she had ever seen It, and she wait.
ed for him to- speak. She almost
could feel those unuttered words
beating on the silence Of the
woods. There was nothing else to
break that silence but the faint
constant murmur in the tree.tops
and once, beyond that leafy cur.
tain, the sudden trilling Of a soil
tary bird. Again. the tremendous.
ness Of this high isolation swept
over her. The camp and its gay
party might have been on some faI
distant lake.
He put his arm around her firm.
~. II am not going to pretend
! any further" he said. 1T is toe
big for that. And you have never
been anything but Mary Ogden to
me. except, perhaps, on that night
] have practically dismissed from
my mind. / called you MaFy-Og.
Gen to myself until / learned your
new name. and I don't think that
name has ever come into my
thoughts Of you. And although
you slipped on another skin with
1t you were always Mary Ogden
underneath. You needed a new
name for. your new role, but, like
any actress on the stage, 1t had
nothing to do with your indestruc.
tible personality. l say this be.
cause / want you to understand
that although l cannot play up to
your little comedy any longer and
60 through the forms Of wooing
you as II you were a girl
shouldn't like you half as we'll II
you were-I do not think Of you or
wish you to think of yourself has
anything but Mary Ogden"
He paused moment. and she
slipped her arm about him and
they walked on through the wood.
II cannot 60 on with 1t because
these days up here that we can
spend almost altogether alone. II
we will, are too sacred to waste %
an amusing but futile game. Do
you realize that We do not know
each other very we'll? sometimes
wonder II you know me at sill
From the time I fell in love with
you until you promised to marry
me. I was at one sort Of fever-pitch.
and when I got to work on tina
play was at another. No write,
while exercising an abnormal fac.
ulty is quite sane. His brain is
several pitches above normal ans
his nerves are like hot taut wires
that hum like the devil. II this
were not the case he would not he
an imaginative writer at all. But
he certainly. Is in no condition to
reveal himself to q woman. I have
made wild and sporadic love to you
sporadic is the word. for be-
tween my work and your friends.
we have had little time together
and don't think I have ever taken
you in my arms with the feeling
that you were the woman I loved.
not merely the woman I desired.
And l believe that I love you even
more than I2desire you. You are
all that. but 80 much-so much
more"
She had fixed her startled eyes
| on him. but he did not turn his
head. ~
There has always been = 10. e
talk about the soul. Sentiments
lists wallow in the word, and -,
lists deride It. What It really g. I
do not pretend to know. Probab'v
as good q word as any-and "s'
tainly q very mellifuous word -
for some obscure chemical combi-
nation of finer essence than tr~
obvious material part Of us, that
| Graves a foretaste Of Immortality
while we are still mortal. Perhaps
we are descended from the gods
after all, and unless We listen
when they whisper in this unex.
plorable part Of our being, We md
only q miserable substitute for
happiness, and love turns to hate.
Whatever it IL that golden essence
demands, I have found It in you.
and. II circumstances had been diff
ferent should have known It long
ago."
! (To BE Continued