The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-01-25
CHAPTER vIll-Continued.

nor did She until they heard the flo
of the swing door into the kitchen.
Then she turned and faced him, ar
he moved a step toward her-an
stopped. Something the same loo
was In her face that he had seen ju:
after he had kissed her, the look ths
had made him think Of Beatrice; nc
a wonlan's look at ala child's.
was troubled now, and desperatel
resolute. Her pose was not woman'
either; IT was-a schoolgirls. Ii
saw her lips were trembling and fel
q lump come into his throat
81 must say it quickly" she begar
and then for a matter of second
stood silent. 1T was true, what yol
said in the car that day. 1t was al
true. That's why 1t made me so angry
didn't know it till you said 1t. That
that's one of the things l had t.
tell you. l didn't think I'd ever d,
Ii, but / haven't been sleeping very
well. And none of the things l tried
TO get 1t out of my head. were any
good So l thought If told you
You see why, don't you? l mean. you
understand it isn't"
Eyes, / understand" he told her
hastily. This was quite untrue. In
the revulsion of feeling that had swept
over him he was bewildered. The
thing to do, he admonished himself,
was to remember every word she said
so that he could think out her incred-
ible meaning afterward. They wouldn't
have much more time now. Henry
might be coming back any minute.
II wish you'd sit down." he said, and
after she had obeyed him, in a sort of
entranced docility, he added "If
there's anything you want me to
do"
There isn't" she interrupted with
a gasp; mot a thing It's just"
She broke off ths and clasped her
hands tight in hd|lap. between her
knees. There's something else
want you to know. I've never told
John what really happened that day.
But 1 didn't tell him-what you must
have thought l did. l said it wasn't
anything. l gave him my word 1t
wasn't. I just wanted him to let me
alone and not ask questions. But of
course he thought"
'Yes. Of course" Joe assented at
random. That's all right"
He was horribly angry" she per-
sisted. II don't know whether he is |
yet or not. He doesn't act that way |
any more, but perhaps that's just be- |
cause he doesn't want me to-worry
about it."
"Well, that's all right" A CLEAN of
smile broke through on the words. |
you don't need to worry about me,
anyhow. III look out for myself.
have been. all along, for that matter"
She nodded. II couldn't bear to have
you think. IL anything did happen,
that l was the one who-started 1t.
knew what you'd think of me. When
you'd really been the one who-saved
ne. 1 didn't suppose men did chival-
-ous things like that. That's what it
vas. Because IT wouldn't have
meant anything-much to you"
sits all right" he repeated The
poor phrase seemed to be all he could
ay his tongue to. After a moments
struggle. not with embarrassment, but
With the mere stiffness of his mind,
ie added. There's nothing more for
'ou to worry about You can forget S
III about IT," I
She smiled in rueful dissent to that,
md he met 1t with a smile of his own. G
1t last he had something to say. &
That was a surprising word you used 4
-chiyalrous. l don't believe 1t was {
yer hooked on to me before. I've [
ever been what you could call a I
'alahad-" e
II know" she broke in. There was &
spark of animation in her tone now. I
he was no longer frozen. 81 heard
II about that before ever knew you.
always thought you must be one of c
ne-horridest people, that way, l had I
yer known. l suppose that's why o
artly why-it got me when you acted S
he way you did in the car" b
81 can't see" Joe said, that there Il
as anything much to that. 1t was a 81
ring we couldn't play out, and l II
hid so. Maybe If l hadn't had good CO
eal of-experience, l wouldn't have n
zen that we couldn't play it out"
When she spoke again, at the end p'
short silence, her manner had to
iffened, so that once more il was as pl
she were trying to recite something m
suppose l must have been one of a
e most ignorant people in the world
didn't think l could tell you this. "N
mt believe It's thing you'll be able w
believe. But it's true, and It's the
Ily real excuse l have. l thought sh
knew lot, as much as most people, ha
It didn't. | knew-nothing at all. ga
was all new--that day. AS if I'd in
yer been married-or anything. You wi
MT believe that-can your" m'
81 knew it then" ne said, not look
3 at her as he spoke. "That was "h
lat pulled me up, gave me time TO lie
Ink" He added a moment later, at jul
isn't what we wanted-either Of tai
BE had a strange sensation that this he
Il remark of his went falling, fall Pc
for LONG Time 1fEa dfc1o1rxo1