Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1925-02-26
CHAPTER m-consiaasd

l
Monte Carlo"
do you mean,- MYRTLE aske,
calmly, "when he came TO your room II
the Hotel de Paris. after the suppe
partyT
Gerald was completely taken aback
She had turned and was looking a
him with her large. serious eyes. Sh,
was deliberately forcing upon him IN.
memory Of an episode which he haC
blurred over In his mind.
II wasn't thinking Of that alto
gether." he replied. with q certain
rare awkwardness. "All the same
~AII the same. what. pleaseT she In
sisted. after a moments pause. a
should like you to finish your sen
tence."
"Well. from old Chris point Of view,
he was doing the chIvalrous thing. and
all that" Gerald explained clumsliy.
HE must have thought. of course. that
was going to be perfect brute"
Were you not9" she asked
He was amazed at her GOODNESS She,
whose purity seemed rather to increase
with her larger knowledge Of the
world, seemed to be forcing him TO
speak Of those very ugly moments.
Il am afraid that can't say what
would have happened" he admitted
II was very much attracted by you,
and you hadn't the faintest Idea what
II all meant. SO. you see. you do owe
him a very great debt Of gratitude
MYRTLE"
II do not think so" she replied.
Gerald was more startled than ever
Her deliberate speech seemed to bring
to him almost challenge.
you are about the only person In
the world who would say that" he
observed.
"Perhaps so" she admitted Per
haps. too. I am the only one who Is In
position to know"
Gerald was poIgnantly interested.
he looked down at her face. calm and
serious. There was no added color In
her cheeks. no sign OF any confusion
"You mean that you are sorry that
Christopher lnterfered? That you
would have risked my forgetting-ail
that I ought TO have remembered"
II am sorry that Christopher inter.
Fered," she said distinctly. "At that
moment loved you. and did not
know that It was wicked for me to love
you. If afterward you had got tired
Of me, as you would have done. then l
should have killed myself when ! un.
derstood. But SHOULD have been
happy first"
But aren't yea happy nowT" he
ssked
Il am very contented." she an
,wered. "and am very. very grateful
/ think that no one in the world has
ever received such wonderful kind
hess as ! have But happiness It seems
70 me. is thing apart II is great
md a wonderful and rare gift I
10 not think that very many people |
possess It, although they think they
10. / should have possessed It. for
however short a time. II Christopher |
lad not interfered.v
Gerald was staggered. II seemed TO |
Tim that this girl. walking so sedately
y his side, had suddenly become his !
nonitress was trying TO explain to
i'm, as though be were a pupil. great
nd elemental things.
MYRTLE he declared. you surprise
ne very much. I never dreamed that
on would feel like that. Surprising.
hen were to say to you Come away
rom here with me tomorrow: come
ID to London and be my companion
here'T'
"You could not do that" she said
imply. you could not offer me 80
erribIe and so ugly an insult. Surely
on understand that then / did not
now that you did not love me?"
"T see" he murmured.
Il loved YOU" she went on. her eyes
fled a little TO the interlacing bOughs
I the trees under which they were
assing. when you came like a prince
} the gate where stood shaking with
.rror. and laughed at my fears.
wed you when you pointed TO the end
I the road and promised 10 take me
lere. / loved you In those first few
Ioments. and Just as 1t seemed to me
zen that had loved you before was
orn, 90 / know that shall love you
her de That IL Just the kind OF
lsdom which even children have
here WAS simple and ignorant was .
at 1 DID not understand that love .
,uld be one-sided. thought thar love
slonged to two people. Now / know I
~ differently" I
'AfyFtiie-- be began. (
She checked him graveiy. I
To-day" she continued. ''there IL {
ore for me to say than for you, be- q
use am rather glad that you should 4
iderstand. Only you must not tEik (
me about Christopher am very Z
rry, but ! think that he Ia foolish. Z
was 3 peasant child and ! knew
thing But q wise. clever man like Z
lrissops8er should understand. II
ems 20 me absurd thai be should d
Ink II possible that ! might love him. o
Il SO absurd that I DO not believe e