Evening star., 1925-10-25

!
We'll, OF all things, for Sidney
| Hinckcl-''
| And every old crouch in town
| that doesn't get along with his wife"
| VIII interrupted, has looked me up
and told me solemnly that | was
doing something I'd have q lifetime
to regret. The first one or two /
tried to battle with, told 'em all
women weren't alike, you know. But
they'd just get grouchier and say,
HIM, That's the way | used to talk.
| Well, If you won't listen, you won't.
| ButHthere1l come a time and then
just remember that | warned you
| We had come to the bad place where
! they're mending the Nerblen road and
| Will stopped talking, paying all his
| attention to the driving. l sat silent,
too. feeling suddenly very queer and
| uneasy. VIII, of course, had told mo
all this as n joke. 1t was plain to be
seen that he didn't take it seriously.
Not now. But suppose he should
| begin to,
That was the thought that sud
denly struck me with a dull, sickening
thud. / knew only too well how ad-
vice, If you heard the same piece
right along, began after a while to
affect you. The people who are hap
! PLY married don't talk so much about
| il. They just say, Fine, Congratu-
! lations, William and let it go at
that. 1t is the other ones that do
all the talking.
| Suppose VIII should. little by little,
| hearing SO much OF this talk, begin
| to think that maybe there was some
thing III it. That maybe it would be
| Il good idea to walt Il few years till
/ he had a lot Of money saved up. Or
| sup.ose-.he might, in time, even get
| to thinking that IT might be safer
| not To get married at all,
can never describe the strange
way that made me feet. My first
| thought. of course. was what a ter
rible position that would place me in
With my engagement all announced,
people giving me guest towels and
| chafing dish aprons and everything
| for my hope chest. How Montrose
| would talk. 1t made me feel hot and
red just to think of it.
THEN suddenly l stopped thinking
about gossip and aprons and guest
| towels. The idea of not marrying
| VIII. not what anybody else in the
world would say or think. but just the
| idea OF not marrying VIII ever
| came to me.
! For a moment l could hardly
| breathe It was such q, bleak feeling.
| 1t was a queer combination, like being
/ homesick and scared to death, all at
/ the same time.
! | leaned toward Will and put my
cheek up against the rough sleeve of
/ his coat He couldn't take his eyes
off the road and he didn't say any
| thing. Just the rough of the tweed
| against my face seemed the dearest
! thing in Che world. and the idea Of
/ losing VIII. Of not having him always
( right there. liking me the best of
ANYTHING i'll the World-it was as
/ though the Icy wind We're blowing
/ somewhere way inside Of me. it was
! like being sick all alone in a strange
hospital with nurses you We're afraid
/ of. ! felt aChy in the throat as
though l just had to cry and vet
| couldn't.
Suddenly we got past the bad place
| in the road: there We're no machines
| in sight, and VIII slowed down the
! car and put his arm around me.
| "Oh. WIFI l said. My voice
| caught in a funny, hoarse way.
| Little DOLL
! His arm was so tight and strong
around me. l pressed my face close
| against the rough OF his coat. 1t
was early twilight and one of the
| houses on the hill had a warm
| honey. yellow light shining out
| through the bare trees.
Don't YOU wish we We're all mar
! r!ed now?" Will asked softly. and
! going to our own house,
M hum" I wished it more than
anything in the world.
! VIII didn't say anything more. anc
we rode along for Il little while II
! silence. Some kinds of silences are
/ queer. as though something way III
! side Of YOU both were talking to eacf
! other and could hear better II you
| didn't make any noise with your voice
| Then suddenly, as though he had fell
| that strange. silent conversation too
! Will said:
Lets do it. Doll Let's get mar
| ried this afternoon
| This a-afternoon"
/ Please, Come on, Doll. pleast
'NVe couldn't" l said weakly. 'Yol
I have to have license and every
| thing"
! IF we turned back right now We
! could get To VerbIen before the court
! house closes. Its open till 8. oh
! let
"Oh, l couldn't. Our fathers ant
! mothers
! Even while ! was SaNlfS II / hltN
! that mother wouldn't really care. She
t had hardly got over kathie's wedding
/ and simply dreaded going through
! with the work and worry Of another
! As for WINS father and mother
/ they were always boasting of how
! they had eloped themselves when Mr.
! Horton had to borrow the money tC
! pay the minister. These thoughts
! went running through my head, hui
! they didn't really count. While
I was actually saying that I couldn'r
I do it. that ] wouldn't do 1t, l knew
! all the time that I was going 10.
Will stopped the car and kissed me
| That and the little yellow light wink
| ing through the trees settled it.
| "All right" L said. 'I will
| "Honestly?"
| Will could hardly believe me--but
! he started to turn the car around
! right off so that l wouldn't change
! my mind.
1t was showing hard now and the
| wind blew cold and raw against our
| faces as we raced along the pike
! back toward Nerblen. There We're
more little yellow lights twinklinS out
| in the gray twilight. | scarcely saw
! them, nor felt the wind. l. Dot Aid
| rich, was on my way to be married.
| * !; = X
| TT was 10 minutes of when We
| slowed up at the courthouse. II
, all seems like dream, getting into
! the wrong office and being expected Il
take a dog license. racing along the
/! hall toward the marriage bureau. the
| funny little clerk with the side whisk
| ers, asking us how old we were, were
| We residents of the State, and so on
| The man with the whiskers filled
! out the license and handed it to VIII
| Now where" Will asked him
| can we find the nearest minister?