The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-03-20
CHAPTER v-Continued

Selma opened MeBride's grammar
"Ahemi" school-teacherly cough.
"Now, then, we'll parse this sentence:
Butcher arrived on the field of Water
loo just as Wellington was receiving
the last onslaught Of Napoleon. Just
may be treated as a modifier of the de-
pendent clause. That is: Just means:
at the time at which. Well. Just here
modifies at the time. And Wellington
is the :. :"
This for half an hour. Selma kept
her eyes resolutely on the book. Els
voice went on with the dry business Of
parsing and its deep resonance struck
a response from her as a harp re-
spends when hand is swept over its
strings. Selma kept her eyes reso-
lutely on the book. Yet she saw, as
though her eyes rested on them, his
large, strong hands. On the backs of
them was fine golden down that
deepened at his wrists Heavier and
darker at the wrists. She found her
self praying a little for strengthen
strength against this horror and wick
edness. This sin, this abomination
that held her. A terrible, stark and
pitiful prayer. ,couched in the idiom of
the Bible.
''Oh, God, keep my eyes and my
thoughts away from him. Away from
his hands. Let me keep my eyes and
my thoughts away from the golden
hairs on his wrists. Let me not think
of his wrists. e'The owner of the
southwest quarter sells strip 20 rods
wide along the south side Of his farm.
How much does he receive at $3.50 per
acre?"
He triumphed in this transaction,
began the struggle with the square
root of 576. Square roots agonized
him. She washed the slate clean with
her little sponge He was leaning
close in his effort to comprehend the
fiend,sh little figures that marched so
tractably under Selina's mastery PEN
ell.
She took it up, glibly. 'The remain
der must contain twice the product of
the tens by the units plus the square
of the units" He blinked.
She was breathing rather fast. The
fire in. the kitchen stove snapped and
cracked. Now, then. suppose you do
that for me. Wen wipe 1t out. There
What must the remainder contain?"
He took IT. up. slowly, haltingly.
The house was terribly still except for
the mans voice. The remainder |.
| twice j. (. product -. tens !.
units !" A something in his voice
"a note-a timbre. She felt herself
swaying queerly, as though. the whole
house were gently rocking. Little de-
llcious agonizing shivers chased each
other, hot and cold, up her arms, down
her legs. over her spine. -. "plus
| the square of the units Is the same as
| the sum twice the tens twice
the tens !. the tens" His
voice stopped
Selina's eyes leaped from the book
| to his hands, uncontrollably. Some
thing about them startled her. They
were clenched fists. Her eyes now
leaped from those clenched fists to the
| face of the man beside her. Her head
| came UP, and back. Her wide, startled
eyes met his. His were blaze Of
binding blue in his tanned face. Some
corner of her mind that was still work
ing clearly noted this. Then his hands
unclenched. The blue blaze scorched
her, enveloped her. Her cheek knew
the harsh, cool feel Of mans cheek
She sensed the potent. terrifying.
pungent odor Of close contact-a mix
ture of tobacco smoke, his hair. fresh
ly Numbered linen. an indef1nable
body smell. 1t was mingling that
disguised and attracted her. She was
at once repealed and drawn. Then she
felt his lips on hers and her own, in
credibly, responding eagerly, wholly to
| that pressure.