The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-10-13
THE BISMARCK TRIBUNE
T8On'e? MQE:oi,rQo,f
., RUBY II AIRES y SSs,!:Esa,

there was family iridcsccnt Ii Eht
as if somewhere behind the clouds Il
moon was shining. and when Nan
looked at him Peters face locke"
gray in the ttric light Of it.
''rvc so much to SAY to YOU, he
began incohcrcntly. II don't knox
where to begin ! feel lee!
as if I've walked through the world
blndfoldcd for the past weeks an"
that today-only today someone has
torn the bandages from my eyes.
He stopped udicnly-hc stood be
fore her.
at was not play-acting, Nan" he
said hoarscly. 81 swear il never
speak again that it was not
He was shaking all over; his voice
was wrung with agitation.
Nan could not speak -uncon-
sciously she put out her hand and
caught at Peter to steady herself,
and the next moment she was IN ms
arms.
He held her to his heart rs i lie
could never let her go. lie SpoNc
foolish. incohcrcnt words Of love. 10
which she listened like one III Il
dream. And all the time she kcpt
telling herself that. that was all 1t
was Il dream dream; that Shc
must keep her head, or sh" would die
when the bitter awakening came.
Presently, with an effort. she
wrenched herself free.
"Oh, don't, rlcase-please."
They were close to the stllc that
led into the wood now. Nan leaned
her arms on the top bar and laid
. her head down on them with II
dreadful feeling of faintncss, and
for a long moment neither of them
spoke.
'..If raise my head. or look up. I
shall find that he isn't there at all,
she was telling herself Icspairingly
imagining. Oh, how shall | bear it!'
And then she felt his hand on hers
| felt the close pressure Of his fin
gers and heard him speaking to her.
"You don't believe me. Nan.
| know and you've got to! I've got to
make YOU | don't know how to be
gin i don't know what to say It's
its as if I've been through Il long
| illness. I'm so ashamed, but it hasn't
been my fault. Oh, l beg Of you to
believe me-"
81 know know" She spoke
brcathlcssly. She hated that note Of
pain in his voice, but as yet she
| could do but little to help him.
at takes some forgetting" She
! said in a stiflcd voice. ~ will try
oh, will--but YOU don't know how
! hard it's been. | thought ]
should have died"
81 could Kill myself with shame -
! with rcmorsc. Nan, you know how
] loved YOU. . We were to
| have been married when came
| home He let her hand go sud
| denly and forced her to turn to him.
| The pale moonlight shone full on
! her face with its tortured eyes. and
with Il little stiflcd exclamation
! Peter put his hand over them, as if
| he could not bear to see their pain.
| He remembered her as 50 brave and
! plucky-why even at the very last
moment when they said goodby be-
! fore he went to France she had
smiled at him with her little crooked
smile though her eyes had been
drowned in tears.
Then all at once the tears came to
| Nan with overwhelming relief, wash
ing the last trace of bitterness and
hardncss from her heart.
| Peter kept his arms around her
tightly; he did not speak, but from
time to time he kissed her hair and
the little bit of face which was all
he could see. and the slim trembling
hand that clutchcd the lapel of his
coat as if even now she was afraid
to let him 30.
He had never known Nan to break
down like this before. and it cut him
| to the heart. She was always so
CHEEKY and bravc-~it told him only
too surely what she had suffered.
(TO BE Continued