San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-11

What do you want me to do? l
asked.
"The right thing" Nicholas Perry
said. raising himself in the bed 70
which Tarasov and BERTHE Lingard
had carried him. II want you to get
jeanne to do the right thing. Women
are so changeable. They are SO easily
tricked. We liked each other from the
first. You know that. You know how
it was with us. / didn't know she was
married at first. / thought she was
Miss Harrison Then she came and
told me so shyly and sweetly that she
was Mrs. Dalton. Bit by bit / learned
to know her. I got her to reveal her
soul to me. Sweet, proud. reserved
Jeanie, 1 suppose she has never been
able to do that before! No one ever
made that possible for her until i
came"
"ITl 90 call her." I said in a panic
of misery and fear and self reproacl.
Nicholas Perry let himself fall back
among the covers. 1t was evident that
even il his hands were not frozen, his
state was one Of pitiful exhaustion.
Whether or not he was forever to be
kept from his beloved painting, i
couldn't guess. But that for the pres
ent he was an invalid marooned by tie
snow and the cold in the impromptu
hospital into which ] had been com
PEELED to convert the Birches was evil
dent.
''But I don't want to see her yet,
he said. Il want Lingard or Tarasoy
to shave me first" ISL, III
'Tarasoy has gone for the doctor"
I reminded him. "I'll call Lingard."
Not yet. please" said Nicholas
Perry imperatively. Il want you to
give me your word first that you'll
have il out with Jeanie--that you'll
not fail me now. ] need an ambas-
sador. It's so-dramatic. i can't 90
through the scene that's actually re-
auired by the situation. / waht you
to take the brunt OF it. Make ner
see
Il will" 1 said. "I'll talk to her.
But i can't presume to advise her.
I'll lust tell her how you feel. And
I'll send Mr.. Lingard up with some
of Jim's razor blades. You've right
to-the best setting we can give you
But / wish you'd wait. I'd like you to
see the doctor first. I'd like to talk II
all over with Jim. You might feel So
different"
Not in a million years." said Mich
olas Perry. "Jeanie will see that.
tell you we understood each other
did from the first. She'll see it II She
wants to. What the doctor says doesn't
matter. Ny hands don't matter. Ar
lette would give up her voice itself to
be hands to me. jeanne must see II
sauarely. She owes that to all OF US
TO every one concerned. She mustn't
lie to herself. She must see where she
is needed"
Eyes. yes" cried, sadly. beginning
to be more and more convinced. I'll
go tell her. ] know she'll want to DC
what's right. However she feels, shell
want to do tie right thing. II she has
to suffer a bit she can't help seeing
| that's fair. too. in view of all"
"Of all I may have to pay, ehT
asked Nicholas Perry.
"Of all you risked for her, was what
1 had intended saying" 1 corrected:
AT least it wouldn't be fair fol
me to have to pretend" Mr.. Perry
said quietly. ct seems to me tina,
would be a bit too much to ask.
can't pretend. / can't hide my rea
feelings. I've tried to play up like
| gentleman. But I've gone on as iohs
as / could. Now I've got to quit pre-
tending. She'll forgive me for that
ayes" / said, gently. Jeanne viii
! forgive you for that. She won't ex
pect you to hide your feelings nov
| when you're trying so hard 10 be
good sport about"
ABOUT something vastly more i'm
/ portant." Nicholas Perry said.
For a moment ! thought he wal
speaking with grim resignation. Ther
suddenly i knew that he was ironical
Iy putting my thoughts into words.
felt the implied criticism and j asket
gently:
do you feel that it's horrid Of M
to be more concerned about your fu
ture as n painter than about your fu
ture-with Jeanne"
"Say it again."
Nicholas Perry sat up ini bed an'