Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1925-07-21
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-hpcBeat1ice Burton olsss-
III

"Dickw she said. And there was
note of relief and sudden happi-
ness in her voice.
"Come down and open the door,"
he said.
Without stopping to put on her
kimono or slippers, Gloria ran across
the room and down through the
darkened house where the moonlight
lay in patches here and there on the
walls and floor.
She unlocked the door and pat
tered out onto the porch. She stood
there in the mingled radiance of the
distant moon and street lamp just
III front of the house. Some
passing neighbors stopped to stare
as she threw herself into Dicks
arms. But neither she nor Dick saw
them. For they in that moment
were oblivious to all the world &.
except themselves. Dicks arms
drew her up. He bent his head and
kissed her as if he never would let
her go again.
Then. abruptly he freed her.
II thought you never were going
to kiss me again." Gloria said
breathlessly. ''You said you never
would you know"
"We say a lot of things we don't
mean in this world" Dicks voice an
swered her. He put his arm around
her and drew her into the dark
house.
His hand CROPPED for the lights.
Under their glare Gloria saw that
his eyes were almost black in his
haggard face. There were lines
there that the last weeks had writ
ten indelibly.
1--WE do lot Of things we don't
mean to do, too" Gloria faltered.
Life seems to carry us along like
bubbles along wave. Dick,
I've done lot Of things haven't
meant to do. 49,. :"
Dick made a gesture of finality.
"Well, there's no use talking about
It now" he said. Spilled milk, you
know. :"
He went into the living room.
Gloria followed him. "Have you
come home for good?" She was half
afraid to ask him that.
And in an agony of uncertainty
she watched him fill his pipe :.
waiting TREMENDOUSLY for his answer.
Slowly, as things seem to happen
in a dream, she saw him strike a
match, blow out its flame and lay II
in the ash tray beside him.
'sWeH," he said finally, cts this
way, you see. This is the only place
in the world where l feel at home,
somehow or other =. and l {.
can't get used to being without
gou."
Gloria laughed bitterly. "Tm a
habit of yours that you can't
break is that it," she asked.
1.-THE most deadly dull of all things
-. a habit?"
Dick shook his head. "No," he
said, st strikes deeper than that,
Glory. You're my woman. There
are lot of men who can love a
score of women in their time, but
I'm not one of them. I'm the kind
of a fool who can never care for
more than one woman, suppose"
"And am / that one woman for
you?" Gloria asked. Her eyes were
wide and eager. care you sure?"
Dick looked at her. His mouth
frightened as he took her into the
hard ring of his arms "You are
he answered, and his voice was thick
and tense.
Gloria leaned back in his arms
and looked at him. "Then | won't
be jealous of Susan Briggs any more
and I'll stop heckling you about
ler," she said.
Dick waited a moment before he
answered. Owe an idea that Susan
Briggs stopped working for me to,
night" he said then abruptly. 81
don't know what makes me think
so, but / do, somehow"
Gloria laughed. "She'll be right
there when you get to the office to
morrow morning, just,as usualw she
cried. "Unless she knows you've
come back to mel"
''I think she does know it." Dick
voice was grave, "but don't worr!
about her. You know / never cared
about Susan Briggs, don't your" HI