The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-06-30
co ON WITH THE STORY
FROM HERE:
ChanfAP a..

today, Isabel" ~
Mrs. Mcneil, propped by the pill
lows, the soft gray hair in damp
ringlets about her temples, kept her
eyes closed. Tears squeezed from
under the lids.
"sandy-you think-I'm getting
better?"
ooh. you are! You'll be cooking
the turkey again THANKSGIVING"
Lean down. II l." The kind.
soft lips twitched. Now the tears
ran ran quickly nr "If ct oetter-y0u'
Her eyes wide open now, lurking
with terror, pleading. Sandy tried
hard to meet them. She thought:
"she's dying! She knows it. She's
afraid of it,"
you'll keep it,"
Her mothers eyes were pulling
her. These wide open, frightened eyes
had hold of her like, hands. ayes
I'll keep it,
IAN" IAN, i'll gc' Sandy"
"!ll keep il.
Isabel smiled. Sandy turned her
head quickly, swallowed. She felt
choked
She felt that hands rose in the
gathering darkness. They rose
with flat, open palms and pressed
agains. he:.
She touched her fingers against
her blouse. A telegram was hidden
there. 1t had come ten minutes ago.
Not opened yet. She hadn't dared
to open it. From Ramon. She waited
for Alice's coming waited
choking and cold--stifling with sus-
pensc.
| Outside at last. Stealing through
the Notwithstanding OH the bench
tearing softly at the yellow en-
velope.
i In the morning she had wired:
"Did you write me-? When and
what: S. NJ"
Here was the answer: Eyes.
Sent you a sketch of the Pail at
midnight done by friend. No mes
sage except title Where heaven meets
earth
4 That was all. No signature. None
of the wild words of love she had
dreaded. Murillo had been cheated.
She leaned back exhausted and un.
tmerved.
! She leaned back watching the sun.
lset sky. She felt her mothers hands
I-u0f WOLUET eyes III CJIUt IuOuCus
OF fright and pleading.
were Ramon's, filled with yearnine
and anguish as he lifted her from
the water as she lay in his
arms, floating down q sea Of flowers.
And they were his eyes tho night
Ikhe clasped her hands about his
neck, drew his face to hers, kissed
him.
: Tier mind recreated the scene
made her warm and restless. And
suddenly ready to cry with loneli-
ness
Her mind recreated the moment
ltook her out on the ship under the
lstarless sky. The warmth of his
clasp, the sweetness of their breaths
mingling.
! She took . leaf from the vine
, Beautiful 'leaves, changing color
now. dappled with scarlet and silver
Winter coming-the touch Of win
Ter in the breeze. Sandy let the
, leaf drop from her fingers.
il She said to herself roughly, an.
noyed at the warmth and restless.
ness: II promised. It's all settled
now"
But she went to a stationery store
on the way home. She bought q
ktablet and pencil, scribbling a note
'aRamon-Don't write TO me again
PLEASE. NY mother is i'll. Dont
/ send another letter to my home.
wish we were back on the islands
A hundred years from now may
see you again down there. Summer
is over now. The grapeyines are al
in autumn dress. Thanks for the
picture" y
She folded this page with reluc
tant slowness. She remembered hi
quiet when he said: ~ love you
I'm not going to forgt you. This II
love, Sandy. / know"
She folded 1T slowly, thinking:
Hell write anyway" She wsntet
him to write anyway. W,
Murillo's plate-ths lock on the mai
box. Even Judith's letters would
be openedl
Standing in the little store. thu
tablet resting on the counter, Sand!
turned this thought over and over
Even Judith might no longer writ
to her!
The image Of the torn envelope
sharpened. He was going to opel
all her letters. Ne wanted her Il
know he was doing this
Would he. though! She decide'
swiftly. She went out holly
flushed to the. eyes. She went to tn
postoffice and rented box. Sh
said to herself: "Ill drop Jude
line and tell her." .
Her thought answered.: "You'r'
not doing it for Judith. Don't XII
yourself"
She pretended. not ts hear.
She walked down. to the water
. out on the pier. Aayear and .. hal
since those April nights when Timm
had whispered with such boyis
fervor: Gee, Sandy, love you SO!
Dear Jimmy, SO sweet and so younl
But Sandy was not young now. Sh
felt old and hard-shoved away thos
dear, happy, careless things.
A yacht swayed on the gloom
waters. The waters looked SO col
and so dark. This was the wa
Sandy felt. Her mother Thouehf
that was right. She should feel quie
and c0ld-Always.
She heard herself repeating:
promise. Yes, I'll keep it." Boun
to this whether isabel lived or diet
It made her shudder to keep RI
peating this. It made her breath
less with hot. speechfsss revolt. Sh
wouldn't keep the promise. Yes. sh
would! No! Il wouldn't be kepti
And she suddenly pictured hersel
and Ramon standing together ON til
lpier; Ramon's brown sinewy hard