Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1926-07-10

dark pathway to meet Peter.
nan. :"
She, felt rather than saw that his
arms went out to her. and she shiv.
cred away with little movement
OF fear
whisper.
She turned away from him to.
wards the gate.
LET US go QUIT can't breathe"
she said with a sort OF wildness. He
walked beside her silently tilt they
were out m the road.
Everything was very stu here
there was q family iridescent light
az II somewhere behind the clouds a
moon wan shining. and when Nan
looked at him Peters face looked
gray In the eerie light OF It.
tive 20 much to say to you." he
began incoherently. II don't know
where to begin feel-I feel
as II I've walked through the world
baindfolded for the past weeks and
that today-only today someone has
torn the bandage from my eyes. :"
He stopped suddenly-he stood be-
fore her.
1T wes not play acting. Man," he
said hoersely. II swear IL I never
speak again that It was not"
He was shaking all over: his voice
was wruns with agitation.
Nan could not speak-uncon-
eciously she put out her hand ana
caught at Peter to steady herself,
and the next moment she was in his
arms.
He held her to his heart as IL he
could never let her go. He spoke
foolish. incoherent words Of love, to
which she listened like one in a
dream. And all the time she kept
telling herself that that was ell 1t
was--a dream-a dream: that she
must keep her head. or she would die
when the bitter awakening came.
Presently. with an effort. she
| wrenched herself free.
"Oh, don't. please-please."
They were close to the stile that
led into the wood now. Nan leaned
her arms on the top bar and laid
her head down on them with q
dreadful feeling OF faintness, and
for long moment neither Of them
| spoke
IF I raise my head. or look up, I
shall find that ne isn't there at alI."
| she was telling herself despairingly.
! Il know that it's only what I've been
imagining. Oh. how shall I bear itv'
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 don't know what to say--it's
Its as IL I've been through q long
illness. I'm so ashamed. but 1t hasn't
been my fault. Oh. beg Of you to
believe me.
| II know-I know" She spoke
breathlessly. She hated that note of
pain In his voice. but as yet she
could do but little to help him.
] 1T takes some forgetting" she
said In a stified voice. II will try
oh. I will-but you don't know how
hard It's been. thought ]
should have died"
az could kill myself with shame
with remorse. Nan. you know how
loved you We were TO
have been married when I came
| hSHhS' kto tcS SicE manu- 20 Su0.
denly and forced her to turn to
him. The pale moonlight shone full
on her face with its tortured eyes,
and with little stified exclamation
Peter put his hand over them. as IL
he could not bear to see their pain.
He remembered her as 80 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
hardness from her heart.
Peter kept his arms round 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 clUtched the lapel Of his
ceat as II even now she was afraid
to let him 60.
He had never known Nan to break
down like this before. and Il cut him
to the heart. She was always 80
-s,st and brave--it told him only
too surely what she had sufrers::.
u Ito BE Continuedl