The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-07-23
"SANDY'
BY s.i
ELENORE
MEHERIN

no credit for refusing. Oh, Lord!
But you blame me Just the same
Jude! / didn't want this to happen
! cant help it that nc thinks yo,
like HAL"
Il know 1t, Sandy. You cant hcl
being YOU" Judith laughed. 9TH
very way you lower your eyes is
taunt. You can no more hello thu
than your breath. Didn't / ten yO
SO? And why should / care thu
Douglas delights in you! He's al
ways liked pretty girls. He Away
but you think I've interfere
with your friendship"
Judith put her coat on u hanpc,
brushed the fur collar: She shoe
her head. IF you can interfere wit
our friendship after all these years
Sandy. then it wasn't worth an aw
full lot. When he needs me, he'll
call again. He always does"
But there was now strain be
tween Judith and Sandy. Sandy n,
longer put her arm about Judith,
waist to fall asleep with her sof
cheek Struggled on Judith's shout
der. And they no longer talked f.,
into the night.
Now, when Judith watched San.
dy's dream-laden eyes it was ne
'longer with a thrill of tribute-bu
with q stab 0f psin to think: "Hov
can he help but care for her? VIVA,
will it do to him."
In these moments judith coule
have run to him, piniOncd him will
her arms. pleaded that he stop
pleaded that he reckon. "I'm coins
Wild she would think. "lt's onl,
merry filtration WHY
One night Judith went to the Ii
brary. Her sisters and her mothc,
were at movie. Sandy pleaded thai
she had letters to write.
At 8 o'clock Judith walked slow.
ly up Fulton street. Before her on,
there above the trees Of Alamo Parl
was the moon. Often they had
walked toward it. Tonight it was
the new moon--"thc young moon
with the old moon in her lap." q
delicate silver cradle. swinging the
pale old mother to sleep. Sh, &c.
numbered the night in May just be.
fore Sandy came. And they stood
in the gloomlbound circle Of tree
hearing the bird notes trill and the
Star flv goldenly across the sky
She thought he had almost told her
thcn-almost said:
"Ah. Judith--how l love you!"
lie would never say this now
ncrhaps.
She smiled. rccailing q thing Sandy
said. 1t was this: "1'd just as lief
die. Jude. as hurt you! Believe il
or not. but | would. I'm not going
out any more. I'll avoid him
wont look at him."
Judith said: Nothing would hurt
me more than that. Sandy"
"But that's what I'm going to do
its the right thing."
Judith reached the house, found
that she had left her keys on. the
dresser.
She went around the back way,
hoping the screen door would be un-
latched.
At the bottom Of the stairs she
halted. almost fainting.
Against the hydrangeas she saw
him standing-Douglas. And Sandy
twined in his arms. They gave a
soft. joyous laugh. His head lowe red
seeking her lips.
Chapter 50
They looked into each Others
Young. glowing eyes. Swiftly Sandy :
closed. overwhelmed with q sudden,
stabbing ccstacy. He loved her. The
sweetness Of all his clean, bonny
life was hers.
Lightly she stole to that room Of
Judith's. She closed the door, lean
ing against it, her face hidden. She
laughed in q soft, piercing way. He
loved her!
She stood in this flame-lit hour,
all the past Of her life oblite ra ted,
telling herself with that half-sobbing
laugh: "Hc loves me-"
Judith stumbled against the coal.
bin, Strengthened herself with q lit
tie gasp: "Oh-the coal bin She
smiled to tho throbbinr shadows Of
the dark. musty basement, whisper
ing in vague. gentle way: II know
now. Now know She saw the
quick, glad sweep of his arms en-
folding Sandy.
. She sat on the edge Of the bin
and wiped the moisture from her
forehead.
After q long. long space came that
persistent. pathetic thing that is
hope in valiant soul. Hope came
to Judith, whispering: Because you
never saw him kiss q girl before, you
imagine this is different. Because
Sandy lives with you and it all goes
on before your eyes, you fancy it
love of q life. WHY
should it be? How could he be SO
blind ?"
All those other episodes Of his -
She now got up quietly. surprised to
find her knees weak. her hands
and shaking. She might say
again and again: Its not different
Just q filtration" A cruel intui.
ton told her that he whom she loved
these four years with all the pas
sionate idealism Of her girlhood; he
in whose eyes dwelt all of beauty
and aA of romance, was now pass
ing from her.
One unforgettable day in Noyem.
Der. the last filamcnt of Judith's
hope vanished. It was the day Of
the Big Game. For three Years
Douglas had taken her. In the weeks
this seraphic event they
talked football necessarily. had on
their fingertips the qualifications Of
the players and the points that gave
California the edge to win. They
were almost hysterical as though
the burden Of victory or defeat
rested on their individual shoulders,
This year the four Of them were
going together.
Sandy was beside herself with Ella
ton. She came home with bolts Of
blue and gold ribbon and four tiny