San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-01-23
Sandy Makes Up Her Mind
to Meet Situation and
End Problem.
CHAPTER 50


in cold, monotonous tones. She went
back and repeated, sparing nothing.
Once he said roughly: Il don't
want to hear this. And ] don't be-
lieve you."
And once she thought he cried.
you suppose 1 left in a nice,
quiet way, going straight to San
Jose and getting job? l didn't. 1
ran out of the house one midnight,
like crazy person. We quarreled.
/ tainted him. He lost control Of
himself. He raised his fist and
struck me in the face :"
When she said this, he touched
her arm. She looked up to see his
eyes dark and glowering. He
blinked and said in harsh humble
that sounded greatly like crying
you say he struck you? The
damned beast struck you!"
$50 l tore the door open and went
flying down the steps. l went with
out hat or coat, and l hadn't a
cent.
"But / didn't 90 alone. l went
with this man who loved me {.
He took me TO a cottage of his near
Monterey. He did everything for
me So in the end, ! was
everything to him. Now you know
it all"
why did you tell me this, San
dy?"
$50 that you would no longer love
me-
you don't want me to stop low
ing you"
Il do. At least, a part Of me
does"
She took her hat off and now sat
forward. the hair falling over her
face. She thought / can't
look at him: I'll never look into his
glorious eyes again al want
you to turn from me because / can
only hurt you"
"It's year since you've seen
him."
"A year-Almost that long since
I've heard from him."
"Do you care for him as you care
for me!" ..--.-
an the beginning you thought you
did?"
She was silent. He repeated.
bresthless: you did? You thought
you cared for him in the beginning?'
Not as / care for you &.
not at all as I care for you. This is
diffcrent-different and utterly new.
Like nothing in the world 1 ever
felt before. There were never
things singing and blazing in me
because OF anyone else's look. i
never lay awake in the night think
ing how sweet it would be to die
that you might know how much l
care. And never sat with an
other longing and longing for him
to kiss me Because you IRE
the only one-the only one I've ever
loved :"
He stopped and tried to see her
face.
But she went on evenly: 81 should
have waited for you. l didn't. I've
made mess of my life. I'm not
weeping about it. I'm not asking
anyone to overlook things I've done.
Not even you, Douglas. What ] am,
] am. can't escape that. Don't
think I'm confessing TO you. Or apol-
ogizing. I'm not asking for pardon.
And I'm not expecting you to under
stand.
"Tm telling you this to cure you
Of your feeling for me. I'm not only
hopeless, but undesirable. I'm sorry
that we part so wretchedly. I'm sorry
TO have spoiled your faith-I suppose
| should have told you sooner. But /
cared for you from the first hour. So
it was even then too late"
She raised her eyes, expecting to find
his stony and cold. Steeled for this.
But they were flushed. And she saw
that he hadn't listened to these last
sentences of hers; that his thought
dweIt on her MS she sat before him,
pale and seraph-like, the mist in her
bright hair.
She saw this because Of the husky
way he repeated: Things singing and
blazing in you because of me, Sandy ?
You lie awake wishing to die-FOR
ME. You love me so?"
Don't, Douglas-don't kiss me
now. -
Wont l." ...
~No--you don't know what you're
doing. Listen"
IL don't want to know. You can't
cure me. won't be cured. If you sit
here wishing to be kissed, then kiss
me- -. |, too long"
All that she said were but words
dim phantoms. Here, before him, was
the sweet, appealing beauty that he
wanted and loved. Here were her
hands. soft and flexible as child's.
Here were her deep, Swallowed eyes.
They filled now, and she pushed
from him: Don't you Understand"
"That you ran out. in the night
without hat or coat? That someone