The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-04-07
SANDY A..s srhs ss acn MIekh'r'

against awaking; close her mind
against the thoughts of the night
keep 1t closed.
But there they were-waiting at
the bed like wet, clammy garments
one is forced to resume.
At 10 o'clock a special delivery
letter came from Ramon. Page
after page, pleading and tempestu-
Gus.
You must see me. Sandy-you
won't refuse this? Listen.did 1
make any prctensions to you? Did
L make myself out anything but
what 1 am? From all the things
I've told you, you've surely known
the kind Of life I've lived. Why,
then, does this incident seem so
unforgivable? Why does it make me
a person to be Stunned?
+, I've told you, in a way, some
| episodes similar to this one. You
| never seemed to take these things
much to heart or to consider them
very criminal.
Why, now, are you so despond-
ent? 1t was CHASTITY. I appreciate
this. Not for worlds would l have
had it happen. But it has. Are
you going to hold it against me?
Il can't believe this. l won't be-
lieve it Sandy, I don't dare to believe
it! For the simple reason that my
life is now without purpose or mean
ing except in you
IT cant cnange the past for you,
though l gladly would No one
knows how gladly I'd wipe out every
thought except the ones of you.
wish I'd never looked at any girl. I
have. There have been many. But
you knew this. You surely knew it.
They have all passed. Most of them
are completely forgotten. Only
once did I love-love really. I was
10 then. She died. There was no
other till you came. There can be
no other now.
Surely you don't mean to end it?
You spoke so. You were distracted.
Isn't this so?
Come and ride with me when
you receive this. I'll be waiting
you know where. Come. I won't be
able to stand it If you turn from
me now.
How L loved you when you came
to me that night-how 1 love you
now. And if you had not kissed me
last night-but you did-and you'll
GOMEZ"
A cold oppression fell upon her.
She whispered to herself in a ter
ror: II can't get away-Lord-I
can't can't"
They drove through the valley
Bright, sunny day with roses climb
ing to every roof and the Towering
sage looking so brilliant, bushes of
purple fire.
The laughter that had first at
tracted her in Ramon's face was
gone. 1t was set and imploring,
though he kept turning to her and
smiling
They stopped on a hill with the
valley unrolling so graciously about
them.
you don't forgive me, Sandy? 1t
was a clumsy, ugly thing to happen
And in some way you think I should
have foreseen it-avoided it,"
"No-I don't thing that. But ev-
erything is terrible, Ramon. All this
concealment and sneaking-the NOR
tai terror Of being seen. 1t shames
us"
We've not been seen. Is that
all, Sandy? Then you care for me
as you did?"
She couldn't answer this. She
wanted to say: Let me go, Ramon
we can't go on like this-let it be
ended She looked at his pleading
face end grew mute. She couldn't
say tbs. She would never be able
to say it.
do you care for me? Oh, say
that you do!' And he asked this
many times.
And finally she answered: ooh,
of course 1 care. don't let US be
so tragic about things. :"
He caught her hands, laughing:
IF you care-that's enough"
She was defeated. .burdened and
defeated.
And he didn't insist when she re-
fused to go again to the cottage.
+.
When she was alone she turned
on herself wildly: "Why didn't 1
tell the truth. Oh, Lord-now-
now"
And she decided that the next
time she would gently speak-make
him see.
But the next time-and the next
time he wooed her as before, weak
ening her with the sad violence of
his love. She didn't go again to the
cottage.
Yet she repeated: st care-of
course I caree-but I can't go on like
this-I don't want to go on. go" and