The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-22


other womenAthey will always be
after you, of course. l was heart
sick about Miss Tracy, because
knew she was selfish woman,
and l was afraid you'd find it out
too late, and be wrecked. At least,
l told myself that was i'll sup
pose the truth is was just green
with jealousy"
"Why, Rachel; You mean that
you love me?"
AS if any woman could help low
ing you! The question is, do you
love me?"
II do-yes, trulyl"
"But Bunny" there was a lit
tie catch in her voice. "You don't
show i'll"
So then he realized that he had
been wasting lot of time! He had
to take only one more step, and
put his arms about her, and there
she was, sobbing on his shoulder,
as if her heart would break. ooh,
Bunny, Bunnyl Can l believe it,"
So to make her believe it, he be-
gan to kiss her. She had been such
a sedate and proper little lady, such
a manager in the office and all
that, he had been in awe of her;
but now he made the discovery that
she was exactly like the other wo-
men who had been in love with
him; as soon as she was sure that
she might let herself go, that it
was not some blunder, or some
crazy dream-why, there she was,
clinging to him in sort of daze
of happiness, half laughing, half
weeping. AS he kissed her, there
was mingled in his emotion the
memory of how brave she had been,
and how loyal, and how honest;
yes, it was worth while making a
girl like that happy! To mingle
love with those other emotions, that
appeared to be safe! And she was
Just as passionate as either Eunice
or Wee had been, not particle
more sedate or reticent! "Oh,
Bunny, / love you so! / love you
sol" She whispered it in the dark
ness, and her embraces said more
than her words.
Dear Rachel" he said, with
happy little laugh. eff you feel
that way, let's go find preacher
or justice of the peace"
She answered, Foolish Bunny!
| want to know that you love me,
and that I'm free to love you. What
do l care about preachers or JUS
tices?"
So then he caught her tighter,
and their lips met in long kiss.
If she tried to voice any more
doubts, he would stop the sounds,
he would find a way to convince
her! And what better place for
their love than this mysterious
grove, the scene of their future la
bors? Yes, they would have to
buy this ranch now, regardless of
soil deficienciesl 1t would be a
haunted place; in after years,
while the young folks had their
games ard pageants i'll this grove,
Bunny and Rachel would ook On
VITA secret thrill. Had it not
been in ancient oak-groves that
mystic rites had been celebrated,
and pledges. made, and holy powers
invoked!
III
They found the justice of the
peace next morning; and then they
finished the inspection of the
ranch, and drove back to Angel
City and made arrangements for
first payment on the purchase
price. After which they had the
thrills of telling all their friends
about having got married-strictly
in the interest of the college, of
course, and to avoid scandals in the
bourgeois press.
Bunny went to see Ruth, and tell
her; and strange to say, this en-
barrassed him. BERTHE and Wee had
planted in his mind the idea that
Ruth had been in love with him for
the past ten years; and now Rachel
was certain of it; and these women
had all proved to be right about
each other every time! Also, there
was a fact which he had not men
toned to Rachel; there had been a
while on the way back from Paris,
when he was debating in his mind
whether it was Rachel or Ruth he
was going to invite to become his
wifel He had deep affection for
Ruth. the same still quiet feeling
that she herself manifested. But
the trouble was, there was Paul.
Ruth was bound by steel chains to
her brother-and that meant the
Communist movement, and so Bun
ny had to wrestle over that problem
some more.
Sooner or later you had to decide,
and take your place with one party
or the other. Were you going to
overthrow capitalism by the ballot
or by "direct action? This much
had become clear to Bunny--the
final decision rested with the capt.
to1ief olacc Thar rx,n~o ..oAks....