Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-07-21

He began to think Of lots OF things
that proved she had not been as In
different to him In those old boarding
house days as she had pretended
Even before the money came, Polly
Johnston, the man-hater, had soft
spot for one man-Claude Dabbs. All
unconsciously she had let him see
that. Claude had wondered afterward
II 1t was not conscious use OF her
new-found power. He began to be-
lieve that 1t was not entirely by acct
dent that she had made him come to
her for the money, instead Of having
the lawyer pay him. He had never,
until then, guessed that the girl liked
him-that way. But now she told him
more than she meant, or knew, and
when she realized this, she pulled
herself up and began telling him that
the lawyer had arranged for her to
go to France She would go as q
young widow, to people who would
help her; let her see everything and
do everything she wanted to do.
He remembered how the other,
younger~Claude, after listening to her
silently for awhile, had blurted out:
"When are you coming backf
"Neverl"
"How about met" the young Claude
had asked, and realized as he said it
that it was a fools question.
And the girl had laughed.
ooh, after tonight you won't count"
She had dared to say 1t, actually
dared to look him in the eyes and
say it.
"Is that so?" the boy had snapped,
and he had never been angrier in his
life. Rebellion seethed within him.
And yet, he remembered, he had not
hated her.
after tonight, eh1 Well, the nights
still young"
Something in the way he said that,
struck through her laughing guard.
Her expression changed. She began
to look ever 80 little-what was it
frightened?
"It's getting late. I think you'd
better CO."
Its my last night" he had an
swered, without moving. "Why cut 1t
short?"
Then she had moved to the door,
swiftly, and held it open. He rose
to his feet somehow and moved with
her. He could not have told exactly
why, but there was dangerous feel
ing growing up inside him. Yet, now
that he understood his younger self,
Claude Dabbs felt If the girl had not
looked so scared, the feeling would
not have grown as fast, nor been so
dangerous. If she had laughed at
him, he would have been ashamed.
If she had trusted him he would have
been compelled to be worthy Of her
trust. But she saw, and feared, the
flood tide of feelings she had DELHI
erately evoked and something in her
must have answered his passion. She
was deadly afraid Of that-as well as
Of him.
II want you to 60 now" she had
said, hard, cold and staring. IF you
don't, I'll call down to the ONCE"
He had faced her and shut the door,
and now he was sure he hated her.
go on" he had said grimly. Call
'em up at the Office. What you going
to tell emf That I'm not your hus-
bandr"
She shook her head. He could see
her face, puzzled, bewildered, fright
ened.
THAT I. am your husband, and you
don't care about having me 'round"
She still stared at him, her mouth
open In an odd, babyish way that,
angry as he was, he remembered he
had thought pretty.
It'll make your stay in this house
short, If you start row like that"
She sprung to the door, but Claude
was. there before her. Their hands
met on the handle, and somehow, at
his touch, she had given up, and
swayed against him. Claude felt a
little shiver run through his strong
body now at the remembrance of how
it had finished" him, too, but not in
the way either of them dreamed.
He was beyond reasoning or thought
then. He was entirely given up to
feeling. He put his arm about her
waist and held her closely to him as
he turned the key in the door.
"You can have the key" he had
whispered, in a queer, husky voice,
when you call down to the Office and
say that the man in your room isn't
your husband, and you want to get rid
of him."
She had looked at him, given a
queer little sound, and hidden her face
against his shoulders.