Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-02-23
ne could not find breath to answer

ne could not find breath to answer
her.
"Can we," she asked scarcely above
a whisper, stalk this here thing out,
Mr.. Creighton?"
"What's there to say? l want youi
You surely want me I'll amply re-
ward you"
"You mean-buy me?"
"Of course not-any more than
you'll buy me. We want each other,
Nicely! I'll reward you for the risk
you take-reward you we'll"
"Do you mean you'll give me
money!"
"A pile of it-that you can put
away for your marriage"
Nicely started-this was an amaz-
ing world that was being revealed to
some men would go, how ruthless they
could be, in degrading girl.
"FOr my marriage" she breathed
Zach, Mr. Creighton. didn't know
you thought that low-down of me"
Before the look of utter dismay that
felt, to his own bewiIderment, a mo.
mentary embarrassment. Was she
going to be sentimental and scrupu-
lous? That would make things much
too difficult-he had certainly not an
ticipated having to wrestle with
| scruples!
81 don't think 1ow-down' Of you,
Nicely. We love each other"
"Love? But I'd think, Mr. Crefgh-
ton, that If man loved girl he'd
purtect her, not hurt her!'
"But love never hurt anyone. Meelyl
1t enriches and blesses-because IT
gives ecstasy! Ecstasy. Meely!'
"Supposin' you had a sister-wOuld
you go ahead and tell her to take such
blessing and riches and ecstasy as
you're offerin' me? Would you?"
He ignored this ridiculous question.
"Meely, love should be as free and
natural to us as breathing this au-
tumn air! It's a glorious adven-
ture-"
"But If it's that-'a glorious adven-
ture'-why make it sneakin', ugly
bargain that you gotta hide and be
ashamed of all your life?'
"Ashamed2 Look at those birds
and all the other wild, free thingsi
Are they ashamed3 Then why should
we be ashamed when we're only yield
ing to our natures that God gave US
He found himself reasoning with
her just as though he believed she
were seriously putting up all these
| objections!
Eyes, well, but the birds mate" she
| answered, land live in nest and
hatch young ones. That's what love
is-a home and children, living and
working together and bringing up
children. Nothing else is good enough
for me, Mr.. Creighton, thank you!"
"Oh, Nicely, you don't realize "a
free, spontaneous love like ours can
be so much more beautiful than the
deadly dull, stale marriage relation!"
"'Beautiful'! Sneakin' and hidin'
for fear We'll be found out land goin'
against the Nature you talk about
| for it's goin' against Nature when you
darsen't have a child. And you call
that love! That amt love, Mr..
| Creighton. It's-well, what would you
call it? l don't know what you'd
call it,"
eff all you see in love Ga lovely
| young creature like YOU'D is child
bearing!"
"But that's what loves for, amt
| tiff it's Nature you're plaguin' me
| to follow. And you offerin' me money
| yet for my marriage! AS if even q
common man would marry me if he
| knowed | was a loose woman! Even
workin' man, Mr. Creighton, wants
his kids mother to, be good woman! I"
"But there's no right or wrong in
love. Meely-love is so divinely above
those superstitions! Love is"
81 amt thinkin'." she broke in, $50
much about whether it's right or
wrong. It's whether it's good sense
for girl to give herself to a man
that thinks she amt good enough to
marry him! What's it worth to a
girl?"
Its worth a moment of the keen
est happiness mortalS can know! Dr.
vine happiness! Isn't that enough?"
"Divine'? thought that there
word meant somepin else-I thought
it belonged to Jesus"
"a divine moment, Nicely, such as
few ever know in the stereotyped
marriage relation, my girl, believe
mew
'It amt that I expec' you to marry
me, Mr.. CreightOn-I know l can't rise
to that But if I can't rise to that,
can't fall to nothin' else between
you and me, neither!''