The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-02-10


the danger of her threat-their hill
top, though isolated, being not too
distant for scream to be heard from
the valley below.
Painting, baffied, he dropped his
arms from about her, his face distort-
ed with a mingled resentment and an
anguish of hungry yearning. But he
clutched her skirt lest she get up
and run away. She only moved. how
ever, a few inches from him on the
log, her whole body trembling. her
face deathly white.
eff you touch me, I'll scream r. she
gasped
He could not find breath to answer
her.
"Can we," she asked scarcely above
a whisper. stalk this here thing out.
Mr.. Creighton?' VA
"What's there to say? want you!
You surely want me I'll amply re-
ward you"
"YOu mean-buy mel"
@Of course not--any more than
you'll buy me- We want each other,
Meelyl 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
; her! She had not dreamed how far
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 mer'
Before the look of utter dismay that
had come into her face, he actually
felt, to his own bewilderment, a mo-
mentary embarrassment. Was she
going to be sentimental and scrupu-
lous? That would make things much
too difiicult-he had certainly not an
ticipated having to wrestle with
scruples
II don't think 1ow-down' of you,
Nicely. We love each other"
"Love? But I'd think, Mr.. Creigh-
ton, that if man loved girl he'd
purtect her, not hurt her!"
"But love never hurt anyone, Nicely!
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 your"
He ignored this ridiculous question.
"Meely, love should be as free and
natural to us as breathing this au-
tumn airl It's a glorious adyen-
ture-"
"But if it's that-'a glorious adven-
ture'-why make 1t sneakin', ugly
bargain that you gotta hide and be
ashamed Of all your life?''
Ashamed? Look at those birds
and all the other wild, free things!
Are they ashamed? Then why should
we be ashamed when we're only yield
ing to our natures that God gave U.S.
He found himself reasoning with.
her just as though he believed she
were seriously putting up ali these
objections
"Yes, well, but the birds mate" she
answered, land live In a nest and
hatch young ones. That's what love
lis-a home and children, living and
working together and bringing up
children. Nothing else is good enough
for me, Mr.. Creighton, thank you!''
I, "Oh, Nicely, you don't realize Ia
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!-and 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? don't know what you'd
call it!'
IF all you see in love "a 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 marriagel AS if even d
common man would marry me If he
knowed was loose woman! Even
a workin' man. Mr.. Creighton, wants
his kids mother to be good woman ~
"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 a girl to give herself to man
that thinks she amt good enough to
marry him! What's it worth to
girl?"
(To BE CONTINUED,