The Coolidge examiner., 1932-04-22


ture.
what does Julia think about it?"
he asked.
Il haven't told her yet" Edward
admitted. 81 shall tonight of
course, now it's settled"
"YOu mean you haven't told her
anything, not even about the in
yestmentT"
Edward shook his head. II don't
suppose you can understand why 1
didn't. You see, things have
been ="
Bert didn't let him founder into
that. "Oh, l guess l can under
stand" he interrupted. But I've
got hunch that she'll surprise you
as much as you surprise her.
Julia's a darned good sport. If it
strikes her as a sporting PROPOSE
toni mean, If you put it up to her
that way. See what / mean?'
Edward said he did, but this was
not at the time quite true. He
thought about it after they'd part
ed. 1t had seemed strange to hear
Julia described by that phrase, but
he guessed she deserved 1t. Bert
hadn't spoken idly, anyhow. He
wanted Julia given a chance to see
the adventure as her husband saw
it.
he had to wait, pretending TO
read, until Edith went to bed, and
when the time finally came and he
forced himself to say aloud the
words, 1--WE got a surprise for you,
julia" he had already said them to
himself so often that they sounded
queer.
He told her the whole story, and,
his hopes warming into a blaze as
the smoldering fire did, he gave her
a chance to see something, he
thought, of his vision, thing that
might come true. He didn't turn
back to her until he'd finished. She
hadn't put in a word, but, though
he'd felt nothing hostile in the
silence, he wasn't surprised to see
her eyes were full of tears.
"Of course" he said, you were
entitled to be told about 1t before
everything was decided, but some
how l couldn't bring myself to tell
anyone. l told Bert today, but
that wasn't till after I'd got the
letter from the company accepting
my resignation. 1t was a thing |
thought had to decide for myself.
/ don't, altogether, understand 1t
myself-why 1 felt that way.
mean-so l doubt If | can make you
understand at ALL"
"But l can understand It," she
told him. "I've driven you to it,
Ned! That's why you did it."
He answered automatically, Not
at ALL" ard then broke off short
In his denial. "Oh, it's true in
way" he conceded after a reflec-
tive pause. IF we'd been happy
as we used to be. If there'd
been anything much to lose, l sup
pose I'd have held back. But what
really drove me to it was my Job
with the insurance company. That's
been poisoning me for years. I've
been a failure, Julia. You've seen
that yourself. A safe, industrious
failure. Well, we aren't safe any
more. l believe the thing will sue
ceed, but l don't think Bert does.
Even Mariner doesn't pretend it's
sure thing"
He got up from his chair and
came toward her. 1--WE haven't
thrown away our safety for moth
ing, though" he said. That's what
I want you to see. We've got some
sort Of hope in exchange for it."
"Well. we needed It," she told him.
She rose too and came to meet him.
Awkwardly and with a visible effort
she put her arms around his neck.
Here's hoping" she said, and
kissed him.
His heart leaped up, and sank
again, in the very instant that their
lips met. What he had momen-
tarily hoped from that kiss was not
there. She hadn't said what he
had wildly believed she was going
to say. Almost imperceptibly she
had withdrawn.
Her arms were still around his
neck. Upon that knife-edge of pos
sibility he might have pulled her
close again and kissed her once
more, and in that wordless appeal
he might have packed everything
he wanted. 1t was at the bidding
of something quicker than thought
that he let her go instead, and
turned away.
He wouldn't ask for anything
that wasn't offered. When he had
succeeded, justified his adventure,
perhaps she'd come to him.
CHAPTER w