White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-06-09
CHAPTER VII-Continued

said that. He didn't hate her. He
loved her. He wanted her, desperate
ly. It was that want that had been
goading him.
His mind seemed to slip. The path
he'd been following had disappeared.
He was lost. He didn't know what
he'd been saying.
head" he said. IL thought was
all right when l began. l don't know
what I've been trying to do. But l
don't hate you. You're wrong about
that"
He couldn't bear the way she was
enlightened by sudden surmise. His
voice had given him away His words
hadn't surrendered, but his voice had.
Again he covered his face with his
hands. She left her chair and came
around the table to him. At the con-
tact with her body, as she laid her
hand upon his shoulder and seated
herself upon the arm of his chair, he
went limp.
ut doesn't matter" she said. "The
things we've been saying to each other.
I understand, l guess. You've been
having such a terrible time. l haven't
known till now quite how hard it was,
or that I had been making it harder.
I want to help all I can, Ned-every
way can. If-if you want to come
back to the old way-I mean, if that
will help-you can"
ooh Cdr" he cried.
With astonishing violence he thrust
back his chair and wrenched himself
free from her hands She had to cling
to him to save herself from fall. He
backed away and stood glaring at her.
For the first time in his life, he saw
red. She might have been an assassin
who had tried to slip knife into his
back.
Another noble act of self-sa crifice!
II she'd betrayed him into accepting
that She hadn't got him this
time, though.
She stood staring at him in the ut
most bewilderment He didn't know
She turned and left the room. He
heard her going up the stairs. He had
an impulse to follow her; there was
still lot that he'd left unsaid, but
he doubted II he could say it. He
didn't believe he could speak at ALL
He put on his hat and overcoat and
went out. 1t struck him, vaguely, as
strange to find himself doing anything
as commonplace and respectable as
that. He had no objective whatever;
he just walked fast. 1t was quite auto
matte that he took his daily route to
of going back to town. Not even the
train, pulling in, suggested that idea
to him.
But the train itself seemed a desir-
able thing to catch, perhaps merely
because it would require desperate
run to make it. He began running as
hard as he could, faster than he would
have thought he could possibly run.
He flew up the station steps three at
a time, raced down the platform and
swung himself aboard the last car.
There was a satisfaction in his agony
Of breathlessness, in the numbness of
his legs and the furious beating of his
heart.
He didn't know what he was going
in town for. 1t must be far along in
the afternoon too late to find anybody
he wanted to see. He looked at his
watch. It showed half past one, and
he thought it must have stopped. 1t
was running, and when he asked the
conductor, who came through to punch
his ticket, what time it was, he found
his watch was right. His quarrel with
Julia, which seemed as If it had lasted
hours, had been only matter of
minutes.
He didn't know what he'd said to
her. He couldn't feel sure that it
had made sense. 1t didn't matter.
What he had done was plain enough;
he had escaped her trap. She'd have
no more emotional joy-rides at the ex-
pense Of his delinquencies, pecuniary
or other.
He'd get the money from somewhere.
It wouldn't be from mortgaging the
house. and it wouldn't be by borrow
ing it from Bert Willard, either. He'd
get 1t out of Jake German, somehow.
Jake was his predestined prey. He
didn't know what he'd say to Jake 1t
was no good trying to think things
out in advance. anyhow. He'd find
him, and then he'd get him. That was
the program.
At the outset, he encountered check
that would have been final with him
in a normal mood. Jake wasn't at his
office and his smart, rather knowing
secretary seemed surprised that Ed
ward had come there looking for him.
"He didn't make an appointment
with you did hep she asked. Most
men get sort Of nutty on their we'd
ding day, and he certainly isn't any
exception. He was in for while this
morning"
ard forgotten it was today" Edward