The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-10-08
icI1 Wentworth

open the door.
 An impatience of her silence gave him a touch of bravado.
 i've come to ratify the apology. Aren't you going to open the door?"
 She said 'No."-or he thought that she said, -'No." Afterwards he wondered whether her silence had said it for him.
 Wont you open the door and take the letters?"
 Nan had wept until she could weep no more. Those scalding tears seemed to have washed ev- away, like a flood that obliterated all landmarks and leaves behind it an even desolatiop. There had been a moment when she could have killed Jervis for that light kiss The hot rage was gone. There had been moment when she could have flung herself into his arms, and that too, was gone. There remained grey, desolate loneliness, and she was very tired.
 She was not sure whether she had spoken when Jervis asked her to open the door. Bran pressed close to her in the dark, and when his warmth touched her she knew +1,o+ e,ba urac pn1I
 Her silence and the darkness touched Jervis with a vague ap- prehension. He had come into the room without switching on the light. The window stood open wide, and uncurtained, and there came from them faint, dusky half light in which the accustomed fur nishings of the room took on a strange effect. The sky beyond the windows was pale with the rising moon.
 All at once the strangeness was in his own thoughts. He had for an instant the sense that all this had happened before-in a dream in some strange place He and Nan, with darkness between them; and Nan weeping in the darkness. It touched deep unknown spring and released a rush of some emo- ton which rose in him and then ebbed again.
 The whole thing passed between one breath and the next. It left him with the feeling that he had just walked up and did not quite know where he was. He said in a changed voice:
 Are you all right?"
 And tihis time he heard her say "Yes," and he heard Bran push against the door.
 Nan strengthened herself a lit- tie. They could not stand here like this. It would be better to open the door and take her let ters-only she couldn't do it. If she opened the door he would know that she had been crying No-he had no light in the room. there was not the faintest thread at the foot of the door.
 Why were they standing, like this in the dark, with the door between them? She leaned up against the cold panel, and very faintly her lonely desolation felt the stir of a desire that he should speak, that he should go on speak ing; because when she heard his voice she did not feel quite so dreadfully alone.
 His voice came to her through the panel.
 What is the matter?"
 She drew a breath that returned in a sigh.
 Nothing"
 You've been crying"
 'sNo."
 Then won't you open the door?"
 A little warmth crept up in her. She had tried for such a long time. It would be nice to make friends. She was very tired. She put up her hand and slipped back the bolt, and at once, she was afraid.
 The door opened into Jervis' room AS he turned the handle, Bran threw all his weight against it and plunged joyfully through the opening. mouthing Jervis and butti1fg him with his head. Nan coudr see him huge and black against the three pale windows on the far side of the room. She could see Jervis too, tall and dark. Bran ran back to her, whin- ing.
 She stood quite still where she was and Jervis took step for ward and stretched out his hand with the letters in 1t. He did not cross the threshold and when she had taken the letters he stepped back. Then he said in a con- strained voice.
 I've read them. I'm sorry for what I said. I'd no business tc say it." 1ot