The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-06-10

you with all my neart and soul
| Love you so much that / don't see
| how / could love you more
| And / want your love just as much as
you want mine. I've longed for
it, just as you have. And I'm
yours. Wholly. Absolutely
! yours. Dear, believe it; because
| it is the truth. :" AT that his arms
were round her again, and reality was
once more sent spinning into
| space.
"Jim," she sighed, presently, Il think
| I'm the happiest girl alive :"
IF conquest is the height of wom-
ans happiness, you ought to be-" he
answered, still holding her close, as
| if he were afraid to let her go. For
never was there a man more abjectly
beaten by a woman than / am beaten
| by you.
And right at the very height of this
wonderful new happiness of hers, she
had a sudden feeling of chill fear.
THAT is a. queer way to put
it, JIM" she said, not quite steadily.
is it being beaten to win what you
want? To get the love you have been
| longing for?'
''Being beaten" he answered slowly,
lis finding that you are weaker than
the force you have been fighting, and
surrendering to it. Giving up
the fight. s. Owning up that you
| can't stand against it any longer. :.
That is being beaten, Lucy. -"
She tried TO draw away; the little
fear in her eyes now But he held
her fast and would not let her move.
"And that is what has happened to
| you?" she said, after a moment.
YES" he said, with a short laugh.
THAT is what has happened to me-"
and, Jim do you want to
stand against it any longer? Against
love? Against me?"
He pulled her strongly to him.
There's only one thing / want at
| the moment" he answered, with an
| other laugh. "And that's-you."
She was silent for some time, recover
ing from that, and realizing that he
had said something from which she
| needed to recover
.'Jim!'' she said at last, the name
cry.
| Don't question. #. +. Don't think,
-. Take the love that's burning me
up, and give me yours. :" he said.
| his lips touching hers. But she
| strained away from him, the fear beat
| ing all through her now; her newly
won paradise already shimmering
away into cold, remote distances. :.
"Jim," she faltered. as it love that
are asking me to give you in return?
| Is it, Jfm?"
what dc you think?" he countered.
ASK yourself, Jim. And tell me the
| truth. Is it love p She
was pulling away from him, but he
still held her tight.
Cant you see that I'm mad with
love for you?"
"Yes." she said slowly, note Of
tears in her voice. "But, Jim, there
is difference between madness
and love. :"
/
| coolly? Do you think / can love you
and not be mad for you? What are
| you asking of me, Lucy?" he said,
| with touch Of violence. She raised
her blue eyes to his. very straightly,
and he saw the fear that was in them
| now.
NO" she said, bravely. 81 do not
ask that of you, nor anything else
| that is impossible in the love between
man and woman, and Jim, I do not
want it. But there is differ
ence between love with madness. and
madness without love. There is
difference, Jim, and you know
| it. :"
Don't play with me, Lucy. /
| can't stand it. :" he said. warn
| ingly. whatever my emotion for you
| is, it is something that is stronger
| than myself. And anything that
| is stronger thar oneself is dangerous.
| Dangerous, Lucy. Do you under
stand?" The words fell from his lips
| harshly, and the arms that held her
| quivered with the intensity of their
| own strength.
Let me go. JIM" she said, in
| queer, low tone.
He crushed her closer yet.
NO" he said, without compromise.
She did not struggle against him;
she just remained passive in his arms
and said again:
"Jim. lot me CO."
There was a moments hesitation
this time before he spoke. Then he
said:
"Why? When more than anything
in the world, 1 want to hold you in my
arms?"
Because I've got to think And |
cannot think with your arms around
me-" sh. answered.
"And l do not want you to
think ~ he retorted. 81 want
you only to love me. -
She sent up a silent little prayer
for wisdom; for the power to think
clearly and to do what was best;
above all for the strength to with
stand the drugging sweetness of his
nearness, the heaven that lay within
the circle of his arms, the ecstasy of
his kisses. -.
.Let me CO. she said, third time
There was a moment when she was
crushed so close that she could scarce
ly breathe. Then she was thrust vio-
lently from him, and he was crying
out:
"D-n It'll You beat me alwaysl