The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-10-25
Chapter B
THE LETTER

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 THE LETTER CAROLINE interrupted Jim witb - a frightened, Stay here?"
 Why not? You said Mrs. Ledger >nly came once week. If she was lere yesterday, that gives me five clear days. If 1 can't remember things by then, shall send for Robert and put myself in his hands" :" He stopped in the middle of the loor. And now you must go."
 Caroline got up.
 Have you got enough blankets? Are they aired?"
 He laughed-a real laugh this time.
 "Who do thinks been airing my bedclothes for the last seven yoars?'
 q don't know" said Caroline. And you needn't laugh--its nice of me to want you to have dry blan- kets. Don't you think so?"
 She came up close and stood on tiptoe. putting up her face
 Goodnight = darling ungrateful Jimn
 He said, .s
 "rm not ungrateful."
 In the middle of the snort sen tence his voice changed. He would have stepped back, but she held him with hand on either arm.
 Perhaps you'll be grateful when you see what a nice supper I've brought you. bought the things in town. Goodnight"
 She kissed him as if it were seven years aSo, and she child and he her all but brother. But all of sud- den her heart beat quick and hard. When she had kissed Jim last her heart had not beaten like this. She stepped back, too confused and troubled by her own feelings to be aware of his. She wanted to be out of the room and out of the house.
 She went to the door and opened it. The dark passage lay before her. She stepped out into it with her thoughts still in great confusion. Why should it make her feel like this to touch Jim's cheek with her lips? She had always kissed him. What was there to make this kiss any different iron. all the other kisses?
 His rigid silence escaped her. She was scarcely aware that he had taken up the candle and was follow ing. They walked along the corri- dor and down the stair without a spoken word. Words unspoken cla- mored in them both.
 He walked with her down the dark drive and through the sleep ing village. At the cottage gate he broke the long silence.
 You mustn't come again.
 q must" said Caroline.
 'No, you mustn't"
 q shall come tomorrow" said Caroline, and was gone before he could answer.
 THE first mail in the morning l brought a proposal in due form from Robert Arbuthnot. Patsy Ann glowed and blushed over it as if 1t had been the most ardent of love letters. She read it aloud in snatch es, with agitated and enthusiastic comments. It concluded:
 I have, for some time, been con- sidering the question of matrimony. hope you. know me well enough to be sure that I should give such a subject the most serious consid- eration before taking what I re- gard as an irrevocable step. From the tenor of your conversation yes- terday gather that you would not consider distant degree of rela- tionship, such as exists between yourself and me, as an insuperable bar to marriage. May therefore ask whether you could entertain the idea of accepting me as your husband?
 Patsy broke of and dabbed her eyes.
 "He makes it sound so solemn doesn't he? think it's a wonderful letter. Don't you?
 Patsy dabbed her eyes again.
 T don't know how to answer 1t. l can't write beautiful letter like that"
 T shouldn't try" said Caroline. That's Roberts sort of letter. You write your own sort, and perhaps he'll sit down at the other end and wonder how you did it."
 Do you think so? Do you thin could just say that he's made nlc very happy-would that do?"
 Beautifully" said Caroline.
 As she said it, the telephcrs began to ring. A scarlet ! caught up the receiver.