The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-11-11

/ ME Howard getting married."
She spoke very fast, in . small,
high-pitched voice.
He didn't answer at first. She
had to ask him again. ibid you
hear about it, Curtis?"
1T was smeared all over the pa
pers, could hardly help it. Won
der who the Greedy person is? He
must have just come from the North
Pole, or the Fiji Islands if he didn't
know any more about her than
that"
The idea amused him. He grinned.
"Or maybe he's a half wit. Or deaf
and dumb-and blind!"
"You mean," her voice was very
low, q thread Of pain, chat no one
would have married her who knew :"
"Joan-will you let Connie How
ard alone?" There was real exas-
peration in his voice. "I'm getting
tired Of 1t. Oh, Johnnie dear
forgive me- didn't mean to speak
to you like that. After al, to
give Connie credit, she wouldn't try
to sneak it through. She's not that
sort!"
He stroked her >soft hair. peni.
tent. He had spoken irritabfy to
Joan.
Forgive met"
She nodded her head. Through
her tightly closed eyes the hot tears
trickled slowly, wetting his hand.
"Why am I such : coward? Why
didn't I tell before why didn't
/? When there was time. :"
Johnnie, dear, I didn't mean to
hurt you. It's the darn delay-get-
ting on my nerves. Please forgive
me-"
Curtis asking her to forgive him.
s. Curtis whom she was going to
MORALLY hurt. He shouldn't
have asked her, it made it harder.
This was no time to cry, she strug-
gled desperately to hold them back,
the tears that surged within her, .
hurting choking torrent, binding
her, shaking her. ;. "Connie wasn't
that sort ). she wouldn't have
cheated he had said that J. .
"Cur "a. I oan's tell you-1 cant
- CAN'T" Already she could ses
his face, his stricken, terrible face.
Gould feel his agony, his heart.
break, his drawing back from her
in loathing and disgust. She
put up her hands to shut il out. the
thing she was going to see when she
had done. But she could not
shut it out. nor stop the tearing,
broken sobs. The tears streamed
through her fingers, she could not
stop them now. they were stronger
And through It al, through the
tears that blinded her, and the sobs
that shook her she could hear his
grooming. Don't, dear don't,
dear ;. poor little grit" Curtis
still loving her. Curtis whose love
she was about to kill. Curtis want.
ing to comfort her, for whom there
was no comfort, for whom there
would never Be comfort again. .
When the tears had stopped, o.
everything must stop ct last, her
face was swollen and distorted. The
handkerchief he had given her was
= wet ball in her hands.
She brushed the disheveled hair
from her eyes. "I'm sorry" she
said, in almost her natural voice.
= had to cry, because It S the end
Of eyerything. I couldn't help II,
but I've stopped now. I won't cry
any more. I'll just tell you. and
VII Jon please know when I'm tell
Ing You that I didn't mean to cheat?
Il seems funny now. but I
"Joan-what arc you saying!
The end Of everything-because /
|-because-Joan-sUkdt r. IT,
She let him take her linn cold
hands. and went On Is If she had
II thought that when you loved
mo you should have me. Even Il I
wasn't really worth having. You
80 I once loved someone who"
Joan! My dear-what are Won
saying TO me? Joan"
Someone who - who wasn't
worth having either, and I wouidnr
have cared-I didn't care how bad
ne was,-because loved him so
much. just wanted him. Any-
way. =. So I thought you would
love me that way too. Do You under
stand Why I didn't tell you? Please
90. Please understand. I wouldn't
have waited SO long, l didn't mean
TO cheat didn't mean that"
He began to tremble. She could
Tel MS hands, that had always been
~ ~ strone ana steady, shalsing.
Jean-l don't understand
Z 20 u Continuad,