The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-08-23

needing her words, nor in fact re-
alizing in the least what she was
saying. The dull pain of last night
was starting all over again. He
was going away-he was going
,, away-she might never see him
again!
"Yepw' Russ's big brown hand
slipped over her small one, hold
ing it like prisoned bird. She was
aware of her pulse beating swiftly.
miss me?" his deep voice ask
ed. 49,
'Why, of course!" Boots laugh
ed softly shading her eyes, pre-
tending to peer at sail far on
the horizon. Naturally"
"Like hell you WILL" Russ said
moodily. "You'll 60 back to your
gang. l." he pronounced steadily
and solemnly, will miss you like
the very devil. .."
The ice about her heart began
to break up. Suddenly she came
alive.
"Not reallyW she said softly,
! almost caressingly. "Not honestly,
| Russ. You're just saying that. :"
She was startled, almost fright
ened at the strength of the brown
hand closing on her wrist. She
drew her hand away.
Don't be like that" he COM
manded shortly. "You know darn
well how l feel about you. ,"
She was breathless. She had to
go on, although she knew that way
lay danger. "How?" she demand
ed under her breath.
Slim, golden, her rounded
breasts rising and falling under
the deep curve Of the dark jersey,
she faced him. Her fingers were
linked about her slender knees.
In her smooth, curved throat a
pulse beat deeply. The man stared
back at her, his eyes darkened by
some emotion.
"I'm crazy about you and that's
a fact" he stated briefly.
ooh, Russp' Her eyes, under
their dark, sweeping lashes, were
starry; she fairly glowed.
"You don't give a darn" He
was tracing pattern on the sand
but his eyes never left her face.
II do. Honestly. Pm-I'm aw-
fully fond of you" The words
had slipped out against her will
and now that they were out she
would have given worlds to bite
them back. They were so tame
so inadequate. Fond! Why, with
her soul she loved this big, mar
! ticulate Adonis with the ready
smile and the unruly shock, of
brown curling hair.
"No kidding?"
"No kiddingw She flung back
her golden name and gave him a
smile so sweet, so bewitching, that
the man caught his breath.
"Then why-why don't we do
something about it," he demand
ed in husky undertone. A rom
pered baby with a pail staggered
near, staggered away. The young
matron on the veranda came to
the rail and called him sharply.
Bobby! Bob-bee"
| Boots neither saw nor heard.
| She only knew that her blood was
racing swiftly, that a pulse like a
triphammer was beating in her
| throat.
81 don't don't know what
you meant
Marry me-" Russ demanded
briefly. 81 can't take a wife to
Chile and that's a fact. 1t isn't
that kind of job. :"
Marry" Her eyes were starry,
her whole being was shaken at
the thought. "Why, 1 never
thought, never dreamed. :"
Russ went on slowly. "There
are other things we could do. Get
in the old bus, go out to Califor-
nia-New Mexico-any place. It'd
be swell"
She could see the two of them,
bronzed, gypsyish, vagabonding
down the world together. None of
the village STIFFNESS, the showers,
the pram-pushing that other girls
knew. This must be what people
meant when they spoke of mar
riage as "The Great Adventure. "
The wind blew little white caps
in the water and the trees near
the shore rustled above the shouts
of children on the raft.
I'll must be mad even to
think Of it," Boots said on a shiv-
ering breath.