The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-10-22
TheG0tpEN:zEEAH4ER
by Robert Bruce o lo,: Service
e Q le,. NEA Service, Inc.

cOitlt NllOH y anu llhE
a badly taken photograph.
She found herself putting Bobby
off, evading direct answers to his
questions, postponing things in a
way which left that honest young
man sorely puzzled; yet she never
seemed to be able to reach any de-
cision in her own mind, and if her
life had depended on it she could
not have said whether, in the bot
tom of her heart, she still intended
to marry him.
Meanwhile. she continued to see
both young men; and the mere
business of keeping her wires I'M
crossed in this matter, of keeping
the two sets Of dates from conflict
ing, Of being her old self with Bob
and her new, rather frightening self
with Sandy-Was, she discovered,
enough to keep faint furroW in her
brow.
Being thus unsettled and uncer-
tain, Jean was taken completely
aback when Sandy proposed to her.
TT was a Saturday afternoon, and
Il They had gone out to play golf.
Finishing their game, they had
got into Sandy's roadster and had
driven out across the country
without any particular goal; and
at last Sandy had parked the car
on quiet road that followed the
crest of long ridge south of town,
and they had got out and walked
to a little clump of trees at the
crest of long slope.
Jean sat down on a log, look
ing out over the green valley be-
low, and Sandy spraWled, loose
limbed, on the ground at her feet.
He was smoking a cigaret and
looking up at the tree tops; and
suddenly, without any preamble
whatever, he said, Listen, sister,
why shouldn't you and I get mar
ried?"
If he had tossed a glass of ice
water in her face Jean could
hardly have been more completely
surprised. For it happened that
one of the ways in which she
eased her conscience for continu-
ing to see Sandy while her sup
posed engagement to Bobby ex-
listed was the argument that she
and Sandy we're Just pals" and
that Sandy had no romantic no.
tons whatever about her. She
looked at him, her lips parted,
her eyes large.
He had been lying on his back,
hands clasped behind his head.
Now he sat up, folded his arms
about his knees, and looked up
at her, his smile that familiar and
exciting mixture of derision and
affection.
Yeah" he said. Married. You
know. People do it. They go to
minister and hold hands and he
goes mumbo- jumbo over their
heads"-he made an airy pass with
his hands-"and they they go to
Niagara Falls or some place on their
honeymoon, and after that they're
married. You know?"
All she could find to say was,
why, Sandy!" which didn't seem to
advance things very much.
well, why not?" he asked. as
casually as if he had suggested that
they go to movie. Isn't it a good
idea?"
She hesitated, her heart beating
furiously.
Sandy" she faltered. CT didn't
know that you-that you felt that
way about me"
Come off, come off" he said,
looking up shreWdly. you know
better than that"
Honestly, Sandy, I didn't think
YOU"
Her voice trailed off and there
was a tense pause.
well" said Sandy lazily, looking
out over the valley, what in thun-
der did you think I was hanging
around all the time for, anyhow"
Her voice was somewhat unsteady
as she said, "Why-why, we had a
good time together . . and both
like to ride and go canoeing, and
get out in the country, and"
LIE grinned derisively and SLOW
Il Il ly got to his feet She watched
him with wide eyes, a queer mix
ture of suspense. eagerness, and
something very like fear in her
heart as he calmly walked over to
the log. Very deliberately, he
reached down and took her hands.
Then, still moving with the utmost
calmness, he drew her to her feet.
One muscular arm went about her
shoulder, and hand took her chin
and with gentle firmness raised her
head so that she had to look into
his eyes.
An you didn't know all this time
how I wanted you?" he asked softly.
You sweet, golden haired little sim
| pleton-'
His face slowly came closer. Her
mind and body seemed paralyzed.
She surrendered to the compelling
force of his personality-and to
mysterious current which seemed to