Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-11-14

In all reverence the only tribute that
I she knew.
With uplifted arms she drew his
face down to hers and kissed him with
swift, utterly passionless tenderness.
For an instant only she felt her
self crushed against his breast, felt
the startled almost ravenous shock Of
his lips upon hers.
Then without a word, glance, they
went on and gathered up what was left
of the picnic material and slowed the
last fragments Of 1t in the tonneau Of
her car
A little hesitatingly then each one
stood back as though to wait for the
others departure.
For the first time Alice Yardleigh
noticed that the tall soldiers car bore
the registration plate OF state on the
other side of the continent. Musing
somewhat starkly on that other Alice,
she climbed bit slowly into her driv-
ing seat, and turned with establishment
to see that the tall soldier himself had
remounted his granite pedestal, and
stood once again on the topmost step
with folded arms, dark and sombre
figure silhouetted against the sky.
The appalling isolation Of the ges-
ture left her aghast.
"Just-just what seems TO be the
idea of all the alOofness2" she called
to him with forced lightness.
He shrugged his shoulders.
Thought I'd just stay awhile" he
you mean you really want to be
alone?" she questioned tentatively.
Yes" he said. In slow, all-inclu-
Sive sort Of gesture he pointed to the
great, green valley below him, the mir
rored lake, the far, blue outline Of
mountain tops, the sweet night shadows
already creeping over everything. 'In
all my life" he said, Il never had
chance to be alone with so much peace I
fulness beforel"
He waved his hand. +
"Goodhy," he said.
GOODBYE" said Alice Yardleigh
In another moment, as by q ball of (
string unwinding, She spiraled her slow
descent, round and round and round
and down and down and down to the
brisk, straight valley road below.
Realistically In that descent, as the
heavily wooded, early shadowing dis
rances wtdened between them, she re-
that solitary, khaki-clad fig
Te standing alone on the top Of the
world as 1t were, a symbol almost Of
the last soldier left on earth, yet
scarcely live soldier even at that, but
lust man, so recently pulsed with
flesh and blood, turned back again
low to bronze statue on a shattered
base from which all his former COM
,anions had crumbled away.
She shook her head.
admitted.
Over rolling crest Of the state road
! covey Of oncoming cars doomed sud
lenly In sight. Galiy with flags and
dreaming with pennants on their way
Jack from the parade the noisy jewellers
announced themselves With rollicking
iris In boys laps and rollicking boys
q girls laps the gay flotiIla passed
Bring me hack soldier" thew sang.
From over the brow Of the hill that
i'd them again their lusty young voices
anne floating back.
In an inadvertent clutch Of her hand
n the wheel Alice Yard1eiRh felt the
udden infinitesirnal pinch OF the little
rasS ring which had been trust so
oyially ON her finger one brief hour
efore
Her mouth oufvered.
'BeErothed 10 q gnOstiT she said
And don't even know his namelS
Hardly had the poignant thought
rysGallized IN her consciousness, when
1th q raucous h0nking Of horn, suueaI
brakes, and the flare Of an out
'retcl2ed hand, q car sped past her at
actng speed, then drawing off sud-
snfy 20 her side of this road. slowed
J a fun stop In front uS her.
From his seat nc the wheel the tan
ladier stepped quickly out and came
mining back 30 her.
WHY are you driving so fast7" he
ssumnded
''xm rsmaning away from soldlers,v
ID sma&@xma
'aa@k axan Asxan @pAkaaax.H Sa@ maad res
1as@SB @AH1T #z&xsA& THx@ 0%wI@
-~FXEYM M1#n-