Evening star., 1936-02-16

Wv Alaska? You know !
love you"
John, I'm afraid"
"Afraid?"
Afraid to trust my feelings. Two
months ago was going to marry
Rob Croker. Now I don't love him.
This feeling have for you is so diff
ferent, I'd like to believe it would last
forever, but how can I? How do
know? I'm not like you. I haven't
been true to dream. as you have.
Oh, liked you that night at the dance,
hoped I'd see you again. I even asked
Duke Lansing to find you and bring
you up, but you didn't come and Rob
did"
Forget it, Nikki. let's sit here and
talk. We've lifetime ahead of US.
I'll sail tomorrow and during the time
I'm away believe you'll learn to trust
your own feelings. Somehow I believe
we're destined for each other"
Anne sat on gray boulder, and
John at her feet. hands clasped about
his knees, looked up at her. Wordless
communion, until family Of bluejays
clattered down into the dell and began
scolding.
WED better get away before Papa
Jay has apoplexy," Anne ventured.
Want to walk to the tor of the hill?
There's an old logging road near here. /"
Slowly they walked, trees meeting
overhead, wild currant waving plumes
of fragrant red blossoms in their path,
Towering dogwood with blossoms like
carved ivory dipping and swaying
above them.
They crossed streams on plank
bridges swung on cables and then came
out on the heads, the river below them,
and beyond the Pacific, silvered with
afternoon mist.
"I know short cut back" John said,
looking at his watch. Perhaps we'd
better take it."
They talked as they walked: that
is, John talked and Anne listened. 1T
won't be easy being the wife of fish
erman, Nikki I want you to under
stand that. Not that I intend to re-
main one always
What do you intend to do, and what
did you major in, at college?"
Political economy" he answered
Its always appealed to me. My Irish
side, I guess. But I believe there is
going to be a need of craftsmanship
in this country. I believe there will
be the need of men who can see both
sides of the class struggle which Is
making itself felt these days.
I'm as anti-radical as men are
made, but I realize that unless lead
ers come out of the ranks, agitators
will speak for them and the chance
of welding the two factions into har'
monious whole will be lost.
II want to be financially free tt
carry on this work. I've been asked
to run for the Legislature, but I'm no
ready to accept. I'm too young fol
one thing, and I'm not financially ablt
for another. But with you to help
me, Nikki-"
He looked down, and when he saw
the tenderness in her eyes. as sh'
looked up, he waited for nothing more
"Nikki," he whispered, Il know nov
what you're going to say when I com'
back from Alaska. I do, don't II"
II think so, john" she agreed.
She wondered If ship coming il
from storm ridden seas knew thu
peace she found in the haven of hi
arms. And then breaking into th'
charm of the moment came john
voice. low. curt
''Nikki. hide there, behind tina
thicket, quick"
Like a shadow, Anne obeyed. Sh,
saw John walk toward the beach anc
stretch out in the sand, back to log
A moment later she heard voices.
For while she could not identif.
!, the water. There was fish trap there
The pilings to which the different set
of nets were hung were old, weather
beaten. some of them broken of at tn
waterline. The little shed which sa
on its long legs at the mouth of tn
trap looked as if it were ready to col
lapse at the first windStorm.
For fully five minutes John waited
then. nonchalantly stood up, brushed
the Sand from his clothes. and saun
tered back toward the road. One
there, he motioned Anne to join hin
and hurried her back over the trai
without pausing to explain.
When they were in view of th'