The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-07-06

- y
some gas" his big laugh doomed
out, as they stood in the door to-
gether. NASTY night"
''I have a lantern" Evans picked
it up from the porch.
When Evans reached home his
mother called from upstairs, II
thought you were never coming"
''Hallam and had lot to talk
about"
He came running up, and enter
ing her room found her propped up
on her pillows.
Mother said Evans, and stood
looking down at her, 'Hallam wants
me to sell some of the old books
and use the money to open an Of
fice."
What kind of officer"
| fLaw. In town"
"But are you well enough, Ev-
ans?"
HE says that I am. He says
that I must think that I am well,
Mother"
But"
Dearest, don't spoil it with
doubts. It's my life, Mother"
There was a look on his face
which she had not seen since his
return. Uplifted, eager. A light in
his eyes, like the light which had
shone in the eyes of a boy.
She found it difficult to speak.
/ ttNFrv Ioar @I,o txoolyc ora xvo,,r1 H.
as you think BEST"
He leaned over and kissed her,
lifting her a bit. There was energy
as we'll as affection in the quick ca
ress. She drew herself away laugh
ing, breathless. "How strong you
! are"
i s'Am +? Well, / think / am. And
I am going to conquer the world,
| Mumsie"
His exaltation lasted during the
reading of the diary. 1t was fat
little book, and the pages were writ
ten close in his fine firm script. He
found things between the leaves-a
four-leaved clover Jane had sent
him when he made the football
team. A rose, colorless and dry.
Florence Preston had given it to
him.
He dropped the rose in the waste
basket. How could he ever have
thought of Florence? Love wasn't
thing of blue eyes and pale gold
hair. 1t was thing of fire and
flame and fighting.
Fighting! That was it. With your
back to the wall-and winningl
For some day he meant to win
Jane. Did she think she could be
in the world and not be his? And if
she loved strength she should have
it. He bent his head in his hands
his hands clasped tensely. There
was a prayer in his heart. His
whole being ached with the agony
of his effort.
"Oh, God, let me fight and win.
Bring me back to the full measure
of a man."
| Again he opened the book. Bits of
printed verse dropped out Of it. Jane
had sent him this, Zone who never
turned his back, but marched
breast-forward.
He opened the book and read of
Jane, and of himself as he had once
been. He skipped the record Of his
college days, except where he found
such reference as this: Little Jane
I is growing up. She met me at the
station and held out her hand to me.
used always to kiss her, but this
time I didn't dare. She was differ
ent somehow, but some day III
kiss her.
And this: "Jane is rather dar-
ling. But am beginning to believe
that like 'em fair" That was when
he had a terrible crush on Florence
Preston, whose coloring was blue
and gold But it hadn't lasted, and
he had come back to Jane with a
sense of refreshment.
He found at last the pages given
over to those first days after he had
been admitted to the Washington
bar, and had hung out his shingle.
"Sat at my desk all the morning.
Great bluff. One client received
with great effect of busy-ness. Had
lunch with a lot of fellows-pan-
cakes and sausages-ate an armful.
Tea with three debutantes at the
Shoreham-peaches. Dance at the
Oakleys' in Georgetown. Corking
time. One deadly moment when the
butler took my overcoat. Poor peo-
pie ought not to dance where there
are butlers."
Autumn came: "Jane and l went
today to gather fox grapes. Mother
is making jelly and so is Jane. The
vines were a great tangle. Shut in
among them we seemed a thousand
miles away from the world. Jane
made herself a wreath of grape
leaves, and looked like a nymph of
the woods. / told her SO and she
gazed at me with those great gray
eyes of hers and said, Evans, when
the gods were young they must have
lived like this-with grapes for their
food, and the birds to sing for them,
and the little wild things of the wood
for company. 1t would be heaven
ly, wouldn't it?' She's a queer kid.
Life with her wouldn't be humdrum.
She's so intensely herself"
"We talked bit about the war.
told her should go if France
needed me. I am not going to wait
until this country gets into it. We
owe debt to France :"
He stopped there, and closed the
book. He did not care to read far
ther. Oh, his debt to France had
been paid. And after that day with