Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-06-22
CHAPTER I-Continued

Down the path Jane went, the two
pussy-cats like small shadows in
her wake, until suddenly a voice
came out of the dark.
"I believe it is little Jane
Barnes"
She stopped. ooh, is that you,
Evans? Isn't it heavenly night?"
"I'm not sure"
t'Don't talk that way"
'Why not?"
because an evening like this is
like wine-it goes to my head"
'You are like wine," he told her.
"Jane, how do you do it,"
t'Do WHAT"
''Hold the pose of youth and joy
and happiness?"
''You know it isn't pose. just
feel that way, Evans"
tMy dear, believe you do"
He limped little as he walked
beside her. He was tall and gaunt.
Almost grotesquely tall. Yet when
he had gone to war he had not
seemed in the least grotesque. He
had been tall but not thin, and he
had gone in all the glory of his
splendid youth.
There was no glory left. He was
twenty-seven. He had fought and
he would fight again for the same
cause. But his youth was dead, ex-
cept when he was with Jane. She
revived him, as he said, like wine.
81 was coming over" he began,
and broke off as sibilant sound in
terrupted him.
ooh, are the cats with you? Well,
Rusty must take the road" he
laughed as the little old dog trotted
to neutral ground at the edge OF
the grove. Rusty was friends with
Merrymaid, except when there
were kittens about. He knew enough
to avoid her in days of anxious
motherhood.
Jane picked up the kitten. .'They
would come"
"All animals follow you. You're
sort of domestic Circe-with your
dogs and chickens and pussy-cats
in the place of tigers and lions
and leopards."
''I'd love to have lived in Eden,"
said Jane, unexpectedly, "before
Eve and Adam sinned. What it must
have meant to have all those great
beasts mild-mannered and purring
under your hand like this kitten.
What a dreadful thing happened,
Evans, when fear came into the
world"
'What makes you say that now,
Jane?" His voice was sharp.
Shouldn't I have said it? Oh,
Evans, you can't think I had you
in mind"
''No," with a touch of WEAKNESS,
*'but you are the only one, really,
who knows what a coward I am"
"Evans, you're not"
"You're good to say it, but that's
what I came over for. I am up
against it again, Jane. Some cous-
ms are on from New York-they're
at the New Willard-and Mother
and I went in to see them last night.
They have invited us to go back
with them. They've a big house
east of Fifth Avenue, and they want
us as their guests indefinitely. They
think it will do me a lot of good
get me out of myself, they call it.
But can't see it. Since I came
home-every time think of facing
mobs of people"-again his voice
grew sharp-"I'm clutched by some
thing / can't describe. 1t is per-
fectly unreasonable, but can't help
it,"
For moment they walked in 81
lence, then he went on-"Mother's
very keen about it. She thinks it
will set me up. But / want to stay
here-and thought if you'd talk to
her, she'll listen to you, Jane-she
always does"
"Does she know how you feel
about it,"
''No, think not. I've never told
her. I've only spilled over to you
now and then. It would hurt Moth
er, no end, to know how changed I
am"
Jane laid her hand on his arm.
"You're not. Brace up, old dear.
You aren't dead yet" AS she lifted
her head to look up at him, the
hood Of her cape slipped back, and
the wind blew her soft, thick hair
against his cheek. "But I'll talk
to your mother if you want me to.
She is a great darling"
They had reached the kitchen
door. won't you come in?" Jane
said.
''No, I've got to get back. I
only ran over for a moment.
have to have a daily sip of you,
Jane"
"Baldy's bringing steak for din
ner. Help us eat it,"
Sorry, but Mother would be
alone"
"When shall I talk to herr"
There's no hurry. The cousins
are staying on for the opening Of
Congress. Jane dear, don't despise
me-" His voice broke.
evans. as If I could"