The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1940-05-16

WOOD. forger MIN. aux 10 me.
''I wish to talk about Captain Nor
wood
HE has talked about you, I don't
mind telling you. According to one
of the palace servants, he told your
aunt this afternoon that he's dis
gusted with you."
II can believe he is disgusted,"
Lynn answered. "But I can't imag-
inc him saying so to Aunty, or to
anyone else"
LET US talk about you," said Run
dhia.
Every well, what about mel"
''Now you have made me speech
lessi"
Have I? Then perhaps you will
listen to me-"
Beloved, ! will glady listen to
you, in an ecstasy of patience and
devotion, during years which shall
flow SO fast that We'll be old before
we know it!"
did you get that from book?"
II never read books. When talk
to you, my tongue can only stutter
miserable hints of how feel. You
make me delirious. Be good enough
to notice that these arms resist i'm
pulsel" He extended his arms to-
ward the moon, then dropped them
to his sides. "Oh, Lynn, love you.
Good job l don't love you," she
answered. "There'd be-"
"a new golden age in Kadurl"
Rundhia interrupted. Lynn: philos-
ophy, religion, economics and the
other muck they made me listen to
at school and college left me, until
you came, dry of faith in anything
but evil-and even evil dyingl You
are my first glimpse of goodness.
Don't you love the Maharanee?
Isn't she good?"
"Oh, yes. She is good past his
tory. Lynn, you are the present and
the futurel One straight look into
your blue eyes, and I knew what
hope means and the higher vision.
had never seen it, until I saw you."
Sounds good" Lynn answered.
"What was in the cocktails?"
Don't joke! Lynn, I'm in love.
mean every word I'm saying to
you"
Il mean what I say, too," Lynn
answered. Il don't love you-What
was that noise? In the distance. It
sounded like shooting"
II didn't hear it," said Rundhia.
They had reached the steps that
led to the kiosk on the garden wall.
It was dark in the walls shadow.
He was justified in offering his arm
to guide her up the steps, but he
put it around her. She could feel
his vibrance. She escaped him-ran
up the steps ahead of him, then
waited on the wall in full moonlight,
facing him, unafraid.
There! Did you hear that?
Wasn't that rifie-shot, Rundhia?"
Might have been," he answered.
"Not SO easy to tell"
isn't Captain Norwood's camp in
that direction?" Lynn asked.
Somewhere over there, yes. Pos
sibly jackall or a stray dog scared
his sentries. Never mind Norwood.
Lynn, you say you don't love me. I
don't believe YOU"
"Why not? / told you the plain
truth-Do you think sentries would
fire at dog?"
His wouldi He's crazy. Lynn,
don't believe you because you for
gave what / did in the treasure
room. And because when you hurt
me, you were sorry. Also because
you are not afraid to be alone with
me now. Lynn, you don't know
yourself. YOU'RE
"Do you know yourself?" she re-
torted. Don't you think it strange
that they should be shooting at
night?"
mo. Most soldiers live in con-
tinual state of false alarm. Lynn,
listen to me. Don't excite you?"
"You did. But l saw you, and I
heard you laugh at Captain Nor
woods ruin"
"You dislike me?"
"Oh, no."
'"You admit / can stir your emo
tions?"
"Oh, yes. I admit that. Why tell
lies about it? You're magnetic.
almost fell in love with you."
Lynn, you are thinking about
East and West. That hoary old su-
perstition! 1t fingers, they tell me,
in America more tenaciously than
anywhere else, though even school
books nowadays admit that we and
you are of the same race. Do you
know how many western women
have become the wives of Indian
princes?"
~ don't want to know. I don't
care"
"You are right, Lynn. Quite right.
Why should you care? 1t is love, not
what others have done, that crum-
bles superstitions. Lynn, love you.
I wouldn't lie to you"
Have you done your best for Cap
tain Norwood? Have you really done
II? What have you done?"
"Never mind. I have done it,"
"You swear?"
"Yes."
Then j Will listen. You were
saying-?"
Rundhia had to recover the train
of his thought. He turned away
from her moment, paced the wall,
and came back:
Lynn, my love for you may sound
selfish. I always have been selfish,
until met you. ! have no practice
with words that genuine lover
should use. But am genuine. For
the first time In my life, ! am un-
selfish. May tell you-win you
listen If ! tell you-what my heart