The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-01-28

alone on the terrace. The window
of Mr.. Taussig's room upstairs was
dark.
Miguel" she said slowly. do
you know Russell Porter?"
81 know about him. He's doing q
good job here"
'That's what / wanted to know
about. Is there anything in his work
that would interest well, you
know"
every much," Miguel Valera said
gravely. "Why?"
Anne looked UP at him. eff I
tell you something, will you promise
to try to see it doesn't hurt Rus
SELF"
"What Is it, Amer"
"You haven't promised"
81 can't promise anything" he an
swered quietly. Nothing personal
counts. You must know that I.
after last night, and today"
She hesitated, and went on.
s'I'm not sure about this. It's
mixture of fact and guesswork. But
the other night after dinner Sue
Porter and Mr.. Taussig were talk
ing about Russell's job. Taussig
said if Russell could do that-what-
ever it was-he was a genius; it
was every engineers dream. Sue
said he had done it and he was a
genius, and she tried to get Russell
to go get his specifications to show
him. Russell clamped down hard
and sent her to see after the kids.
have an idea that Sue showed
them to him today. Russell's away,
and she's terribly ambitious for
him, and thinks because Taussig is
a great sanitary engineer he can
do something. She wouldn't know
ingly-"
He interrupted her with impatient
irony. "People never do.-What
time today, Amer"
"About four or four-thirty, I'd
guess. What would he do if he got
them?"
He'd make a microscopic photo
stat and return them to Mrs. Porter
in an hour. He'd tell her she was
right about her husband, and to
keep absolutely quiet and they'd
hear from him. Sort of their Sc
cret, his and hers. Nobody would
know the plans were out, so no
changes would be made. And Taus-
sig wouldn't have any large blue
print to smuggle out. They don't
steal plans any more. They just
take pictures and enlarge them"
"Then there's nothing"
He shook his head. ""There are
the films. I'm glad you told me-"
The waiter brushed the crumbs
from the cloth and brought their
coffee. He poured it, black and
fragrant, into the cups and left the
terrace.
Miguel leaned forward, looking at
her in the pale silver glow of the
rising moon. ''Anne," he said. He
hadn't spoken for several moments.
"Yes?"
"I'm going to ask you to do some
thing. Will your"
She smiled. Depends"
"I'm going to ask you to 60
home"
His voice sounded a little like silk
tearing.
She put her cup down and looked
out at the reef. A lighted ship was
moving far out beyond it going
home. She looked back at him.
"Do you want me to go?"
"No," he said quietly. II want
you to stay here, always"
He put his hand out and took hers
lying on the table.
81 love you, Anne. The knowl-
edge that you will 60 sometime is
very hard. It will be lonelier than
you know. But if you 60 quick
''Is that why you want me to
COZ" she asked softly.
''No. I want to keep you, as long
as can. But it isn't safe for you.
# / could only ask you to marry
me
He stopped. Anne waited, aware
of the soft fragrance OF the night
isolating them for a moment in a
small infinitely lovely world all their
own, as fragile and tender as the
silver glow of the moonpath on the
ocean. It was what she wanted :.
what she had lived for. There was
no shadow Of doubt in her mind.
She waited for him to go on. When
he didn't she raised her eyes slowly
to his.
Cant you, Miguel" she asked
softly.
Her heart throbbed with a sudden
rich warmth. In his face was pas
sion, muted, saddened even, with a
tenderness she had never seen be-
fore.
For a moment they were lost in
the electric world that held their
eyes together, saying more than
their lips could say. Suddenly he
lowered his head. He was trem-
bling. Anne could hardly hear him
whispering, "Oh, Anne-I love you,
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