Show r L By cE Copyright Elenore b by Elenore Continued from yesterday Within her another voice clamored clamored clam clam- ored insistent urgent No Stay back You dont don't have to go Say ayno ay no now no-now now now I But he was reaching down and lifting her He was holding out his hand She clung to it She followed fol tol- followed fol- fol lowed him CHAPTER The Bottom of the Cup In her mind was a black spot of terror tenor It grew large large large-a a live thing shaking her pu puse se with dread It was the memory of the night She shrank from it It pressed down and seized her heart It was wasa a dark heavy beast crouching on her lier chest She tried to beat It off oft It came n nearer and blew warm sickening breaths in her nostrils Fighting she had to draw them down Again and again Till 1111 even the anguish within her and anti was still She lay in this cold abandon motionless afraid to turn She tried to sleep No sooner were her eyes closed than images let loose beneath their lids She saw herself herself hetsel her het self sel in the canoe leaning against his knees reaching up her hands to tou h his face She remembered searchIngly the wild hot tumult of ot other her heart the livid sounds h her r lips had spoken Love you enough to I die for tor you Oh and Oh-and and that little I islet was out in the ocean and only I you and I in all the world world only only us Barry everyone Barry everyone else elso all gone All that that and and that was but half of ot what she had said said sald- Now Now Now-In in the whimpering chi chill of ot I her spirit should have slain this other Chickie beaten to death the vain fevered thing thine standing before I the mirror putting perfume at her ears Laughing at herself radiant and excited Running down to meet him Expectant Expectant haf half aware paddling into the still dark of ot the river letting it sweep them into the wild hushed ardor of ot this dream Not she who had done this Not I she swept helpless In that blaze of ot emotion clinging to his hand following following fol tol- fol- fol lowing him up the rocky slope of the islet Oh Oh-It Oh it was never she She would awal awaken en soon from this night of torture be glad again get back to yesterday to the mornIng mornIng morn- morn Ing lag lying joyous in the sun And that other who sank In his arms with a faint Yes Yes oh oh dont who took his white vivid face In her hands imploring when he murmured murmured murmured mur mur- hoarsely Chickie we Chickie we love each other think other think of ot that I that I love you you you- that other would vanish But even her thought could not achieve this could not leap behind that eternal moment The past paRt was gone shut out irrevocably by this red aching wall vall of ot flame She could never beat it down yes smother yes smother her head headin in the pillow claw her hands against her face let race let the tears pour It would remain Site SK-e hid from it oh It-oh oh she would get getaway away push away push off ote this thing of ot horror weighing so heavily on her breast Be free free free-be be light again She hated herself herselt Turning on the pillow her hair hall fell across her face tace With a violent revulsion she flung it back hack Oh this sickening contact with herself If It sho she could only get awny away from her breath from her own hands from her feet that If It she I were so cold they ach ached d could fly out of ot this body that held her fast to the immutable yesterday She pulled the covers up to her eyes stared at the redwood trees towering above the tho porch porch- stared fixedly trying to freeze her brain against thought She said to herself herself herselt her her- self Oh so many stars stars stars- And there was nothing sad about that nothing terrible but it made her cr cry crl And she kept saying lm I never sa saw w so many stars stars stars- cowering lower lower lower low low- er in the bed pulling the blankets higher calling God God oh oh God God God- When she cried her heart turned It hea thing and turned was a heavy that moaned and beat its arms She crush crushed 1 l her ler er hands abo about t it pleading pleading plead plead- in ing Dont oh sto stop stop stop- It wouldn't still sUllo In this writhing panic sh she wondered how Ion long Ions she must lie like this if this writhing thing within her IreI would ever stop stop stop- L Moments foments from the night before returned stood at the bed fixing her like bayon bayonets ts When she turned turned- miserably from one ne another caught I i i her Now it was the flushed joyin joy joyIn joyin in her heart and instant when she glanced upward to his face face- saw it il dim yet beautiful In the dark now It was throbbing madness when he drew her head against his knees whispering Our last hour hour it if It were who knows V Would you then They whipped her these her these memories memories mem mem- ories ones they brought too starkly before before before be be- fore her the hot Image of ot herself herselt Oh take Oh-take take them away let away let her blot them out out out- At last the moon riding riding- in a gra gray chill mist swept over the trees It fastened itself in a vague white cloud It l put ut a coldness on t the e night it took the radiance from the quiet appealing stars It seemed to to- Chickie that things died dle-d that even torment dulled Inthis in inthis inthis this forlorn dreariness of the morn morn- ing She slept not knowing the relief It se seemed med that she sae had only turned and then a hand was on her tier der Then some one said Chickie girl sleep girl sleep all day are you rou Isn't the lad go going ng Sh She twisted the covers in her fists pressed her face face- hard against the pillows Jonathans Jonathan's hand crushed her Jonathans Jonathan's voice opened the wilderness in her mind She said Dont Im I'm tired r Jonathan Jonathan- And it seemed to her that she would die if It her father didn't stop or it if ithe he ho stooped down as he hI so often orten did patting her cheeks and kissing her She waited cold with fear Now she knew that a hurt hUtt look was coining coming com coin ing into his eyes Now he was walkIng walkIng walk- walk Ing lag heavily to the kitchen She SIte ran ian from the bed to the wash basin Her eyes looked small small- putted puffed She put her hair hall high and pulled it down half hiding them If Jennie should watch her her It il Jennie should insist on sitting at atthe atthe atthe the table and making malting her eat eat eat- With hysterical l. caution she called out gayly Jennie darling rest yourself under the tree I only want vant a D cup of ot cof coffee ee Did you leave it on the stove Dont Don't Don JOnt t come in in inAnd And for once the self effacing Jennie engrossed In the cooking recipes in the paper of ot the previous evening evening- nodded absently All right dear Its It's on the stove She was so grateful for tor this es esCaped escaped escaped es- es tears filled tilled her eyes they the they dropped into her coffee That re reminded reminded reminded re- re minded her of ot the morning when he had argued with her when he had said It wont won't make our love any righter will it Its It's as right as the sun sun sun-as as the river flowing down here to meet the tho ocean It Isto is isto isto to me Did he feel like this now Would he come again to sit fearlessly at her side and speak this trot hot reckless defiance defiance defiance de de- de- de fiance Was Vas that only on his lips lipsa a a. a aboy's boys boy's love hot and swift And he would put It from him She had given too much So he wouldn't want it now He lie wouldn't care any l nger Men Ien were like that Oh Oh- Oh she knew And perhaps it was their last hour Well she Well she would kill herself herselt SITe She would never see coldness ss on his face Just thinking of this spread an alarm like a dealy poison polson up through her throat throat down down over her heart Go and leave her het Forget her His white vivid face tace hers no more more I No No he he couldn't they couldn't-they they vv were ere bound bound bound-a a thousand U ties ties ties-he s-ho s he wanted I Ito to feel teel them they them they drew him so soShe soShe soShe so- so She was on fire tire to see him only him only a a. glance She would know He lie wouldn't need to say lay ay a word And Anc craving this thing wildly she fled flee from it Oh she Oh-she she would never Je Jehim let him hint see her again again again- She stole fro fromi fron the kitchen running running run run- ning fling by the side of the house that tha Jo Jonathan athan sawing logs might no not see her She crept swiftly up the trail hid behind bushes Perhaps he had left already Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- haps he wouldn't want any further goodbye e She remembered that he henad henad nad had put his arm about her het at the porch he had whispered Youre gad glad Chickie Why youre you're crying so Don't Dont I Dont I cant can't leave you so so- so Maybe he meant that for the parting Two or three times thE twigs cracked She s grit got t to her feet feet feet- shaking SIlo She reached out Her tier hand No one came She bhe he listened But when finally she heard a step and knew that i iwas it was he she sat motionless She I didn't stir She heard his voice I anxious demanding oh Chickie Chickie oh I you hear me where me-where where are you ou Then she stood up but she wouldn't raise her head head wouldn't wouldn look at him lIe He sprang to her side His voice rasped Oh Oh didn't you jou OU hear hear you jou frightened me Tears shot to her eyes fell tell on her hand And he began talking rapidly raising her face wiping It kissing her lips The seeking tender tender tender ten ten- der look was In his eyes Chickie is this the way you feel You want to take it back Youre You're sorry She couldn't speak And nd h he listened lis lis lis- lis You arent aren't afraid Tell Tel me that She wanted to know if It he was was was- if It he loved her less But seeing this new warm gentleness she cried anew She pleaded love me always now Love Lore me Barry You wont won't forget Love you ou Chickie dear More than ever ever ever-a a thousand times CHAPTER LIX Avowal In a a. stillness that murmured sadly sad sad- ly like a faint wind blowing from the heart of pain she sho listened His IUs words were balm lalm on the f-aw f an anguish anguish an- an ani i of her thoughts Because of ofa ofa ot ota a hunger to hear them again she softly Do you OU Barry Oh really More than ever er Can you doubt It How can you Chickie youre you're the only thing in the world Tears ached at ll her r throat the no l kept ept her head down It seemed so strange that they two tso should stand here hero in the sun sun sun-a a part of ot the glad shiny morning The light fell feU In iii a a a. abright bright shower sho through the ma- ma drones touching with gay polish the tender green of ot the leaves A blu blue blue- jay with feathers spread poised ar arrogantly arrogantly ar ar- on one leg Its Us wings bluer than a Jewel And all this seemed so bonny so 1 a tune tunc flung out In joy it was Vas so far tar away from her as though she stood on that gay waste that she had seen in a dream dream dream-as as though she stood there and listened to the vast ast forlorn voice of ot rising waters vaters And she must stand there always alwa's that or a a. hush more dismal In her ears He took her hand band but she wouldn't raise her head and meet his glance Barry BarrY oh don't dont oh let me go You cant can't go why go-why why are you crying cryIng cry- cry ls Ing so SOL You Youre You're ro sorry are you you You'd loud like to take it back She drew In her het lips fighting to keep them still sUlI He plead pleaded d Wont you look at me Chickie Do you want vent me to go away n now floss Listen Why sad so The ruddy color was floating in his now vital Impetuous face He smiled watching her It was more than she could bear She said faintly Youre happy you Oh-you seem gla glad glad- Continued tomorrow V 5 Vv 4 fA L w V s o |