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Show , r , r * M M17k 17k 17ks cmQ yrswcrrv X.I XI . s 0 0Itowntcun / Atcrumtairiy /Itowntcun Itowntcun , , Shelley Wees Mfl > rs ancels \ r rh h S . ' aiw + sassa wu , , , scrtviee . rr . . . . . - . . - _ . n " . CHAPTER IX-Continued IX Continued IXContinued11 IX - Continued Continued11MQ -11- 11 -11--MQ 11 MQ 11"So 11"So - 11i - - - i "So So " she told you w " we "e e e weren't werent wcren't wcrent ' Inte Into In Ine | te to e with scith each other2 other other&res otherres ? ' & res Yes quite without restiainf resh'llnt reshllnt resttllnt ' . . 11 It 11ms Itms ItIms ms 'rather rather , ' ather rather queer that a girl could couldso couldso couldfsa so absolutely cool and business businesse | e about her marriage marrlagc , even c\"cn c "cn cn \ " If It Ite ite Itre | e this tbls hind kind of o ! maqriage maqlage maglage Butcourse Butcourse But Butcourse course It Is not in the least ro rontJc rontlc roIntic ntJc ntlc : to her , and does not affect affectemoUons affectem0U0ns affectt emotions emoUons em0U0ns at all , so why should shouldbe shouldbe should6 be anything but buslnesshb.e'l buslnesshb.el buslnesshbel businesshke buslnesshb.e'lyou businesslike"fyou businesslikefyou . " ' t ; you sou really mean to stay heret hereII herea here a II whole "hole hole " year ? ' she sbe asked wIth wIth19b withIgh withligh 19b Igh 'Is Is ' Is It really necess necessary necess'lry necesslry ' iry ? i iles les Yes . . " 'Grandmothers Grandmothers Grandmother ' s no fool She's Shes ' adeal adeal a 1 deal sharper sbarper than you 30U thinkn thinkY think thinkCDYVbat " CDYVbat ; \Y Y \ 1Fbat n bat do you mean ? ' ' I don't dont ' think you re fooling hera her ' a 8 minute She knows you ande andgirl and t e girl aren't arent ' living llvlng together as asn asn asin n and sDd wife She must Lnow know It Itbody Itbody Itlybody body can see It with half halt an anfc " fc Can they the } ) ? How ? ' By that child chlld s face , of course "see see " I see , . , ' Bryn said qulety quietly quletyliar quietlyliar quietlylar ] liar put her hand on his arm > I1 11 her , " she begged 'Go Go ' ' Go aride arid aride e a 8 till t'11b t11b hlk ' . \ ttlth wlth HIl the old lad lady lady.Br ladyBr . } . , Dr Bryn . } n ntell , , ten tell her the truth " " Why Wby I ? " I 1 i do think It 1t Is too much form form for form m to ask you ) vou ou to sicrlOce s'1crlfice s1crlfice szcriflce ' yourT your 1 T ' 'for for ' for a whole year 3 ) ear to an nn old old's old'a olda \ 's s ' "him him whim ft " him She wouldn woudn ] t dien dieii die dien n ii n . . I telly tell j on ou she Is a lot strongban strongban strong strongthan than ban sou you ) ou think thln1 . she Is , and n a lotrper lotrper lot lotrper " rper ryn rya yn laughed To Pilar Piiar It w " was"exactly wasexactly 'lS lS 1s 'lSexactly 1sezactly ' -exactly exactly ezactly " - a pleasant laugh , and andwInced andwinced andwinced wInced a little as she heard H it Hnot itnot Itnot not sacrificing my life , " he s'lhlWhat s said s'lhl slhl saidWhat ' tid tidWhat What do you ) vou ou mcan mean 'I I ' ' , she asked asled askedrply asledII askedlp , rply II lp lpt rply.casing IIealng lpeasing .casing casing ea\lng ea lng easing . \ here herc " would "ould ould be sacrlficmy sacriflcrmy sacriBc sacrlfic sacriflc sacriBcay t [ ay my life Pllir Pihr Don t"ou t \ ' " vou \"ou "ou ou you un un"tand unland untand rmy " "tand tand ? land ? I care more for Grund Grand Grundher's Grandher'e Grandher'a Grandhera her's hers her'e here ' left evebiovv eeblOW eyebtow ) than I do forrybody forrybody for forrybody rybody I e\ e ever eer eier \ er kne\v kne v bne\\ bne knew bnebefore \ \ before , and andor andor andor or Deborah Debornh . . . " a as jLs s for Deborah ? ' E Eell 7cll ell , " " Bryn said s11d at list 1'1st 11st last ' , "upon upon "uponIng "uponIng uponIng " ' Ing lag my brains , I can C'ln Cln cmn ' t think thln1 . of ofhlng oft ofidng t hlng ping In the tbe world tint th'lt thlt that ' you youd youd youd d put In the scales to balance balanceorah balanceorali balanceorali orah orali that would push them themn thema n a a feathers feather s "eight eight weight " weight"re weightre " fl flre re you tr trying to ) ing to tell ten me that thatIn thatIn thatre In 10\ 10 love 10e lose \ e with wlth \ Itb herb her ? ' ' 'hat hat ' Is "ie ie " my general gener11 generil Idea e came a step closer * ' Listen Listeni I ; , " " ' she said , under beI hej beIbreath hejbreath her breath breathteu breathi breathteu i teu . . you're youre ' bewitched bewitchedre re e mid m'ld mld avid ' You can't cant cn't cnt t'in't tint ' ' ! ' marry Deb DebYou . ' You can cant t do it It"can Itcan " can , " Bryn said happily happlly . , . ' IC I Ie " e G C made a despairing gesture gestureean gesturecan gesturecan ean can . , . , . , a real marriage . . Whv Why WhyI , , drive you crary crazy cra y , Bryn 1 ! She'dyou She'dyou She'd Shed ' ( you mad What does she sheabout sheabout sher about life ltfe , or the world , , or orInd orkind ortkind kind Ind of ot culture She has no noIsUcaUoD notstication notsUcation IsUcaUoD tstication , she has no polishnothing polishnothing polish polishnothing nothing but an I Ignorant norant childI child if , I grant you , but as in'slpid inslpid insipid In < : ' lpld ' . . . brook water . In two years i yearsi five yearsfive years , what are you goIng goIngve goingye goingive ve ye for a wife ? There's Theres ' ' noth nothere nothere nothhere ere , Bryn Don't Dont ' be bc carrlel carried carriedby carriedf ] by a pretty face You need need1gence needIgcnce - companion'you companionyou 1gence fen ' g ce , , you need comp'1nlon comp1nlon complnion complnionp ' p 'ou ou yoU ) ' need a wife who "ho ho " is yonr your yourwho yonrwho , who understands your posl post postni posiD posln ni n the tbe world and can help yon you t yout It yonIt youit off oft " " . ti's tis ti'sD ' rn n D was looking at her unhappl unhappf unhapplpassionately unhappfDasslonately unhappitnpasslonately PIhe Plhe passionately Dasslonately , . "I'm Im " ' ' sorry , PI Pl he said gently . ' ' I'm Im ' afl afi afiald aid ald it'swho it'sUCl It's Its It'slue ' UCl who am maldng making tbe the mlst'lke mlstlke mist ' ike mlst'lkellfe ikelife lue llfe life . . You are not quite fair fairborah borah , but we will pass that that4l thatYon thatYou 4l Yon You suggest that I " would "ould ould bewith be - ' with t lth sophistication sophistlcation and po pomil pond poDd nd Dd a woman Womm : \ who ho understands understandsoSlUon understandsoslUoa understandsosltlon oSlUon oslUoa and can help me to torit tolit lit it off on " . Those things mean meang meanC ? g , . , Pllar PIlar . ' I've Ive l.e le ' . seen spen a whole tuu full wholetuu wholefull " 11 of girls such ; as you de deand deand der . and not one of them tbem has hasanything hasanything hasanything alld [ anything to me They're Theyre Tllcy're Tllcyre ' all alltPllar alliPllar d allEtPHar tPllar iPllar , all cut to a pattern patternit it itpattern pattern\ pattern \ patternf patterntalse falsepattern talse false afalse f lse pattern at that . , I nevW nevt1 nev t1 lovei : lovel lo"cI W what - it . . was \ ? as ? ? to n , be yy In lo\"c lo "c c love \ " i I taw saw Deborah I never neverd neverto to think tblnk what It Is Ie ; thatlCaUy thatreally that thatreally I'lln really lCaUy wants out of ot life 1'11 111 I'll Ill ' I'll1 Ill1 ' . n what It la Is now . He lIe wants wantsI I wantsof of wantsn wantsa hia his hla own , and then he wants wantsD wantsDo n a fireside Ilreshle ; ; and nnd then he be wants Do D Do * . you understand that , love1 loverJ loverl And when he finds flnds the love rJ rl " In mindP mindure mindare the world , whose mind ure are re and aweet sweet as Deborah's Deborahs ' . henrt heart Deborah'shenrt Deborah'sheart DMrt Is 1 . - - _ _ , - . . - . > completely ' " "JIJ1C1.C1J JIJ1C1.C1J JIJ1C1C1J " . un an anWhose unwhose UU ' whose "se se " emotions and per- per . - per.a pera perare are ro as 8S deUca delicate te as a flower flower"e flowere flowerng flowerlag lag ' ng " , and nnd absolutelyh au who U USa B Is Ru1 Ru1TnT absolutely 4U 4UH I h unselfl unselfish elflsb h , . , Pllar Pllar PIlar TnT , Kv KviCTflR what whnt can f canf but canbut ffl fflffB fall ffB ffBB In love with h her ? ' Ih i t how ffBUb I feel Sa about 0l 0lB * iCTflR Deborah I iCTflRTiTf , , th the Bbe Ithe doesn't doesnt ' butt B Ub UbJ love TiTf me now H , BnTu but butr t r , the tJme time and th thA the opportu 111 m 10 RX RI I iiNM A J soing going to do my bent best be t to tow toer tobye er 1 love bye me , and ' I'm Im ' not sure 1succeed , Succeed sureSucceed uccccd , , even If she Is 1s II t tM M " tl IItl * times es too good for me " . , -y y - . ' " , ' CHAPTER XP XLaR X XDHAR P PII DHAR II IIR LaR ] . \R R > \ stood motionless her bands hands bandscJa handsclasped handsA cJa clapped clasped < : pcd t1 tightly htly around the rall rail ralllng railIng railIng lng Ing , staring at him Bryn mo\ mo moed moped mopedoff movedoff \ ed edof of off ! again , , tOWaI towaid d the house He Hesugestcd Hesuggested Hesuggested sugestcd suggested ; to Pilar filar that they tbey go In Inbut , but slie she sliook shook her head hC'ld hCld held ' and did not notanswer notanswer notanswer answer , and Bryn Br n did not wait walt wall . . It Ithad Ithad Ithad had suddenly occurred to him what whatIt " whatIt hat hatIt It " was w'is wis 1S ' ' that he must do , and do doqulcl.ly doquickly doquickly qulcl.ly qulclly quickly . He lIe must find Deborah Deborahand Deborahand Deborahand and tell teIl her ber that he loved her lIe He lIereached Hereached Hereached I sittingI reached tho tlle the door of her sitting sittingroom sittingroom sittingroom room He tapped t'1pped t1pped t'ipped tipped ' Ther was no an anI anS anseer ans\\er ans er I S\\ S Ser seer \ \ \ er . . He lIe entered , and nnd closed the thedoor thedoor : door gently behind behmd himBryn him himDnn i iDn Dnn Bryn Dn n hesitated he"lt'lted heltlted hesit'ited hesitited " ' ' , his eyes going to toI toher toher toher her closed bedroom door . He Hestrnl Hestraightened Hestraightened I strnl straightened htened his shoulders Hpi Hpirapped HP HPrapped HPrapped rapped lightly llghtly on the door She Shewould Shewould would \ ould be there She would be dress dressIng dresslag dressIng Ing lag for dinner . "Yes Yes " ? ' ' her ber ber"olce \ " voice \"olce "olce olce answered soft softIy softIy softly Iy , " with "lth lth that small lilt llJt In It that thatsang thatsang thatsang sang In his heart night and day day'It's 'It's Its ' It's Its ' I . , Bryn , " he said "I I " 1 . . , .could could . could you come out and , . . . , and andspeak andspeak andspeak speak to me1 me ? I want to tell you yousomething yousomething yousomething something " There was a little hesitation , and andthen andthen andthen then she said quietly , "Just Just " a mln min mlnute minute minute ute " And , after the minute , she sheopened sheopened sheopened opened the door and came outShe outShe out outShe She was wearing n a dress he lie had hadnever hadnever hadnever never seen , , another old fashioned fashionedone fashionedone fashionedone one , the quaintest and most old oldfashioned oldfashioned oldfashioned fashioned one possible , but her herbeauty herbeauty herbeauty beauty In It took bis his breath bre'lth brelth ' away'lou awav away awav'lou ' 'lou lou ' lou wanted to tell me some some- something something something - - thing ? ' she repeatedBrvn repeatedBryn repeated repeatedBrvn Brvn Bryn looked at her There she shewas shewas shewas was , , the girl he loved , with his wed weddtng wedding wedding dtng ding ring on her finger , and he h'ld hld hid h'ldcome hidcome hadcome ' come racing racsng to tell her that he heloved heloved heloved loved her , and now that she was wasbere washere washere bere here before him , he was "as as " afraid afraid"Aren afraid"Aren afraid"Aren "Aren Aren " t you going to tell me some sonic somethln sonictbing somethings thln tbing ? " Deborah Dcbor'lh Dcborlh Debor'th Deborth ' ' repeated , knItting knIttingher knittingher knittingher her brows fnlntlyEryn faintlyBryn faintly fnlntly faintlyBryn Bryn Eryn started 'Yes Yes ' * Yes " he muttered mutteredHe mutteredHe mutteredHe He swallowed s\\allowcd s allowcd \ 'Deborah Deborah ' , that isdid Is . . . . did slie she . , . . I mean , wh'1t wh1t wh'it whit wh'1tdId wh'itdid whatdid ' dId Pllar Pilar s sa\ sa S'l\ S'l Sl sato S'lto ' ii \ to you this morningI morningsI morning mornings ? ' ? I mean , , " what "hat hat that she sl1e said s'lld slld s ' ild I I'm Im 1cn < : ' n t Impor Important Importaut Important tant taut , but I want to know hnow . . , , . that thatIq thatic thatIS Iq ic , did she try to make you think thinktha thinkthat thinkthat tha that t . . . . . " Deborah w was W'lS WlS ' is looking 1001.lng 1001lng . at him with withthose withthose withthose those quiet eyes She shook her herhead herhead herhead head 'It It ' ' It doesn't doesnt ' matt matter r , ' she saId saIdgently saidgently saidgently "I I " " gently understand En Bra Brvn n took a deep breath 'You You ' You . . . you don't dont ' understand underst'1nd underst1nd ' ; , " ' he heprotested heprotested heirotested protested ' ' ' I'm Im ' ' trying to say th'lt thlt tint tintwhateser th'lt"hate thatwhatever ' "hate\ "hate hate "hateer whateser " \ er she told you \ was as wrong wrongIt wrongIt wrongIt It l i isn't isnt < : n't nt ' true " Her Dcr glance ghnce dropped quickly toher to toher toher her hands , , clasped together before beforeher beforeher beforeher her . . ' It Is true , " she bhe said with withconvIctIon withconviction withconviction withconviction"What convIctIon convIctIon"What "What What " is ? ' ' Bryn said In despera clespera desperatIon clesperatlon desperatlon desperatlon"What tIon tlon tIon"W1lat tlon"What "What What "W1lat W1lat " she . said 81111 ' But nut It doesn't doesnt doesn'tmatter doesn'tmatter doesn'tmatter doesntmatter ' matter , you know Th That Th'lt Thlt ' it Is , not to tome tome tome me I can Imagine that th'lt thlt th'tt thtt ' ' you must mustbe mustbe mustbe be troubled a " when "hen hen hen you think nbout about nboutthe aboutthe aboutthe the position poslUon poslUonou \ vou \ou ou you find youiscif YOUlseif youiself In Inbut inbut Inbut but you needn't neednt ' be troubled on mv my mvaccount myaccount mvaccount account Reallv ne'lllv nelllv Reilly ' , Bryn If It only we ne \ e . . . . _ . , . If onlv only there were some " v\av v av way \ 3V . . . . . . but Grandmother . . , . " 'The The ' The position posltJon I find myself 013 mJ < : self elf In In'Bryn InBryn ? ' Bryn repeated Incredulously "What What "Whatposition "Whatposition "Whatposition Whatposition " position do I find myself mvself mv < : elf ln In ? " " Deborah was silent snent for a long mo moment momeat momcnt ment meat , , her eyes still sUll hidden hhlden Then Thenshe Thenshe Thenshe she ' raised r'llsed rllsed rilsed them and said , 'Let's Lets Let's 'Let'snot ' Let'snot Let'snot Letsnot ' not discuss dlecuss dl < : cuss It H . , Bryn Dryn It Isn't Isnt ' neeessary nec necescary necessary escary essary : . , . " "Did Did " she sbe su suggest est , " DrJ Bry Brn ; n demand demanded demanded demanded ed tensely , l ' ( ] did 1d she suggest suggect ; that thatI I was , , or ever had been . , In 10\ 10 10e loge 10"lth logewith lovewith \ e "lth lth with " her ? I suppose that's thats ' not a aquestion aquestion aquestion question a man ou ought ht to ask , but I IthInk Ithink Ithink thInk ' I'm Im ' ' justified jUbtlfied ' I'm Im ' just jui jut t tie he tieI tieginning heginning heginning ginning to " wake "ahe ahe up to n a nuinocr numer numder , ) of ofthings ofthings . I thIngs Tell me . . . did she ? " I IDeborah's Deborah's Deborahs ' eyes c ) es darkened darbened " ' "hI hI " , ' > hn hnshowed ! ) ? " showed me her ring " I ' Her ring ? What Wht ' ! rln ring |