Show rr 1 4 t 1 11 s iE 1 t r F COPYRIGHT BY n noon oDD MEAD AND AND COV Co Cof 11 1 w CHAPTER CHAPTER PTER VI VI-Conti VI Continued 14 14 Veil Well she he said with a n long deep I 1 aint got to be JA b ine me e but bat my Iy kar l lr I a ud r what lour My character Toa 1 n mean your tt Its It's all aU I got got- Toure Youre got something else else else- He acted shed ched for tor her ber band hand drew ol oft off her cotton totton ton glove glore and clasped her fingers Youre Inae got got got- B But Bat t she worked her h hand nd free flee of li Ei a and d drew on her glove again My egers is cold H He ge frowned She might be glad he ranted to hold bold her hand I 1 You Yon not only have my mother but oar nur r father on the scent I he reproached reproached re re- re- re poached her What did you do to toke Dale ke him suspicious It It was that there futch Aunt fetch Aunt Rosy top tor him about it Did he was lie was he oto toto to lee to you foe faltered frittered the girl girl and and the hi In n her ber voice was not as- as Vo So but I had this letter from him EJ fe drew an envelope from his pocket nd tad handed banded It to her Read It and It-and and andi i e what mischief your fudge has tide all aU round my dear It was a pathetic little note Meely felt poor felt poor Mr anxiously endeavoring to protect his wayward child yet equally anxious to avert din din- J with his hs powerful neighbor by casting costing on him any base unfounded suspicion pointing out to St. St Croix the Impossibility of any safe or hon honorable honor honor- rable r- r able relation between him and his daughter due to their able differences In station wealth and Vacation education Somehow the most pathetic pathetic pathetic pa pa- part of it to Meely leely was the poor sins clans struggles to write Intelligent English Whiles we have always l t ken n in co comfortable a circumstances yet limited but honest and honorable h Our females in our family being e ever er and very Chaste and never us though many a tons ions ns remembered as she found the fords cords all spelled correctly how as- as as- as the armor had bad one evening to ID her mystification been consulting he the e dictionary and and how he had asked ler Ia to spell for him several long Iong lords She was relieved d to tp find that Nettle Nettie ns RI referred to only only as as My daugh- daugh ler and and not by name Poor Pop rop Pori sh she sighed as as she reb re- re b fraed ned the letter to its ts envelope and pissed passed it back to St. St Croix h he he means means' means I to well wen by us children So you see Meely youve you've got tott to tol l tt careful No more morp fudge fudgen I never nefer conceited It t would give all allWs Ws this here trouble I I she lamented on the toe verge Terge of tears St SL Croix looked a a sh shade de 7 l less ss au flu au- tee here Wh red you you u get the u the spiffy road he asked Looks for the world lIke e English tweed Its the teachers She left me borNT borrow borrow bor- bor row NT the loan of it off oft of her Now ow ow look here her f Why cant can't you uy simply that she sIle lent It to you you you- of all all' th those se superfluous superfluous' words words the jle he let you borrow borr w the loan of or It Ito itc o c of her I Ye gods She lent It to tort te rt That says what what Ul t you mean mean l d E it Fir Five wor words s instead of ot a d enl Act Cb well I pouted Meely looking l In as though she were on the verge ti of and tears then suddenly to her consternation she quite uncontrollably Dickered rushing crushing crushing her hand against lu JJ t mouth to keep from laughing g h hy hys- hys s s- Fortunately for her ber he toola took tool r tor a suppressed sob ere re 6 there my dear he said h Impatiently half halt remorsefully ever er mind I Youre You're past teaching flior 1 Look here l Meely why 1 ent t you ever men that mentioned that the Heber cher boards with you OU 7 Youve You've ed of e everyone Crone else in n the house house- d. d 11 you see see- I had afraid you yon t t Want vant Dt to be bo gave nn an I t to o h ber er and she's so pretty I had lous I Jus r She dhe I Is s a pretty little tiring thing But nut i 1 if der er he grinned what broth broth- it f li Marvin my t. t thInks Of ot such a little I 1 ora US teaching a district school t t know w they had Ruch such crude c rs as ns that In the schools but ut h she's awful e good od In n geobra t. t She can n bind every ever state on the Vork k quilt 1 I 1 Quilt 1 iou tou know the the map And sums 1 I You o to see Eco her Der d do sums gOodness k I To he be sure she cant can't ter Res ery I correct She gets sets her w's ws b Ch h mixed terrible 1 But nut United to story I Why she knows even toot O lopi I otes 3 now mind Im I'm 2 lie lle Ith talked he the talked tailed he watched her h r EM i b eyes but hut It was her ray ray- Wani s a Elf lf not Nettles Nettle's proficiency y yu In ina r and r footnotes otes u nj 3 that caused till Auld 1 e steely In n that coat you r M t k 2 Gass a. a for tor J r anything 6 at all r I You t o S t Sly like uKe 44 o a swell 1 Patri Patri- i e laughed little dreaming of at course that the girl understood understood un un- why he laughed why he thought It funny that Meely ton should look patrician actually I And hAnd If It I really was so pa pa high high high- toned like I look In this here coat she responded wistfully you could marry me then I r Aint Mr Crelghton Creigh ton Marriage Isn't the happiest relation between a man and woman Meely Meely- there Is a freer happier relation h he said insinuatingly ingratiatingly Insinuatingly In ingratiatingly But nut since I aint toned high she broke In n why do you take all this here worry and trouble to meet up with me Youre always asking me that Meely I Ive I've told you you you-you you know know- know No I dont If It you think Im I'm common com com- mon too mon too common to marry marry then then what Is It about me you like so good Well if It youve you've got to have an answer answer answer an an- I suppose Meely l he said re re- 9 4 N Nr r 4 I r 1 r i Well Well lA Silo She Said with a Long Deep Sigh Me liMe I Aint Got to toBe toBe Be Be Proud of but but My K garding g her appraisingly Its that that- youre you're so absolutely feminine 1 Feminine ne hut t my y goodness good good- what ness ness i what would you expect It uIt makes males you to most men my dear so irresistible I cant can't understand understand understand under under- stand how youve you've gone this long without without without with with- with with- out being married Why haven't y you t I married Meely eely f p pAch 1 JAch Ach I got no curiosity r lie winced wInced How blatantly vulgar she c could uld be bet I However she had given him Iris ills cue cue cue-a a wed wedge e to break down barri barriers barriers rs He lIe found himself surprised at his his his' own sense of reluctance to come t to the point with her to put his quest to the test an n undefined apprehension of ot disappointment though disappointment though of course that was ridiculous ridiculous- surely she loved and desired him or why had hid she been heen risking so much to meet him hint here Surely she was flattered nattered at rit it his desiring her He suddenly snatched her to hire him with p passionate kisses kisses so so fiercely that this time she was too helpless In his hard grip to avert his lips lips and and into her tier ears he be poured out words not In her tier vocabulary vocabulary she she could only guess their meaning could only surmise that hat now at last he was telling her what all along she had known that known that he took her for tor a hussy huss and I 1 and although although al al- though through all aU these weeks she had been expecting this climax yet It came to her Iler now with a shuddering shock free herself herself herself her her- In vain she struggled struggle to self from his hs arms and his appalling words words- y y X X X X X X X X Let me go Or gO-Or or Ill I'll scream I the be managed to gasp at last He Be was not too far tar gone to know the danger of her threat their hilltop hilltop hilltop hill- hill top though isolated being not too distant for a scream to be heard from the valley below Panting barn battled baffled ed he dropped his hs arms from about her his face tace distorted distort- distort ed with a mingled resentment and an anguish ot of hungry yearning But nut he it u j clutched her skirt lest she get et u up and run awn away y She only moved however however how how- ever n felt f few y Inches from him him on on the log her w whole whole l b body y trembling her hea her 1 lace tace face deathly white If It you touch me PIT meril rh nm she I sc scream ream 1 1 she gns gasped ed He could not find breath to answer h her Can we e she asked scarcely Y abo above n a whisper 11 t talk alk this Oils here thing out Mr Creighton there to say I want you your I You surely want want me Ill I'll Ill I'll amply Y reward reward re re- ward you yoU yoU-If You menn b mean mean buy buy y me Of Ot course not-any not more more than y ull 11 buy m me We want each ach other I Meely Neely M ely 1 I Ill I'll reward you fo for the risk you take take reward reward you well ell ell- Do you mean you'll give she me me- me money A uA pile of ot It that It-that that you can put away for your marriage marriage- lit l i Meely eel ely y started this started this was an amazIng amazing ing world that was being baing revealed to her r She had not dreamed how far some men would go how ruthl ruthless ss tI they ey could be in degrading a girl For my marriage I she breathed Ach itch Mr Creighton I didn't know you yon thought that low down of me I 1 Before the look of utter dismay that had come Into her face he actually felt to his b own bewilderment a momentary momentary mo mo- embarrassment Was Vas she going to be sentimental and scrupulous scrupulous lous That would make things m much ch too difficult difficult he he had certainly not an an- having to wrestle with scruples I II I dont don't think low down of ot you Meely We Ve love lo each other ther- other other- Loge Loye But Id I'd think Mr Creighton Creigh Creigh- ton that If It a n man loved a girl hed he'd her not hurt her I But love never hurt an anyone one Meely I 1 It enriches and blesses blesses because because it gives ecstasy Ecstasy l Meely leely eely I you had a sister would sister would yo you go ahead and tell her to take such blessing and riches and ecstasy as youre you're o me Would ld you He Ignored this rId ridiculous culous question Meely love should be as free and natural to us as breathing this autumn autumn au au- air 1 Its It's a glorious adventure adventure adventure ture ture- ture But If It its it's that that a a glorious adventure ture why ture why make It a ugly bargain that you gotta sotta hide and be ashamed of or all all' your life Ufe Ashamed 7 Look at those those- birds birds birds- and all the theother other other wild free things IAre I. I I- I Are they ashamed Then why should we be ashamed when were we're only yielding yielding yield yield- ing to our natures that God gave usHe usHe us us He found himself reasoning witH he her Just as though though h he b believed li d she were seriously putting up all nIl these objections 1 I 2 Yes well but th the thirds Birds mate she answered and live ve In a nest and hatch young ones That's what love e loveIs Is Is-a Is a home and children living and working together and ringing bringing up up children hUdren Nothing else Is good enough for me Mr Creighton thank you I Oh Meely eely you dont don't realize realize a a afree a afree free spontaneous love like ours c can n be so much more beautiful than the deadly dull dul stale marriage relation 1 1 Beautiful and for fear well we'll be found nd out and I-and and goin against the Nature Nature you talk tal about about about- for Its for its it's goin against Nature when you have hae a chIld And you call that love I That aint love Mr Creighton Its It's well Its well what would you call it I dont don't know what you'd call It It- It 1 If all ali you se see see in love iove a n lovely I young creature like you I Is childbearing child chUd childbearing I bearing I But that's what iove loves love's for tor aint It 1 it if If Its It's Nat Nature r youre you're me meto meto meto to follow And you you me me money yet for my marriage As Aj If It f even a common man would marry me If It he ha I was a a loose woman I Even Evena a man Mr Creighton wants his kids kids' mother to be a good woman 1 In Inlove Inlove Inlove But But theres there's no right or wrong love Meely love Meely-love love Is so divinely above those superstitions I Love Is isI is- is I UI aint she broke In so Uso much about whether Its It's right or wrong Its It's whether Its It's good sense for a girl to give herself to a mau man that thinks she aint good enough to marry him film I What's It worth to a 8 girl TO BE DE CONTINUED X X X X X X X X X X X X X |