Show a W F i act lice Shell wees wee t A CHAPTER IX continued it 11 j so io she iod bold y you 0 u we in love with each aach otherl other yes quite without restraint it seems rather queer that abata a girl could be so absolutely cool and business alki like arouther about her marriage even if it were this kind of marriage but of course it is not in the least ro mantle taher to her and does not affect her emotions at all so why should sh she ile be anything but bus businesslike do you really mean to stay here fora for a whole year she asked with i a sigh Is it really necessary yes grandmothers no fool sties a good goad deal sharper than you think bryn what do you mean 1 I dont think youre fooling her for a minute she Slie knows you and the girl arent living together as man man and wife she must know it anybody can can see it with half an eye can they how by that childs face of course 1 I see bryn said sald quietly pilar put her hand ton on his bis arm tell her she begged go and have a talk with the old lady bryn and tell her the truth why 1 I do think it Is too much tor for them to ask you to sacrifice your life for a whole year to an old ladys s whim she die bryn I 1 tell you sheli she Is st a lot stronger than you think she Is and a lot sharper bryn laughed to pilar it was not exactly a pleasant laugh and she winced a little as she heard beard it im not sacrificing my life he said what do you mean she asked sharply leaving here would bould be sacrificing my life pilai dont you understand der stand I 1 care more moe for grandmothers iiii mothers others lift left eye eyebrow birow than I 1 do for everybody I 1 ever knew before and as for I 1 deborah As for or deborah I well lVell bryn said at lost last upon rail racking klig my brains I 1 cant think of anything in the world that you could puolan thes the scales calois to balance deborah that 1 would push then them down a feathers weight are you trying to tell me that youre youie in love with her that Is my general idea she came a step closer listen Ll sten bryn she blie said under her breath listen youre bewitched youre mad you cant marry deborah you cant do it 1 I can bryn said happily 1 I have she made a despairing gesture 1 I mean a real marriage why shed drive you crazy bryn 1 shed drive you mad what does she know about life or the world or any kind of culture she has no sophistication she has no polish ashes nothing but an ignorant child pretty I 1 grant you but as insipid as brook water in two years in five years what are you going goina to have for a wife theres nothing there bryn dont be carried away by a pretty face you need intelligence you need companionship you need a wife who Is your equal who understands your position in the world and can help belp you yoli carry it orv off bryn was looking at her un unhappily happl compassionately im sorry pl lar ar I 1 I 1 he be sald said gently III im in afraid its not I 1 who am iii making aking the mistake about life you are not quite fair to deborah but we will pass that over you suggest that I 1 would be happy with sophistication and polish and anad a dommi woman who understands my position and can help belp me to carry it oft off those things benji mean nothing allar ive seen a whole world full of girls such as you describe and not one of them has meant anything tome to me all alike 1 pilar all cut to a pattern 2 and a false pattern at that I 1 never knew kaev what it was to be in love until I 1 saw deborah I 1 never never st stopped ollied to think what it Js is that a a man really wants out of ifa life 1 ill 11 tell yon what itis it Is now he wants a girl of his own and then he wants disown fireside and then be wants hl his is son n you understand that illar 7 and i finds the lovel list girl in 16 the world orla whose mind Is s ashure andi sweet as deborahh Debo arlit pu Z s he heart aar Is completely untouched y toi clied whose emotions and pei per ais as delicate as a flower inspiring in spring and who Is absolu absolutely teli kind and unselfish illar what can he do but tall fall in love with her tila how 1 I feel about deborah I 1 kaw ahe florint floe int aloie ine biow now but if I 1 get geli theotime the time and theop the on anity im going to do my best to make hiir her love me and im no not t sure I 1 cant even if she ls isa a thousand times too tolo good tor or roe me s Ss sims a CHAPTER X ILAR stood motionless her hands Pela clasped sped tightly around the railing staring at him bryn moved off a gain again toward the house ile he suggested to rilar that thit they go in but she shook her head and did not shawe answer r and bryn did not wait it had bad suddenly occurred to him what it was that he must do and do quickly he must find deborah and tell her that he loved her he reach reached ed the door of her hei sitting room lie he tapped ther was no answer awer ile he entered and closed the door gently behind him bryn hesitated his eyes going to her closed bedroom void r aolia door ile he straightened his shoulders HP he rapped tightly lightly on the door she would be there she would hed be dressing r ess for dinner yes her voice answered softly with that small lilt in it that sang in his ats heart night and day its 1 I bryn lie he said 1 I I 1 could you come out and and iund to me I 1 want to tell you something 6 thing 11 there there was a little hesitation and then tb en she said quietly just a minute and after the minute she opened the door and came out she was wearing a dress he had never seen another old fashioned pike the quaintest quain test and most old fashioned ahe one poi possible but her beauty in it took his breath away you wanted to tell me something she repeated bryn looked at her there she was the girl he loved with his big wedding ring on her finger ilger fl and he be had come racing to tell her that he be loved her and now that she was here before him he was afraid arent you going to tell me something deborah repeated knitting her brows faintly bryn started yes he muttered he swallowed deborah that Is i did she I 1 mean what did loi kar allar say to you this morning I 1 mean what she said important but I 1 want to know that Is did she try to make you think that deborah was looking at him with those quiet eyes she shook her head it matter she said gently 1 I understand bryn took it a deep breath you you dont under understand 11 he protested im trying to say that whatever she told you was wrong it true her glance dropped quickly to her hands clasped together before her it Is true she said with conviction what asti Is bryn said in desperation what she said but it matter you yon know that Is not to me I 1 can imagine that you must be troubled ed when youl you think about tile the position you find yourself in but you be troubled on my account really bryn if only we it if only there were some way but grandmother the position ifland I 1 find myself tn in bryn repeated incredulously what position do I 1 find myself in deborah Debo rali was silent for a long moment her eyes still hidden then she raised them and said lets not discuss it bryn it necessary 11 did she suggest bryn demanded tensely did she suggest that I 1 was or ever had been in love with her I 1 sup suppose not a question a man ought to ask but I 1 think im justified im just beginning to wake up to a number of things tell me did she deborahh Debo eyes darkened slip showed me her ring her ring Wha tring the ruby you gave her oh lt bryn said after a moment he turned and walked away across the room he stand being there so close to her without touching her and there was still too much between them to think of to velling her did she suggest it I 1 was an engagement ring deborah did she dare say it was 1 I it what she said I 1 thought ehst abst was what she meant but you explain these thing sto to nie me bryn there any explanation due me you know the explanation n it ie seema e latome ma tome to me Is due to pilar herself she she blie know exactly why you married me it must puzzle her dread fully it roust must hurt her iou you tell her she is all torn to pieces with being hurt buit about 14 it wondering about it IL I 1 can iee see why she talks as she does I 1 dont quite it matter she said hastily and thin then again 1 I 1 think yoi lou ought fought botell to tell her I 1 chave 1 I have told her bryn said and pame en me a step closer she knows ex acely why I 1 wanted to marry you ou fasi deborah nobody la in this world could have it any plainer 11 ima glad Bryn came backmo back to stand before her deborah it if 1 I explain about that tha tring ring will yoi you believe me it necessary for or you to explain liia lilt it any of my business but I 1 lantto want to explain will you believe me her eyes met his bis steadily of courie course but 11 dont object please listen deborah etwas it was as businesslike a transaction as this when I 1 went to the a Orle orient fit I 1 was headed for india we had talked nil all sorts of nonsense I 1 about jewels and precious stones and old treasures there and after I 1 got there I 1 kept my eyes open for that sort of thing and once or twice nice in writing home to pilar I 1 told her about one or two shingi id seen seen so in one letter I 1 had bid from her she enclosed enc lobed a check and visited asked me to buy her the most beautiful ruby I 1 could find I 1 bought the ruby and had it set tor for her in india the ring that slie she Is wearing now deborah did not speak bryn moved a step closer jle he put out his hand and touched hers gently ile he took her cold fingers within ills his own and held them as he spoke she did not draw away 1 I have an engagement ring to give he told her it was my mothers it a ruby deborah Debo rali its a pearl and the ring itself Is much too small for Il lars hand band I 1 realize it until lately but I 1 think ive been waiting all my life for a girl who could wear my moth ers ring deborah drew her hand away swiftly and ana put them both behind her she stared up at him her face I 1 1 and who are you he inquired belligerently pate he eyes were very dark bryn stood silent smiling down at her do you know what im trying to say deborah they stood so facing pach each other eyes clinging together bryn took a step forward lost the world swinging around him along slow sound floated in through the open windows it persisted I 1 it cut into his conscious ness deborah heard it too she caught her breath it was joes horn clear demanding it came again A wave of color began to sweep up over deborahh Debo face she moved quickly she had bad heard the horn too but now she smiled at him bryn put his arms out he put them around her lifted her oft off her feet held her close against his breast she burled her face against him ile he bent and kissed the tip of her ear 1 I love you he whispered then set her gently on the floor find and went swiftly away lest he should be tempted to look into her eyes again and so forgot what must be done at once for the sake of her happiness bryn dashed madly down file fhe stairs and out of the house halfway down the path to the little bridge he overtook tubby thrust his arm through the crook 0 of f tub bys elbow and dragged him along bryn flung open the narrow door at the back of the stable and they stepped inside simon was already there leaning aga against dinst bryns car at the end of the row his cigarette glowing brightly well bryn announced announce dhere Iier ewe we are arc little buttercup oh 11 simon simoa murmured nice the headlights of a car came slowly across the bridge down at the road A mans voice called out something in a sharp tone and gary answered from the gate the car turned the gate opened the car swung through and stopped as gary shut the gates behind it and fastened them according to his instructions ile he came back to the car climbed to the running board and stood beside the driver as it moved slowly toward towar i oatlie the wide wid door edoor of the stable its graham all right bryn decided ile he stepped through throng 11 the narrow door beside hazels stall and the others followed the car across ross the end of the incline and slid along with protesting brakes bankes toga toa halt beside the shadowy bulk of car G gary ary got down off of the ru running nning board and went immediately mackto back to slide the stable dgorg shut shuf meanwhile the driver flung open his door and stepped keppel out and one look lit at him n lii Y yaka 74 J r j lii was sufficient to assure bryn that thai this was without any shadow of doubt stuart graham at last no n was out of his navy wes blues and in ID dark civilian clothes a big blocky figure augure with tremendously wado shoulders that swung as lie he moved ue he was speaking to gary mra airs larned lamed expects me yes sir ilass s mayne arrived homo home again safely ll yes sir bryn stepped in through the narrow door lie ile kasnot was not a yard frow from graham how do you do bryn said pleasantly graham whirled ile he surveyed adryn yn steadily with eyes ees that glint ed in the light and who are you jou lie inquired belligerently bryn lifted his eyebrows sure you dont remember me graham graham straightened ills his hand hanging at ills his side clenched itself so I 1 lie he said softly its you ie ies yes 1 I suppose you did the noble rescuer act and brought deborah home again the poor little country girl lost in the big city something like that bryn agreed equably and youve been hanging around here ever since hanging around ever since shoe bryn repeated quietly and now that you know all about me I 1 should like to discuss with you your own position here unfortunately there was no time after your letter arrived to get an answer to you or we might have spared you the trouble of this trip what do you mean spared me the trouble of tills this trip surely you understand that it if was quite useless for you to come here graham you must know that you put yourself quite out of the picture by your actions in san sall francisco grahams Gra liams voice thickened your fault 1 I dont think so it was fortunate for deborah that somebody happened along to belp belpher hel pher ller but she would not have married you graham even if slie she had to work the answer out for herself she was quite unprepared for the way in which you greeted her it was entirely your own fault it if you had taken the trouble to act as a gentleman for the short time it was necessary to spend with her she would have married you she expected to marry you I 1 was only a chance passerby passer by Is that so graham said through clenched teeth its a damned lie what you think get out of it I 1 dont know who the devil are you this Is my business no bryn said slowly not kot any longer grahams eyes narrowed why lie inquired go on try your story out on me see how far you get bryn regarded him very well lie he sald said then you came up here expecting eventually to marry her am I 1 right apparently you have already read lead my letter yes well deborah wont marry you final oh ob graham murmured scathingly so final Is it and I 1 suppose ose ashes scared to see me a and ad tell me herself Is she it necessary for her to see you bryn brn explained her marriage with you no longer depends on her own on choice she cant marry you even in case like our friend 0 of f the jungle you had changed your spots she cant marry you because she Is already married to me for halt half a minute graham stood perfectly motionless staring at him then he moved back a step and folded ills his arms do you expect me to believe that 1 I hoped you would well I 1 wont its a damn lie she marry you she marry you I 1 know tile the family I 1 know the circumstances in ive had plenty of letters from the grandmother and the girl too there a chance in the world that shed have married marrie d you why you know damn well why in the first place she loses her property in the second place the old woman hear bear of it for a minute property or no property shed starve first im tile the |