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."Glenn, during the war it was not so--so very hard to wear this ring as anengagement ring should be worn," said Carley, growing more earnest."But afterthe war--especially after your departure West it was terribly hard to be trueto the significance of this betrothal ring.There was a let-down in all women.Oh, no one need tell me! There was.And men were affected by that and thePage 21ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlchaotic condition of the times.New York was wild during the year of yourabsence.Prohibition was a joke.--Well, I gadded, danced, dressed, drank,smoked, motored, just the same as the other women in our crowd.Somethingdrove me to.I never rested.Excitement seemed to be happiness--Glenn, I amnot making any plea to excuse all that.But I want you to know--how undertrying circumstances--I was absolutely true to you.Understand me.I mean trueas regards love.Through it all I loved you just the same.And now I'm withyou, it seems, oh, so much more!.Your last letter hurt me.I don't knowjust how.But I came West to see you--to tell you this--and to ask you.Do you want this ring back?""Certainly not," he replied, forcibly, with a dark flush spreading over hisface."Then--you love me?" she whispered."Yes--I love you," he returned, deliberately."And in spite of all yousay--very probably more than you love me.But you, like all women, makelove and its expression the sole object of life.Carley, I have been concernedwith keeping my body from the grave and my soul from hell.""But--clear--you're well now?" she returned, with trembling lips."Yes, I've almost pulled out.""Then what is wrong?""Wrong?--With me or you," he queried, with keen, enigmatical glance upon her."What is wrong between us? There is something.""Carley, a man who has been on the verge--as I have been--seldom or nevercomes back to happiness.But perhaps--""You frighten me," cried Carley, and, rising, she sat upon the arm of hischair and encircled his neck with her arms."How can I help if I do notunderstand? Am I so miserably little?.Glenn, must I tell you? No womancan live without love.I need to be loved.That's all that's wrong with me.""Carley, you are still an imperious, mushy girl," replied Glenn, taking herinto his arms."I need to be loved, too.But that's not what is wrong with me.You'll have to find it out yourself.""You're a dear old Sphinx," she retorted."Listen, Carley," he said, earnestly."About this love-making stuff.Pleasedon't misunderstand me.I love you.I'm starved for your kisses.But--is itright to ask them?""Right! Aren't we engaged? And don't I want to give them?""If I were only sure we'd be married!" he said, in low, tense voice, as ifspeaking more to himself."Married!" cried Carley, convulsively clasping him."Of course we'll bemarried.Glenn, you wouldn't jilt me?""Carley, what I mean is that you might never really marry me," he answered,seriously.Page 22ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Oh, if that's all you need be sure of, Glenn Kilbourne, you may begin tomake love to me now."It was late when Carley went up to her room.And she was in such a softenedmood, so happy and excited and yet disturbed in mind, that the coldness andthe darkness did not matter in the least.She undressed in pitchy blackness,stumbling over chair and bed, feeling for what she needed.And in her moodthis unusual proceeding was fun.When ready for bed she opened the door totake a peep out.Through the dense blackness the waterfall showed dimlyopaque.Carley felt a soft mist wet her face.The low roar of the fallingwater seemed to envelop her.Under the cliff wall brooded impenetrable gloom.But out above the treetops shone great stars, wonderfully white and radiantand cold, with a piercing contrast to the deep clear blue of sky.Thewaterfall hummed into an absolutely dead silence.It emphasized the silence.Not only cold was it that made Carley shudder.How lonely, how lost, howhidden this canyon!Then she hurried to bed, grateful for the warm woolly blankets.Relaxationand thought brought consciousness of the heat of her blood, the beat and throband swell of her heart, of the tumult within her.In the lonely darkness ofher room she might have faced the truth of her strangely renewed and augmentedlove for Glenn Kilbourne.But she was more concerned with her happiness.Shehad won him back.Her presence, her love had overcome his restraint.Shethrilled in the sweet consciousness of her woman's conquest.How splendid hewas! To hold back physical tenderness, the simple expressions of love, becausehe had feared they might unduly influence her! He had grown in many ways.Shemust be careful to reach up to his ideals.That about Flo Hutter'stoil-hardened hands! Was that significance somehow connected with the rift inthe lute? For Carley admitted to herself that there was something amiss,something incomprehensible, something intangible that obtruded its menace intoher dream of future happiness.Still, what had she to fear, so long as shecould be with Glenn?And yet there were forced upon her, insistent and perplexing, thequestions--was her love selfish? was she considering him? was she blind tosomething he could see? Tomorrow and next day and the days to come heldpromise of joyous companionship with Glenn, yet likewise they seemed full of aportent of trouble for her, or fight and ordeal, of lessons that would makelife significant for her.CHAPTER IIICarley was awakened by rattling sounds in her room.The raising of sleepyeyelids disclosed Flo on her knees before the little stove, ill the act oflighting a fire."Mawnin', Carley," she drawled."It's shore cold.Reckon it'll snow today,worse luck, just because you're here.Take my hunch and stay in bed till thefire burns up.""I shall do no such thing," declared Carley, heroically."We're afraid you'll take cold," said Flo."This is desert country with highaltitude.Spring is here when the sun shines.But it's only shinin' in streaksthese days.That means winter, really.Please be good.""Well, it doesn't require much self-denial to stay here awhile longer,"replied Carley, lazily.Flo left with a parting admonition not to let the stove get red-hot.AndPage 23ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlCarley lay snuggled in the warm blankets, dreading the ordeal of getting outinto that cold bare room.Her nose was cold.When her nose grew cold, it beinga faithful barometer as to temperature, Carley knew there was frost in theair.She preferred summer.Steam-heated rooms with hothouse flowers lendingtheir perfume had certainly not trained Carley for primitive conditions [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]