Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 75: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE KNIGHT OF face, and changed it to tormented uncer- tainty. She might have been suffering or she might have been smiling cynically at his earnestness. When she would not speak he returned to the beginning. “Why did you follow me_ to-night, Britches?” She turned her face to him. ‘Because IT love you.” The words seemed to fill the room, drowning the noise of the storm outside and forever breaking the silence that had been between these two. Like an unfold- ing panorama all that had been mysterious became translucently clear while it re- mained incredible. She loved him, and because she loved him she had thrown everything away. He knew in a vague way that women do these things, but he could not understand why. After awhile he knew that he must say something to soften it all. “YT never thought that, Britches,’’ he said in a choked voice. ‘I reckon you must be mistaken—-you just sorta fancy you-—you——feel that way.” “No, no,” she said steadily. “1 love you. It seems like I’ve always loved you, Billie, right from the very first.”’ In some fantastic reversal of their per- sonalities she had become the _ elder, speaking of her heart dispassionately as though its emotions were one with her past. She smiled faintly, knowing that what she said might put him further from her, yet bound to say everything because the secret had grown too intolerable a burden for her slender breast. “T reckon I’ve made a mess of it all,” she went on. ‘“‘ When all the love’s on one side it usually is a mess, isn’t it? But I couldn’t help doin’ the crazy things I did do, any more than breathin’. Something was drivin’ me all the time.---half the time I was wantin’ to tear at you with my fin- gers, while I’d have diel to save you the least hurt from anyone else. There ain’t any misery like the misery of lovin’ some- body who doesn’t know it---or wouldn’t care if he did. That’s why J come here to tell you about it to-night—maybe it’ll help some,—sorta ease it off my heart onto yours. You can’t help feelin’ sorry a LONELY LAND.. 961 little, and understandin’ why I turned out’ to be a quitter.” She was so plainly suffering that he leaned over and patted her hand awkward- lv as if he were a little afraid of the con- tact. But she drew herself swiftly away. “After all, I don’t want you to pity me. I’ve had too much of that. It hurts. Why don’t you pity that girl who lives at your place. She’d want it.” She spoke haltingly, the words coming against her will. She had not wanted to bring Geraldine’s name into her hour with him, yet it was here; flaming out like a torch lighted by her furious jealousy. She knew by the faint start he gave and by the withdrawing of his eyes that her in- stinct had not been wrong. She longed to have the word back, but her tormented heart drove her on. She taunted him. ‘ She’s one of the sort that takes every- thing. She’d even take pity.” He answered bruskly, his impulses to tenderness changed to another feeling. ‘“T’ve got no call to pity her. She's a good girl.” “And I’m a bad one.” Her face changed and darkened with anger and pain. “ You mean a lot of things by that, you won’t ever speak in words.”’ Sudden- iv she flung out her arms in a gesture of abnegation so piteous and complete that it was like opening a door upon a closed and secret room; then the confession that hung upon her lips came rushing from them and she laid ther naked heart before him. ‘ Because T loved you I’ve made myself bad. I helped folks to steal, and I’ve made myself one of them. I couldn’t have any peace livin’ here so close to you an’ as far as the stars from ever makin’ you love me. Seemed like if I was to throw everything away an’ let myself go to hell—-you might care one way or the other. It’d be better to hate me than just not care! I want you to say it now, Bil- lie. say it to-night—that you hate me -- then maybe I can go off an’ forget about you. “ But T don’t hate you,” he answered. considering his words. ‘ There isn’t any reason I can see why wey) Bret esbee