[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
time sped by!
That night he dressed himself carefully, wearing the service uniform
he had so well preserved, and sallied forth to the most fashionable
restaurant in Middleville, where in the glare and gayety he had his
dinner. Lane recognized many of the dining, dancing throng, but showed
no sign of it. He became aware that his presence had excited comment.
How remote he seemed to feel himself from that eating, drinking,
dancing crowd! So far removed that even the jazz music no longer
affronted him. Rather surprised he was to find he really enjoyed his
dinner. From the restaurant he engaged a taxi.
The bright lights, the falling snow, the mantle of white on
everything, with their promise of the holiday season, pleased Lane
with the memory of what great fun he used to have at Christmas-time.
When he arrived at Mel's home the snow was falling thickly in heavy
flakes. Through the pall he caught a faint light, which grew brighter
as he plodded toward the cottage. He stamped on the porch and flapped
his arms to remove the generous covering of snow that had adhered to
him. And as he was about to knock, the door opened, and Mel stood in
the sudden brightness.
Page 135
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Hello, Mel, how are you?--some snow, eh?" was his cheery greeting,
and he went in and shut the door behind him.
"Why, Daren--you--you--"
"I--what! Aren't you glad to see me?"
Lane had not prepared himself for anything. He knew he could win now,
and all he had allowed himself was gladness. But being face to face
with Mel made it different. It had been long since he last saw her.
That interval had been generous. To look at her now no one could have
guessed her story. Warmth and richness of color had come back to her;
and vividly they expressed her joy at sight of him.
"Glad?--I've been living--on my hopes--that you--"
Her faltering speech trailed off here, as Lane took one long stride
toward her.
Lane put a firm hand to each of her cheeks, and tilting a suddenly
rosy face, he kissed her full on the lips. Then he turned away without
looking at her and stepped to the little open grate, where a small red
fire glowed. Mel gasped there behind him and then became perfectly
still.
"Nice fire, Mel," he spoke out, naturally, as if nothing unusual had
happened. But the thin hands he extended to the warmth of the coals
trembled like aspen leaves in the wind. How silent she was! It
thrilled him. What strange sweet revel in the moment.
When he turned it seemed he saw her eyes, her lips, her whole face
luminous. The next instant she came out of her spell; and Lane divined
if he let her wholly recover, he would have a woman to deal with.
"Daren, what's wrong with you?" she inquired.
"Why, Mel!" he ejaculated, in feigned reproach.
"You don't look irrational, but you act so," she said, studying him
more closely. The hand that had been pressed to her breast dropped
down.
"Had my last crazy spell two weeks ago," he replied.
"Until to-night."
"You mean my kissing you? Well, I refuse to apologize. You see I was
not prepared to find you so improved. Why, Mel, you're changed. You're
just--just lovely."
Again the rich color stained her cheeks.
"Thank you, Daren," she said. "I have changed. _You_ did it.... I've
gotten well, and--almost happy.... But let's not talk of myself.
You--there's so much--"
"Mel, I don't want to talk about myself, either," he declared. "When a
man's got only a day or so longer--"
Page 136
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Hush!--Or--Or--," she threatened, with a slight distension of
nostrils and a paling of cheek.
"Or what?" demanded Lane.
"Or I'll do to you what you did to me."
"Oh, you'd kiss me to shut my lips?"
"Yes, I would."
"Fine, Mel. Come on. But you'd have to keep steadily busy all evening.
For I've come to talk." Mel came closer to him, with a catch in her
breathing, a loving radiance in her eyes. "Daren, you're strange--not
like your old self. You're too gay--too happy. Oh, I'd be glad if you
were sincere. But you have something on your mind."
Lane knew when to unmask a battery.
"No, it's in my pocket," he flashed, and with a quick motion he tore
out the marriage license and thrust it upon her. As her dark eyes took
in the meaning of the paper, and her expression changed, Lane gazed
down upon her with a commingling of emotions.
"Oh, Daren--No--No!" she cried, in a wildness of amaze and pain.
Then Lane clasped her close, with a force too sudden to be gentle, and
with his free hand he lifted her face.
"Look here. Look at me," he said sternly. "Every time you say no or
shake your head--I'll do this."
And he kissed her twice, as he had upon his entrance.
Mel raised her head and gazed up at him, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, as
if both appalled and enthralled.
"Daren. I--I don't understand you," she said, unsteadily. "You
frighten me. Let me go--please, Daren. This is--so--so unlike you. You
insult me."
"Mel, I can't see it that way," he replied. "I'm only asking you to
come out and marry me to-night."
That galvanized her, and she tried to slip from his embrace.
"I told you no--no--no," she cried desperately.
"That's three," said Lane, and he took them mercilessly. "You will
marry me," he said sternly. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
time sped by!
That night he dressed himself carefully, wearing the service uniform
he had so well preserved, and sallied forth to the most fashionable
restaurant in Middleville, where in the glare and gayety he had his
dinner. Lane recognized many of the dining, dancing throng, but showed
no sign of it. He became aware that his presence had excited comment.
How remote he seemed to feel himself from that eating, drinking,
dancing crowd! So far removed that even the jazz music no longer
affronted him. Rather surprised he was to find he really enjoyed his
dinner. From the restaurant he engaged a taxi.
The bright lights, the falling snow, the mantle of white on
everything, with their promise of the holiday season, pleased Lane
with the memory of what great fun he used to have at Christmas-time.
When he arrived at Mel's home the snow was falling thickly in heavy
flakes. Through the pall he caught a faint light, which grew brighter
as he plodded toward the cottage. He stamped on the porch and flapped
his arms to remove the generous covering of snow that had adhered to
him. And as he was about to knock, the door opened, and Mel stood in
the sudden brightness.
Page 135
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Hello, Mel, how are you?--some snow, eh?" was his cheery greeting,
and he went in and shut the door behind him.
"Why, Daren--you--you--"
"I--what! Aren't you glad to see me?"
Lane had not prepared himself for anything. He knew he could win now,
and all he had allowed himself was gladness. But being face to face
with Mel made it different. It had been long since he last saw her.
That interval had been generous. To look at her now no one could have
guessed her story. Warmth and richness of color had come back to her;
and vividly they expressed her joy at sight of him.
"Glad?--I've been living--on my hopes--that you--"
Her faltering speech trailed off here, as Lane took one long stride
toward her.
Lane put a firm hand to each of her cheeks, and tilting a suddenly
rosy face, he kissed her full on the lips. Then he turned away without
looking at her and stepped to the little open grate, where a small red
fire glowed. Mel gasped there behind him and then became perfectly
still.
"Nice fire, Mel," he spoke out, naturally, as if nothing unusual had
happened. But the thin hands he extended to the warmth of the coals
trembled like aspen leaves in the wind. How silent she was! It
thrilled him. What strange sweet revel in the moment.
When he turned it seemed he saw her eyes, her lips, her whole face
luminous. The next instant she came out of her spell; and Lane divined
if he let her wholly recover, he would have a woman to deal with.
"Daren, what's wrong with you?" she inquired.
"Why, Mel!" he ejaculated, in feigned reproach.
"You don't look irrational, but you act so," she said, studying him
more closely. The hand that had been pressed to her breast dropped
down.
"Had my last crazy spell two weeks ago," he replied.
"Until to-night."
"You mean my kissing you? Well, I refuse to apologize. You see I was
not prepared to find you so improved. Why, Mel, you're changed. You're
just--just lovely."
Again the rich color stained her cheeks.
"Thank you, Daren," she said. "I have changed. _You_ did it.... I've
gotten well, and--almost happy.... But let's not talk of myself.
You--there's so much--"
"Mel, I don't want to talk about myself, either," he declared. "When a
man's got only a day or so longer--"
Page 136
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Hush!--Or--Or--," she threatened, with a slight distension of
nostrils and a paling of cheek.
"Or what?" demanded Lane.
"Or I'll do to you what you did to me."
"Oh, you'd kiss me to shut my lips?"
"Yes, I would."
"Fine, Mel. Come on. But you'd have to keep steadily busy all evening.
For I've come to talk." Mel came closer to him, with a catch in her
breathing, a loving radiance in her eyes. "Daren, you're strange--not
like your old self. You're too gay--too happy. Oh, I'd be glad if you
were sincere. But you have something on your mind."
Lane knew when to unmask a battery.
"No, it's in my pocket," he flashed, and with a quick motion he tore
out the marriage license and thrust it upon her. As her dark eyes took
in the meaning of the paper, and her expression changed, Lane gazed
down upon her with a commingling of emotions.
"Oh, Daren--No--No!" she cried, in a wildness of amaze and pain.
Then Lane clasped her close, with a force too sudden to be gentle, and
with his free hand he lifted her face.
"Look here. Look at me," he said sternly. "Every time you say no or
shake your head--I'll do this."
And he kissed her twice, as he had upon his entrance.
Mel raised her head and gazed up at him, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, as
if both appalled and enthralled.
"Daren. I--I don't understand you," she said, unsteadily. "You
frighten me. Let me go--please, Daren. This is--so--so unlike you. You
insult me."
"Mel, I can't see it that way," he replied. "I'm only asking you to
come out and marry me to-night."
That galvanized her, and she tried to slip from his embrace.
"I told you no--no--no," she cried desperately.
"That's three," said Lane, and he took them mercilessly. "You will
marry me," he said sternly. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]