THE POSSUM HUNTERS



loved to hear, she had longer to hear that tone,
it was the very orchestration of the superb will
in man. She could not do other than accept
whatever he offered when he spoke like that.
  "Thanks; shall I thank you or your father"
She teased him now that the tension was broken.
  "Neither," he answered with a smile; then
loved to hear, she had longed to hear that tone,
you do it "Why did you return to Kentucky to
fight the "Night Riders'"
  Wtih a smile which answered everything, yet
asked no reward other than its life, she answered:
"If you do not know it would be useless for me to
tell you, for you could not understand."
  He started toward her as though he would take
her in his arms, for his heart was calling to him
with joyous abandon, calling with an insistency
which would not be crushed by pride. She She
craved just one caress more than five thousand
thousand dollar bonds, just one kiss would be a
more ample reward than she had hoped to re-
ceive. But no. He held himself in pride; and
she turned away.
  "Hughes" Beatrice asked as she stood by the
window; "may I bring my old typewriter desk
back to this corner"
  "No."'
  "No" she asked in frenzied alarm.
  "No," he repeated, and added: "You are to re-
turn to Denver."
  Instantly she was the woman fighting for her
love, she rushed at him, caught him to her,
pressed him, pleading, begging, crying: "Oh,
Hughes, don't, don't send me away again. Hughes,
Hughes, for God's sake don't say that; please,
please take it back. Say that I can be with you
and love you, love you, love you." Kisses hot as
her words were pressed to brow, and eyes, and
lips in a storm of love.



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