Part 25 (1/2)
With that she left hiy Blackton went into the house But as they drove away they sao faces at thethat overlooked the toard road, and two hands aving good-bye Both could not be Peggy Blackton's hands
”Joanne and I are going for a walk this afternoon, Blackton,” said Aldous, ”and I just want to tell you not to worry if we're not back by four o'clock Don't wait for us Wethe blow-up from the top of some mountain”
Blackton chuckled
”Don't blame you,” he said ”Froh you were going to have so more than hope to live on pretty soon!”
”I--I hope so”
”And when I was going with Peggy I wouldn't have traded a quiet little ith her--like this you're suggesting--for a front seat look at a blow-up of the whole Rocky Mountain systeet to tell Mrs Blackton that we may not return by four o'clock?”
”I will not And”--Blackton puffed hard at his pipe--”and, John--the Tete Jaune preacher is our nearest neighbour,” he finished
From then until dinner time John Aldous lived in an atmosphere that was not quite real, but a little like a dreahest He knew that Joanne would go walking with him that afternoon, and in spite of his ue to the contrary he could not keep down the feeling that the event would reat deal for him Almost feverishly he interested hialow, a little before noon, he went to his room, shaved himself, and in other ways prepared for dinner
Joanne and the Blacktons aiting when he came down
His first look at Joanne assured hi-suit Never had the preparation of a dinner seemed so slow to hi at Tom, the Chinese cook It was one o'clock before they sat down at the table and it o o'clock when they arose It was a quarter after then Joanne and he left the bungalow
”Shall ander up on the mountain?” he asked ”It would be fine to look down upon the explosion”
”I have noticed that in so his question ”In the matter of curls, for instance, you are unapproachable; in others you are--quite blind, John Aldous!”
”What do you mean?” he asked, bewildered
”I lost , and you did not notice it It is quite an unusual scarf I bought it in Cairo, and I don't want to have it blown up”
”You mean----”
”Yes I must have dropped it in the cavern I had it e entered”
”Then we'll return for it,” he volunteered ”We'll still have plenty of time to climb up the mountain before the explosion”
Twenty minutes later they caht, and for a moment Aldous searched for matches in his pocket
”Wait here,” he said ”I won't be gone two minutes”
He entered, and when he came to the chamber he struck a hted it, and began looking for the scarf
Suddenly he heard a sound He turned, and saw Joanne standing in the glow of the lantern
”Can you find it?” she asked
”I haven't--yet”
They bent over the rock floor, and in a ave a little exclaht up the scarf In that sahtened and faced each other, John Aldous felt his heart cease beating, and Joanne's face had gone as white as death The rock-walled cha, and as Aldous caught Joanne's hand and sprang toward the tunnel the roar grew into a deafening crash, and a gale of wind rushed into their faces, blowing out the lantern, and leaving the about the cry frohtness of sunshi+ne at the end of the tunnel, but darkness--utter darkness; and through that tunnel there ca them back into the blackness of the pit, and separated them