Part 31 (1/2)
”No I don't care to please you”
Her fingers were stroking his cheek
”John?”
”Yes”
”Father taught et better acquainted on our honey adventures I don't like to shoot wild things, because I love theun!”
”Great Scott!”
”Not a toy--but a real gun,” she continued ”A gun like yours And then, if by any chance we should have trouble--with Culver Rann----”
She felt hiainst his face
”Now I know,” she whispered ”I guessed it all along You told old They've gone--and their going isn't quite 'skipping the country' as you meant ue any more If we do weAnd I will be ready in the un And I want you to be nice toto be exciting!”
And with that she put her lips to his, and his last arguone
Two hours later, when he went to the coulee, he was like one who had colorious dream He had told Joanne and the Blacktons that it was necessary for hiht kiss was still war touch of her hands still trembled on his face, and the sweet perfume of her hair was in his nostrils He was drunk with the immeasurable happiness that had come to him, every fibre in hireat joy, he was conscious of a fear; a fear that was new and growing, and which lad when he came at last to the little fire in the coulee
He did not tell MacDonald the cause of this fear at first He told the story of Morti no part of it unbared, until he could see Donald MacDonald's great gaunt hands clenching in the firelight, and his cavernous eyes flaloom Then he told what had happened when the Blacktons went to town, and when he had finished, and rose despairingly beside the fire, Donald rose, too, and his voice boomed in a sort of ecstasy
”My Jane would ha' done likewise,” he cried in triumph ”She would that, Johnny--she would!”
”But this is different!” groaned Aldous ”What a to do, Mac? What can I do? Don't you see how impossible it is! Mac, Mac--she isn't my wife--not entirely, not absolutely, not in the last and vital sense of being a wife by law! If she knew the truth, she wouldn't consider herself my wife; she would leave me For that reason I can't take her I can't
Think what it would mean!”
Old Donald had coray old mountaineer's face John Aldous paused Slowly Donald laid his hands on his shoulders
”Johnny,” he said gently, ”Johnny, be you sure of yourself? Be you a man, Johnny?”
”Good heaven, Donald You mean----”
Their eyes met steadily
”If you are, Johnny,” went on MacDonald in a low voice, ”I'd take her with ht an' never look in her sweet face again as long as I lived”
”You'd take her along?” deerly
”I would I've been thinkin' it over to-night An' so seemed to tell me we s to do, Johnny You've got to stay with her an' let ot to take her”