Part 33 (2/2)

”I haven't slept all night for thinking of it, Jim,” she began.

”Thinking of what?”

”Your going away.”

His face clouded; he became suddenly silent and she continued:

”Jim, dear, I've tried to keep my feelings out of it altogether; I've argued it out, using nothing but my judgment, and it seemed the wise thing for you to go back East to college. All my judgment says: 'send him back'; but, oh, all my instincts say 'keep him here.'” She covered both his hands with hers and put her cheek on them for a moment.

”I'm always trying to be wise, Jim, but I suppose I'm really very stupid and very weak like most humans; and there come times when I feel like kicking everything over and saying 'what's the use?' This time I'm going to let my feelings hold the reins.”

”Why, Belle darling! That sounds more like me than you.”

”Jim, as I lay awake last night, a voice seemed to be sounding in my heart: 'Don't let him go. If he goes, you'll lose him, you'll lose each other.' Jim, do you suppose G.o.d brought you and me together in this way, to be so much to each other, to be exactly fitted to round out each other's life, to let us separate now?”

”Belle, I believe He sent me out here to meet you, and any one coming between us is going against G.o.d.”

”I know, Jim. And yet I have the feeling, which I can't shake off, that as sure as you go back to college, I shall lose you.”

”Then, by Heaven! I won't go; and that settles it, Belle. I'll chuck the whole thing.” And his forehead flushed with pa.s.sion.

She dropped her face on her knees and shook in a paroxysm of weeping.

All the emotional side of her nature--so carefully repressed throughout these weeks and months of struggle--swept away their barriers. Now that she had spoken the fear that was in her heart, the reality of the danger that threatened their happiness crushed her down. Jim threw his arm around her. ”Belle, Belle, I can't see you cry that way. Belle, don't!

We are not going to part.”

It was long before she found her voice. In broken sounds she sobbed: ”I can't give you up now,” and she leaned toward him though still she hid her face.

”Belle, why do you talk of such a thing? You won't give me up, because I won't let you. I won't go, Belle, that's settled.”

Her only answer was to cling to him pa.s.sionately. After a long silence, during which the ponies dropped to a walk, she said half questioningly:

”Jim, we can't--give up all and--and--separate now.”

”Belle darling,” and Jim suddenly became calm and clear in thought, and a strange new sense of power came on him as he gripped himself, ”there are times when a man must just take the bit in his teeth and break through everything, and I'm going to do that now. There's just one way out of this; we're half-way to Deadwood. Let's go right on and get married. The college and everything else can go to the divil so long as I can be with you.

”Will you agree to that?” he asked, lifting her head from his shoulder and looking into her eyes.

”Jim,” she said, pus.h.i.+ng him gently away from her and leaning back so that they occupied the sides of the wide seat, ”let's be fair with each other. For a long time you've had your fling at the hards.h.i.+p of going back to Coulter while I have urged you to go. This is my fling at it”--she smiled at him through her tears--”my rebellion, so perhaps we're quits. But the problem still remains. I thought about it all last night and I decided I could not let you go--that it meant the end of our hopes. When you first asked me, up the road, I doubted my right to tell you the fears I had. But, oh, Jim, it is _our_ happiness, _ours_, not yours or mine alone. If we have that we can _make_ the rest come right.

If we lose that----”

”But we're not going to lose it,” he cried, ”if you'll only answer my question, Will you marry me to-day if we go on to Deadwood?” He put out his arms to her and she yielded with a happy sob to his ardour. Holding her and pressing his lips to hers, he said simply: ”I am very happy.”

After a little while she took his head between her palms and looking into his face with eyes that sought his spirit, as though she would pledge her faith to his, she said: ”You will never be sorry for this, darling.”

At Lookout Mountain was the half-way house. They fed their horses, rested an hour, and then sped on. At four o'clock they reached Deadwood.

Jim put up the horses at the little inn, whose parlour he remembered; together they went to the jeweller's shop, purchased a ring, and then to the mayor's office.

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