Part 42 (1/2)
”I should like very much to take you east, Bobby.”
”Yes, but there's Alf. I couldn't leave him,”--shaking her head, still innocent of his intent.
Hilton was not unprepared.
”But if he had a comfortable ranch, with good buildings and plenty of stock, and could come to visit you at times?”
”But he ain't got any of them an' besides--
”You don't mean for me to _stay!_” she said suddenly, eyes incredulous.
”To stay, Bobby. To stay with me, forever and ever.”
She started to laugh but checked herself and leaned suddenly toward him, her lips parted. He lifted himself to an elbow and reached out for her hand.
”Don't you understand, dear girl? Don't you see that I love you?”
She withdrew her hand from his clasp and looked away, brows drawn toward one another a trifle. He watched her craftily, timing his urging to her realization.
”Don't you see that I came west, guided by something bigger than my own reason, directed by something that regulates the loves of men to bring them to a good end?”
She looked back at him and shook her head slowly.
”I never thought I'd be loved. I never thought you cared for me that-a way.”
”Bless you! That night when I went walking into your cabin and you met me with a rifle ready I knew I would love you and that you would love me. It's one of the things neither of us can explain, but I was sure of it, sure of it. Didn't you guess? Didn't you feel it deep down in your heart?”
”No, never. Nothin' good had ever happened to me. I didn't calculate anything good ever would happen. The only bein' I ever thought I'd love was Alf and I'd go through fire for him....
”But this ... it's different. It ain't like that. This is somethin' ...
I don't know....”
She rose and pressed her hands to her breast as though some bursting emotion hurt her. Hilton stood before her, his breath a trifle quick, lips parted greedily. His particular hour, he felt, had struck!
”One of the reasons that has made me love you has been your devotion to your father. Another was your distrust. You never did trust me at first. I felt that you were keeping me off, holding yourself away from me, Bobby. I wanted to tell you all this long ago,”--which was the truth--”but I wanted you to be sure of yourself; I wanted you to recognize love and know that this thing between us is the lasting sort”--which was a lie.
”The lasting kind?” she queried. ”You love me? For good? Honest?”
”Honest!” he promised, taking both her hands. ”I love you with all the love a man can give a woman! I love you enough to devote my whole life to making you happy. I have money. We can go where we please, do what we please. You will have friends and respect. You can see cities and the ocean. You can live in grand hotels and eat wonderful food that someone else has cooked; you can hear music and go to theaters; you will have flowers and automobiles; you'll see California and Florida and Europe....”
”And because you love?” she demanded as he put his arms about her.
”It's because you love me, ain't it? If I thought ... if I thought it was for anything else I'd kill you.” Her tone was even enough, her voice the soft, full voice of a woman touched by love, but beneath its velvet was a matter-of-fact certainty that caused the faintest tremor to run through his limbs.
They looked into one another's eyes, felt each other's breath upon their cheeks, the one consumed by pa.s.sion, the other swept upward into a new world, a new, incredible life, as a beautiful hope touched her heart. They did not see their horses standing with intent ears and, as they were up wind they did not hear the slight sounds of another approaching.
”Because I love you, Bobby! Will you come?”
”And I'll be your wife and you won't be ashamed of me ... ever?”
”Never!”--in a tone that was too firm for conviction.