The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 105: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MESQUITE RANCH, let his longing hands touch hers again, “T know no more about the death of Nick Bullen than you do. Indeed, I didn’t know he was dead till | heard it up there at the house.”’ ‘Dr. Stratton wrote that—” — “T ean’t help what Midge wrote. In the first place, I had no motive.” “You wanted the money. You were all broken.” Radford’s’ gloom suddenly lifted. The quaint little accent twisting the slang to elegance was too much for him. He reached for the little figure in the gloom beside him and drew it close against him, lifting the small feet quite off of the rock. as Oh, don’t—don’t, moueur? You mus’ not!” “Natalie, kiss moznsieur!” he or- dered. “Non!” she protested, struggling in his clasp. “Listen, little one: If I were guilty of the crime you think—” “Oh, I cannot theenk! believe what is said by—” “By me,” Ted interrupted. “ Na- talie, believe me! Believe me, darling! Believe me, I love you more than I love anything that earth holds or heaven could offer! Believe me, my beloved little one—because I love you!” “Oh, monsieur, eet ees not reason; but—I do!” The small hands, clinging, eager, trembling, fluttered about his face. They touched his eyes like butterflies. Ted, in a rapture at the sudden richness of her love-language, scarcely breathed. He shivered as the light touch of her finger-tips threaded his temples and shot, warm and soft, into his hair. “ Monsieur! Monsieur! Monsieur!” she breathed, as if words, however futile, must add their expression to the telling of the love that possessed her. Radford’s quick sense of humor re- sponded for one second to the exquisite absurdity of her calling him sonsieur. But the next moment his eyes were wet. She was believing in him because she loved him. But I mus’ 807 : And how she loved! No flower ever quivered- and swung and breathed and bloomed in the warmth of the stun as she trembled and flushed and lifted her face till her sweet breath fanned him. Something in the miracle of her gen- erous abandonment to love, the sweet deep frankness of her acknowledgment suddenly calmed the growing impor- ) tunity of his blood. He could have thrown himself at her feet and wor- shiped her for the faith she had in him. It stirred every fine response of which his nature was capable. It made him determine not to take what she gave so splendidly till he had relieved her mind so that no sorrow or shame could blight the joy in her heart. He set her gently down against the rock. “ Natalie, my darling—” His voice died under the stress of his deep feeling. “IT am leestining!” she whispered, the spell of his mood upon her. ‘“T will not kiss you till you know— till it ts proved that you can give your- self to me without one regret.” If there was in Natalie le Fevre ortie little doubt of him, one tiny fear that she might not wholly love him, it was killed then. He fought down his craving for her till he could claim her without the stigma that would hurt her pride as long as it were not proven false. ‘“ Monsieur, 1 love and honor you.” She said it with the stately little man- ner she could assume at times; and Ted bent over the small hand raised to him and kissed it: “ You go now?” turned away. “Yes; but I'll come back,’ he said, and both of them throbbed to the prom- ise in the words. He watched her till she showed like a dusky httle ghost against the dim light that was burning in the house. Then he turned and went toward the trail to the spring. The exaltation of his meeting with Natalie was pushed from him by a very practical consideration. He had EOPMICLOOOKS +9 she asked as she (E@)