veied. "Os course* |J*ghton and Seattle are pr’tty far apart, but — 1 thought you knew. . His eyes her again. She shook her head. ‘I supposed you did— and after I'd asked you to help me get Gwen —well “Prls I I wondered If I’d have the cour age —you see — I wanted to ask you some thing. but ’* His face was so close now, so close and eager that all of the happiness left Pris cilla. This was only another dream, after all. “I’m always dreaming things Ilka this,” she reminded her racing heart, her throboing head. “It Isn’t real.” rpo THE vision of the tousled red hair and the handsome lean face, she asked softly —so that she wouldn’t waken, so that it wouldn’t disappear “What, Tom?" “Well, I " His mind seemed to wan der a moment as his lips almost touched hers. Then resolutely he drew back. “Pris, listen to me,” he pleaded. “What's made it so hard was thinking you wouldn’t understand. You wouldn't know that a fellow — a fellow can make a mis take and then realize afterward when he gets away and thinks It over thatr-well— the girl he thought he loved he hadnt really cared that much about because — . Gee, I—make a mess of saying It, don't I?” “I’m going to wake up any minute,’ Priscilla told herself again. “I'm going to waken just as I always do — to my empty room, to my loneliness.” But she looked Intently Into the anxious, infin itely dear eves and the lips that were too, too close for an untroubled dream and whispered faintly. “I—don’t understand well —he loved some one else all the time —Tom ” “Listen. Prls!” Two strong hands In closed her two, separated them, held them tight. “I was you I loved. You— all along! I’d begun to suspect it even before- -Gwen broke with me But I’d made such a fool of tnyself !“ “And you don’t mtr*i “ she murmured soothingly to the visUx close to her. “You don't mind at ai soo-t my foot?” “Your foot?’ The p.eading eyes wid ened with amazement “Why. darling. you !" The twinkle returned “Your foot!” he mocked with a whimsical dep recatory Hit as If she had spoken of a broken finger nail, of a tiny pin scratch “We could fix that. Haven't you heard about that doctor In New York?” Then suddenly Tom s pleading stopped as he seemed to read her face. “Prls!" he gasped brokenly, joyously "We’ll go to New York on our honeymoon!” She felt his arms about her, drawing her closer. And Priscilla, breathless and ecstatic, realized at last that this was no dream, that something unbelievably beautiful w'as really happening that the kiss she had dreamed about for so long was far more wonderful than sh«’ known it could be. mp neipeo ner in, rranxiy appraised tier, frankly approve’ and chuckw-d "Take off your hat!” She tjld, too astonished to obj(*t. j’Oh, It s a pretty hat. You're ravishing in It, too. But now ” he settled Into the seat beside her with a quiet, satisfied smile "now, I can squint my eyes and imagine you've Just come Into the old staff offlea, from class.” “Tom! You’re crazy!” Looking from his rumpled red hair to his straight nose and finely chiseled chin, she found her self really smiling. "Sure I am! We both are. Remember our crazy arguments? Remember the day Prof. Thomas stuck his head in to call us down for talking too loud and you got him started arguing? You said cats were better than dogs." They chuckled together. “But I didn’t say cats were better,” she protested. “Sure you did!” ”1 only said.” she argued Indignantly, "that as mousers ” she hesitated, amused and exasperated, having caught the twinkle in his eyes. "Oh, Tom Sulli van, you’ll never change a bit!” "Neither will you — I hope." Priscilla turned away abruptly. She wondered that he hadn’t read her heart in her face or overheard its unrhythmlc convolutions as, one moment. It raced wildly at the sight of him and, the next, plodded, mute with anguish at the recol lection that this would he her last glimpse of him--ever. Tom. oulivlous to her thoughts, had turned up a side road and stopped, the expression he wore acutely reminiscent of the day he asked her to help him win Gwen. "Listen. Prls,” he began as he had then, “I want to ask a favor of you.” OHE looked up quickly. Could any other ° man in the world be quite so good looking? It was unbearable, seeing him this close —his shoulder couching hers! “If you want me to Influence Gwen for you —or something," Priscilla ven tured. smiling weakly. “I’m afraid I re sign this time It’s got sort of past my jurisdiction.” He threw back his head, shaking with laughter. “I wish Gwen could hear that!” But aftei a moment of silence he became serious "Pris! You surely knew Gwen and I broke up. didn't you? We didn't marry.” "You- -didn’t?" Priscilla stared at him. her eyes wide and dark, her face sud denly pale. And Tom. bending toward her. caught his breath, enthralled with the singular purity of her beauty "I thought you knew." he murmured "I thought the whole world knew . . You see I was so shocked —ashamed and hurt afterward " “But —why? What happened?” He shrugged "Competition,” he mut tered with a wry grin “The week before our wedding was scheduled she married Bryan Preston— the lumber king Pres tons.” Pw-cilia was not aware that she was running, that vacationers she passed consented on what could have hap pened to the lovely mysterious girl wit* the sad face or that many spoke of her exquisite beauty and wondered —noting as she hurried that there was a slight defect In her walk. A new life. Brand new. No ties with the old. But It wouldn’t be fair to Mr Sellers npt to let him know so he could hire some one else at once Very well. She would pack. She would telegraph her resignation from here. A Catalina Island telegram would give no clue to where one had gone afterward. She would take the next boat across and at the nearest station buy a ticket to—prob ably New York. She’d decide that later She wrote the telegram a Uttle breath lessly. “Please accept my resignation. Sorry not to give you longer notice. Have decided to accept a position out of Brighton.” She paused a moment and a tear trem bled on her lashes as she added: “Thank you for all you have done." In an hour she stood waiting for the boat numbly. It was a sunny day. The bay was calm. Hardly a ripple or the water. The crowd aboard was especially gay. But Priscilla, In a chic boucle suit and a smsl’ blue hat. stood alone on the upper deck watching with impatience the blue mainland grow slowly and as slow’ly change color A new life. A new adventure. But she didn’t want new adventure She wanted —her eyes became so misty she could no longer follow the flight of the gulls ahead —she wanted Tom She ached to snuggle Into his arms —secure in his love. His love! And he hrd given It to Gwen, instead. She would give herselt these last few minutes, allow herself just one wild dream about Tom and when the boat docked she would leave those thoughts behind forever. It was almost three hours before the mainland stood out in greens and blacks dotted with brighter hues. The ship hands rushed forward to drop the gang plank. Priscilla straightened resolutely and walked ashore with the crowd Her past was gone. From now on she’d better call herself June —her middle name It would be easier. Tom had never called- her June OHE was in line at the lnterurban wln- dow when some one whirled her around Dazed, she looked up Into the twinkling eyes of Tom Sullivan “Pris! You're trembling!” he ex claimed. And because she continued to stare at him incredulously, her eyes very large and almost blue under their long lashes, he asked more gently. "Sick Prls? You look like you’re about to faint ” “A little seasick, tieybe.'’ she mur mured. "But. Tom! How ? What tre you doing here?" 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