Robert Kimberly

The players had driven off and the favorites, ofwhom there were many, could already be trailedacross the hills by their following. When the"out" score had been posted, De Castro suggestedthat the party go down to the tenth hole to followthe leaders in.

A sea-breeze tempered the sunshine and thelong, low lines of the club-house were gaylydecorated. Pavilions, spread here and there amongthe trees, gave the landscape a festival air.

On the course, the bright coloring of groups ofmen and women moving across the fields madea spectacle changing every moment in brilliancy.

Kimberly greeted Alice with a graciousexpectancy. He was met with a lack of responsenothing less than chilling. Surprised, though fairlyseasoned to rebuffs, and accepting the unexpectedmerely as a difficulty, Kimberly set out to beentertaining.

His resource in this regard was not scanty butto-day Alice succeeded in taxing his reserves. In hishalf-mile tramp with her in the "gallery,"punctuated by occasional halts, he managed but onceto separate her from the others. The sun annoyedhim. Alice was aware of his lifting his straw hatfrequently to press his handkerchief to beads ofperspiration that gathered on his swarthyforehead, but she extended no sympathy.

In spite of his discomfort, however, his eyesflashed with their accustomed spirit and his doggedperseverance in the face of her coldness began toplead for itself. When the moving "gallery" hadat last left them for an instant behind, Kimberlydropped on a bench under the friendly shade ofa thorn apple tree.

"Sit down a moment, do," he begged, "until Iget a breath."

"Do you find it warm?"

"Not at all," he responded with negligible irony."It is in some respects uncommonly chilly." Hespoke without the slightest petulance. "ForHeaven's sake, tell me what I have done!"

"I don't know what you mean."

"I mean, you are not kind in your mannertoward me. I left you-I hoped you wouldremember-to do a favor for you-"

"For me?" Her tone was not in the least reassuring.

"At least, I conceived it to be for you," he replied.

"That is a mistake."

"Very good. Let us call it mistake numberone. I spent five days with Dolly and herguests-"

"Guests," repeated Alice, lingering slightly onthe word, as she poked the turf slowly with hersunshade, "or guest?"

"Guest!" he echoed, "Ah!" He paused."Who has put me wrong in so simple a matter?What I did was no more than to be agreeable toDolly's guests. I spent much time with the guestof honor at Dolly's repeated requests. Shehappened to sing a song that pleased me very much, for one particular reason; it was your lovely littleItalian air; I am not ashamed to say it broughtback pleasant moments. Since she could donothing else that was so pleasing," he continued,"I kept her singing the song. She became boredand naturally ceased to be good-natured. Then,Dolly asked me to run around by Nantucket, which we could have done in two days. Not tobe churlish, I consented. Then the coal gave out, which took another day."

"What a mishap! Well, I am glad to hear thetrip went pleasantly."

"If you are, something has gone wrong withyou-"

"Nothing whatever, I can assure you."

"You are offended with me."

"I assure you I am not."

"I assure you, you are." He took the sunshadefrom her hand. "You remember the fable aboutthe man that tried to oblige everybody? Hewasn't a refiner-he was a mere miller. At thestart I really did my best for three days toentertain Dolly's lovely vampire and at the end of thattime she made a face at me-and wound up bytelling Dolly my head was full of another woman.Then-to be quite shamefully frank-I had tododge Lottie Nelson's apologies for herunpleasant temper on an evening that youremember; altogether my lot was not a happy one. Myhead was full of another woman. You rememberyou said nobody could resist her charm? Ithought of it. What is charm? I often askedmyself. I saw nothing of charm in that charmingwoman. Who can define it? But penetration!She could read you like a printed book. Wetalked one night of American women. I dared tosay they were the loveliest in the world. She grewincensed. 'They know absolutely nothing!' sheexclaimed. 'That is why we like them' Ianswered. 'They are innocent; you are as corruptas I am.' Then she would call me a hypocrite." Hestopped suddenly and Alice felt his eyes keenlyupon her. "Is it possible you do not believe whatI am saying?"

"Innocent women believe whatever they are told."

"I don't deserve sarcasm. I am telling thesimple truth. For once I am wholly at fault,Alice. I don't know what the matter is. Whathas happened?"

"Nothing has happened; only to-day I seemespecially stupid."

"Are you as frank with me as I am with you?"

She made no answer. He drew back as ifmomentarily discouraged. "If you no longerbelieve me-what can I do?"

"It isn't at all that I do not believe you-whatdifference should it make whether or no I believeyou? Suppose I were frank enough to admit thatsomething I heard of you had disappointed me alittle. What credit should I have forcommenting on what in no way concerns me?"

"Anything heard to my discredit should be carefullyreceived. Believe the best of me as long asyou can. It will never be necessary, Alice, forany one to tell you I am unworthy; when that daycomes you will know it first from me. And if I everam unworthy, it will not be because I willed tobe-only because through my baseness I nevercould know what it means to be worthy of awoman far above me."

She reached out her hand for her sunshade buthe refused to give it back. She tried to rise; helaid his hand on her arm. "A moment! It wasabout me, was it?" he continued. "Did youreceive it cautiously? Put me in your position.How do you think one would fare who came tome with anything to your discredit? Think ofit, Alice-how do you think one would fare-lookat me."

She looked up only for an instant and as if inprotest. But in spite of herself something in herown eyes of confidence in him, some tribute to hishonesty, stood revealed, and inspired him with anew courage.

"You say what you hear of me does notconcern you. Anything you hear of me does concernyou vitally." His intensity frightened her, andthinking to escape him, she still sat motionless.

"Everything I do, important or trivial, has itsrelation to you. Do you believe me? Alice, youmust believe me. You do believe me. How canyou say that anything you hear of me does notconcern you? It concerns you above everyliving person. It concerns your happiness-"

"Such wildness-such extravagance!" sheexclaimed trying to control her fear.

"I tell you I am neither wild nor extravagant.Our happiness, our very lives are bound uptogether. It isn't that I say to you, you aremine-I am yours."

The furious beating of her heart would not bestilled. "How can you say such things!"

"I say them because I can't escape your influencein my life. I only want to come up to whereyou are-not to drag you down to where I am-towhere I have been condemned to be from the cradle.If what you hear of me conflicts with what I sayto you, believe nothing of what you hear." Hiswords fell like blows. "If I could show you myvery heart I could not be more open. It is youwho are everything to me-you alone."

Breathless and rigid she looked away. Hardlybreathing himself, Kimberly watched her. Herlip quivered. "Oh, my heart!" he murmured.But in the words she heard an incredibletenderness. It moved her where intensity had failed.It stilled the final pangs of revolt at his words.She drifted for an instant in a dream. New andtrembling thoughts woke in a reluctant dawn andglowed in her heart like faint, far streamers of anew day.

"Oh, my heart!" The words came again, asif out of another world. She felt her hand takenby a strong, warm hand. "Do you tremble forme? Is my touch so heavy? How shall I eversafeguard the flower of your delicacy to myclumsiness?"

She neither breathed nor moved. "No matter.You will teach me how, Alice. Learning howyou can be happiest, I shall be happiest. I feelbeggared when I lay my plea before you. Whatare all my words unless you breathe life uponthem? A few things-not many-I have succeededin. And I succeeded," the energy of success echoedin his confession, "only because I let nothing ofeffort stand between me and the goal. You havenever been happy. Let me try to succeed withyour happiness."

A silence followed, golden as the moment.Neither felt burdened. About them was quietand the stillness seemed to flow from the hush oftheir thoughts.

"It is easy for you to speak," she faltered atlast, "too easy for me to listen. I amunhappy-so are many women; many would be strongenough never to listen to what you have said. Imyself should be if I were what you picture me.And that is where all the trouble lies. Youmistake me; you picture to yourself an Alice thatdoesn't exist. If I could return your interestI should disappoint you. I am not depreciatingmyself to extort compliments-you would supplythem easily, I know. Only-I know myselfbetter than you know me."

"What you say," he responded, "might havepoint if I were a boy-it would have keen point.While to me your beauty-do not shake yourhead despairingly-your beauty is the delicacy ofgirlhood, you yourself are a woman. You haveknown life, and sorrow. I cannot lead you as afairy once led you from girlhood into womanhood-wouldthat I could have done it! He should bea very tender guide who does that for a woman.

"But I can lead you, I think, Alice, toeverything in this world that consoles a woman forwhat she gives to it. Do not say I do not knowyou-that is saying I do not know myself, men, women, life-it is saying I know nothing. Modestas I am," he smiled lightly, "I am not yet readyto confess to that. I do know; as men that havelived and tasted and turned away and longed andwaited, know-so I know you. And I knew fromthe moment I saw you that all my happiness inthis world must come from you."

"Oh, I am ashamed to hear you say that. Iam ashamed to hear you say anything. Whatbase creature am I, that I have invited you tospeak!" She turned and looked quickly at him, but with fear and resolve in her eyes. "This youmust know, here and now, that I can never be, not if you kill me, another Dora Morgan."

He met her look with simple frankness. "Theworld is filled with Dora Morgans. If you couldbe, Alice, how could I say to you what I neverhave said, or thought of saying, to any Dora Morgan?"

"To be a creature would kill me. Do not bedeceived-I know."

"Or do worse than kill you. No, you are likeme. There is no half-way for you and me.Everything-or nothing!"

She rose to her feet. He saw that shesupported herself for a moment with one hand stillon the bench rail. He took her other hand withinhis own and drew her arm through his arm.