the world. She felt rooted to her chair. But she saw that every minute only widened the gulf of that misunderstanding. And something in the expression of his eyes gripped her heart, as if she had seen a child falling onto a red-hot stove. She jumped up, ran through the house, and saw that he was stumbling along the drive to the gate, going like a man who neither knew nor cared where he was going. He did not stop nor turn as she ran calling after him. Near the gate she pulled him to a standstill.
“Dane, I didn’t mean to hurt you. What did I say? Please don’t be hurt. It makes me sick.” Her voice broke. “Dane, do you hear? Please listen to me. I want to know why you refused. Is there anything you are keeping from me? Won’t you tell me, please?”
He let his arms fall over the top rail of the gate, and dropped his head upon them.
“What is it, Dane? Aren’t you well enough to go? What is the matter? Please, I’m going to know now.”
Then he looked up. “Part of it is that I am not well enough to go, Val. I’m not afraid to go. But a man has to be awfully fit to travel in all weathers and eat all kinds of grub. It is my stupid stomach. I’d be sick most of the time, and that is not fair to the paper or to the man. who could go and stick it.”
“And the rest?”
“What?”
“The rest of the reason?”
For answer he dropped his head onto her shoulder. And she knew she could never go as long as he felt like that.
Then she felt him stiffen himself. He stood up straight as if he were bracing himself against an obstacle.
“Val dear, I wish you to do what you want to do without thinking of me. I quite understand your wanting to
