Page:Fire!! - 1926.djvu/39

November, 1926 Melva they were both so perfect  such compliments  yes he would like Beauty to know Melva because he loved them both  there  he had thought it  actually dared to think it  but Beauty must never know  Beauty couldn't understand  indeed Alex couldn't understand  and it pained him  almost physically  and tired his mind  Beauty  Beauty was in the air  the smoke  Beauty  Melva  Beauty  Melva Alex slept  and dreamed

he was in a field a field of blue smoke and black poppies and red calla lilies  he was searching  on his hands and knees  searching  among black poppies and red calla lilies  he was searching pushed aside poppy stems  and saw two strong white legs  dancer's legs  the contours please him  his eyes wandered  on past the muscular hocks to the firm white thighs  the rounded buttocks  then the lithe narrow waist  strong torso and broad deep chest  the heavy shoulders  the graceful muscled neck  squared chin and quizzical lips  grecian nose with its temperamental nostrils  the brown eyes looking at him  like  Monty looked at Zora  his hair curly and black and all tousled  and it was Beauty  and Beauty smiled and looked at him and smiled  said  I'll wait Alex  and Alex became confused and continued his search  on his hands and knees  pushing aside poppy stems and lily stems  a poppy  a black poppy  a lilly  a red lilly  and when he looked back he could no longer see Beauty  Alex continued his search  thru poppies  lilies  poppies and red calla lilies  and suddenly he saw  two small feet olive-ivory  two well turned legs curving gracefully from slender ankles  and the contours soothed him  he followed them  past the narrow rounded hips to the tiny waist  the fragile firm breasts  the graceful slender throat  the soft rounded chin  slightly parting lips and straight little nose with its slightly flaring nostrils  the black eyes with lights in them  locking at him  the forehead and straight cut black hair and it was Melva  and she looked at him and smiled and said  I'll wait Alex  and Alex became confused and kissed her  became confused and continued his search  on his hands and knees  pushed aside a poppy stem  a black-poppy stem  pushed aside a lily stem  a red-lily stem  a poppy  a poppy  a lily and suddenly he stood erect  exhultant  and in his hand he held  an ivory holder  inlaid with red jade  and green

and Alex awoke Beauty's hair tickled his nose  Beauty was smiling in his sleep  half his face stained flush color by the sun  the other half in shadow  blue shadow  his eye lashes casting cobwebby blue shadows on his cheek  his lips were so beautiful  quizzical  Alex wondered why he always thought of that passage from Wilde's Salome  when be looked at Beauty's lips  I would kiss your lips  he would like to kiss Beauty's lips  Alex flushed warm  with shame  or was it shame  he reached across Beauty for a cigarette  Beauty's cheek felt cool to his arm  his hair felt soft  Alex lay smoking  such a dream  red calla lilies  red calla lilies  and  what could it all mean  did dreams have meanings  Fania said  and black poppies  thousands  millions  Beauty stirred  Alex put out his cigarette  closed his eyes  he mustn't see Beauty yet  speak to him  his lips were too hot  dry  the palms of his hands too cool and moist  thru his half closed eyes he could see Beauty  propped  check in hand  on one elbow  looking at him  lips smiling quizzically  he wished Beauty wouldn't look so hard  Alex was finding it difficult to breathe  breathe normally  why must Beauty look so long  and smile that way  his face seemed nearer  it was  Alex could feel Beauty's hair on his forehead  breathe normally  breathe normally  could feel Beauty's breath on his nostrils and lips  and it was clean and faintly colored with tobacco  breathe normally Alex  Beauty's lips were nearer  Alex closed his eyes  how did one act  his pulse was hammering  from wrists to finger tip  wrist to finger tip  Beauty's lips touched his  his temples throbbed  throbbed  his pulse hammered from wrist to finger tip  Beauty's breath came short now  softly staccato  breathe normally Alex  you are asleep  Beauty's lips touched his  breathe normally  and pressed  pressed hard  cool  his body trembled  breathe normally Alex  Beauty's lips pressed cool  cool and hard  how much pressure does it take to waken one  Alex sighed  moved softly  how does one act  Beauty's hair barely touched him now  his breath was faint on  Alex's nostrils  and lips  Alex stretched and opened his eyes  Beauty was looking at him  propped on one elbow  cheek in his palm  Beauty spoke  scratch my head please Dulce  Alex was breathing normally now  propped against the bed head  Beauty's head in his lap  Beauty spoke  I wonder why I like to look at some things Dulce  things like smoke and cats  and you  Alex's