Page:To-morrow Morning (1927).pdf/173

 could hardly reach it; she was shaken, smothered. And it was the lady who calls up with such a sweet voice to explain that Mr. Mawson wants to take one of his very lovely artistic photographs of her in her own home, with absolutely no obligations attached.

Then he came—Joe, so ridiculous, with his ears, and his spectacles, so everything she needed. She felt her mouth stretch into a wide delighted smile.

"I hardly expected you."

"Liar!"

"Isn't this a crazy little place? Have a cigarette?"

"How can I let you go? And I can't say stay with me, marry me now, and let them go without you, because I'm so damn poor"

She looked at him with eyes full of strange and innocent wisdom. It was as if she were saying: "We have come a long way to find each other, and we have only a little while to live at the longest. Love me until I die."

"I wanted you all night long."

"I wanted you."

"I'll work like the devil—I'll find other ways of making money. Evelyn, you're mine whatever happens. This is something we've got to go through together—we haven't any choice about it."

"Oh, hold me! Hold me! Never let me go!"

He was gone. On the tea table the blue flame quivered under the kettle, the clean cups waited. They