'Not much,' said Johnny. 'Tricks. I'm off of tricks. Dot. I want things plain. I hadn't finished a sentence.' He looked at a gull. 'Maybe I don't need to. Once you said that you could tell-'
She let him see, as he turned, miles deep into her blue eyes, clear and true. His breath caught.
'Tes, I can tell,' said Dorothy gravely. Then, 'Johnny, do you think we can possibly be happy?'
He knew what she meant. The ghost of Emily, the blood of Dick Bartee the tragedy of Nan—these memories were hovering and might always hover over the two of them when they were together.
This was going to be no romantic dream. This would not be Cloud Nine or any numbered cloud.
Here was J. Sims, just as he really was—sick and sore sad—and not much, in his own estimation. Here was also this lovely hvely giil, so real, that he could heardly breathe.
'Dotty,' he said soberly, 'I'll tell you the truth. I could live—although I can't imagine how—without you.'
Then she was in his arms, warm and fragrant and he felt her heart beating.
Now, surely, sweetly, they were mending, their wounds were closing, they were being healed and they could tell.
ACE MYSTERIES
ARE
ACE-HIGH THRILLERS!
Have you read these?
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