She saw me the same instant, and her eyes brightened with what seemed to
me pleasure, while slow waves of color came into her cheeks. She smiled,
and stood motionless, waiting for me to approach.
I lost no time in bidding her welcome. When I took her hand in greeting
the contact was electrical--it may have been my imagination, I
grant--but I'm sure I felt as if a charge of some kind had been
projected into me.
"Whut's this book?" she asked, closing the volume but still holding it
with a clinging touch. It was to me as if she wanted to make it a part
of her, her hands and fingers were so enveloping in their grasp.
"That's heresy--rank heresy!" I laughed. "If Father John saw me reading
that he would tell you to run from me as fast as you could."
She glanced up with a most attractive blending of alarm and amusement on
her face.
"Then whut yo' read it fur?" she demanded.
"It was written by one of the smartest men the world has ever known, and
I want to find out what he thinks. We don't have to believe all we read,
you know. We can read for various reasons."