Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-04-22
been put on free exhibition to blanche while

| - hps any ouSliitco Ou bLe SlAR6 To Tbc-
ognlze any one in the audience People do
not pay their money to see an actress nod and
smile at her friends
How did you hear of the charge against
mesn asked.
1T was the talk at the hotel table, in that
camp where we played. There first learned
| OF my uncle's whereabouts and his condition
What did they say of meF'
! In substance, that your life and actions
were suspicious; that you loafed' a good
deal, as they expressed it, always had plenty
OF money, and that no one knew how you
came by it. / think, however, should not
have judged you SO quickly as did had
not seen you in the dance house"
why did that so set you against mer'
"That's strange question for you to ask.
Perhaps it was because of jealousy-perhaps
contempt" she replied
l was silent. She continued: "Never mind
that now. My fault is the greater l want
to see it ALL and you must help me- Did not
| my manner toward you at the store the
other day excite more prejudice than ever
against you among the minersr'
Il think it did"
Il thought so" said she. 81 began to see
and feel it very soon Well, it shows a.
woman's power for good or ill--in this case
for ill-and men call us the weaker sex.
What caused the quarrel between you and
my unclef'
He intruded himself on ground belonging
| to me and Broener"
| Il gather from my uncle's rambling, de-
lirious talk that he imagines the ground in
question not to be yours legally. Is that so!n
sit isn
''Then why did you oppose HING
| because | thought the circumstances jus
titled it. 1t is ground for which no legal
provision is yet made for holdings"
Then how can you hold itf'
''Only by the unwritten law of this land
at present-the law of might
1.-THE same law by which your recently dis
missed friends from yonder hollow acted
was her answer
You would make good lawyer" said.
Il think should. But have you not placed
| yourself in an awkward positions"
YES, either have or fate has for me-"
"What do you think my fault has been in
| this mattern she asked
II don't know that there is any / think,
had You known the temper of Bull Bar, you
| would not unconsciously have brought the
| prejudice against me to the boiling point by
cutting me as you did at the store before so
! many people That, on your part, was caused
by ignorance. | think, though, that you
might first have sought me out and heard
my story before Judging me-" said
Il should have done so. It was a great
mistake Any moreF' she asked
well, you may have made similar mis-
Judgment in another direction, as to seeing
me as you did in the-the dance house,
Indeed, think understand You were
simply enjoying mans privileges in this
very free country
That's your way of putting it,"
What is your way of putting its"
| was silent. She continued: Suppose we
reverse the case, and you had seen me in that
place, whirling in the arms of a brawny
minerg'
Its not supposable case" l answered.
THANK you. In other words you would
say that no lady would visit such placer
IF | say so, then suppose you will ask
me why should gentleman visit itr'
YES said she. THAT was my intention
On second thought take the question back
| may want possibly to reserve for myself
some time or other some of the privileges of
you gentlemen
We were silent for some minutes.
why did you not inquire of Broener with
regard to the AFFAIR." l asked.
Il had reasons-perhaps right, perhaps
wrong-for not doing so. | knew that rs
your partner, and an interested party, his
sympathies would be in your behalf.
wanted to find out for myself and place my
self under as little obligation as possible to
any one in doing what had to do Perhaps
in that, made a mistake"
"You mean, then, that had YOU been
guided by Broener you might not have been
misled as you were regarding met"
''Guided is rather too strong a word.
Still, think now his Judgment in the mat
ter would have been better than mine" she
replied
This phase of the subject was not agree
able to me. avoided present further men,
ton of it; but that dreadful dance house
picture of myself before Blanche now took
full possession of me- / could not help talk.
ing of it, said:
las we are talking very plainly to each
other tonight may / ask of you exactly
your Judgment of me from seeing me at the
fandangon
my Judgment regarding it is one thing;
my emotion may be quite another As to
judgment or Judging you in the matter,
own ! am not able to do it. You are a man
living among men, influenced possibly by
other men. You live in the mans kingdom
and in that kingdom are laws, customs,
usages, privileges, perhaps temperaments,
which don't appertain to us women. You
may have waltzed with the Mexican girl for
the mere pleasure of the moment; you may,
again, be her lover; you may like those low
revels and persist in them; you may drop in
for moments curiosity and amusement and
satiated, perhaps disguised, soon come out
again. How do / knows"
II think your last conjecture the right
one" l said somewhat eagerly.
81 hope it is" she answered, adding, s'for
your own sake"
"For my sake aloneg'
For the sake of all or any one whose hap
piness depends ON your welfare" she replied.
Does yours now depend at all on that
welfaregi l asked
do you mean to ask if love you still?
Is my act tonight one of love or hateP was
her reply.
Perhaps you might have so done for any
man.
She paused and then said slowly: "Snce
you are SO kind as to suggest the idea, well,
perhaps might"
l was neither comforted nor satisfied Talk
of handling edged toolsl The Land of
Promise, so near at one moment, receded at
the next.
Pardon me, Blanche" said 81 should
not have made such a remark"
81 don't see why you should not. What
you suggest may be among the possibles.
How do knows" she replied.
Miry ground this, l thought; and Tn sink
ing in it all the time.
Then | spoke 'just like a man." and said
foolishly: Perhaps you'd have done the
same for Mr.. Broenerm
Perhaps So" she said calmly, adding as a
clincher: "Very likely
l went down over ears in the quagmire OF
despond and jealousy.
John Holder" she exclaimed In few
moments. 'this is no time for us two to be
talking in this fashion; and besides John,n
she said, with shade Of playfulness, eff we
do, you in your present attitude toward me,
will get the worst of it. Mr.. Rroener is an
old friend of mine. l esteem him highly and
value his association, for he is q remarkable
man, and one from whom have learned
much. What we have now 20 do is to get
Uncle Pratt well and you out of this trouble"
replied; 'If you mean by we any aid of
Mr.. Broener in my behalf, let me say right
here, then don't want it and won't accept
it." The word ''we" was fresh brand in the
flame
"John, you are talking fcolishly," she said.
Like all other men but one that I've known,
you can't abide from a woman a word in
favor of another of your own SEX
But one, l thought, and that's Broener.
We were now near Pratt's cabin She