Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-07-19
CHAPTER XIX.
CROPPING N THE DARK.

| ness: and those words kept repeating tnel'
selves in the mind Of Norris Bergman
through the livelong night.
His heart had gone down with a sudden
chill. He was depressed and unhappy, but
yet not entirely without hope.
9 Her brother is at the bottom Of it, -
Althea had declared, and he believed it.
Ofhersef, he felt sure, Carol would never
turn to Ingot, and for the rest, marriage
need not necessarily follow upon such an
arrangement as might have been brought
about by the cooperation of the two men.
No girl Of spirit would be so driven, and
that Carol had spirit he knew, for had she
not defied her brother when Lyman
snubbed him, and closed the door in his
face!
1t was a cross to think that she had ever
! tolerated Ingot, but there was comfort in
knowing that she, too, was unhappy. Her
/ pale. dropping face had assured him of that.
! Altogether, Norris might have suffered
more than he did that night. He was like
/ one who refuses to believe the ill-tidings
/ that come to him. and Althea did her best
/ to keep up his spirits when he saw her
! again.
Il drove around there Els morning. she
said, determined to get at the bottom Of
the whole affair, but, unfortunately, Carol
was out Don't look so blue, Norris. | shall
| go again tomorrow, and the day after, and
every day, until | succeed in finding out
what that ogre Of a brother means by
badgering her into taking such step. De-
pend on me to smooth the way for you to
bring about an understanding of your own"
But for once Althea overrated her pow
ers. She did not see Carol when she called
for the second time at the house, and on the
third day Carol came to see her.
The girl was still pale and quieter than
her wont, but she spoke Of her engagement
quite as a matter of course.
II do not expect it to be of long stand
ing" said she. Mr.. Ingot has already
preached the subject of a speedy marriage,
and, while nothing is settled, may say that
l feel bound to yield to his wishes so far as
cam
Are you really going to let this thing go
on, Carol! 1t VIII be the mistake Of your
life if you do. You are not deceiving me
one iota. l know your brother has made
this match because he hates Norris; it is he,
not Ingot, who is hurrying you to the end,
and it is more than unreasonable of hint
is wicked! What right has he to make your
life miserable! If it is done with the view
of sparing him any thing, be assured that
1t viii fail. The penalties which a man in
Volzes by his own acts will find him out:
therefore, Fay little martyr, do not think of
sacrificing yourself to Lyman, no matter
what he may urge. Be true to yourself,
and to one othcr.n
Miss Everleighs earnestness had carried
her too far. There was an indignant flash
in the soft eyes that were raised to meet
hers steadily.
You are deceiving yourself, Althea.
Lyman has done nothing -aotting-to cause
you to speak like that. What am doing is
of my own free will, not to please him
alone.''
lyon do not pretend to say that you real
" care for Ingot.' cried Althea, incred-
ulouslv.
mot perhaps as l should, but shall love
the husband l marry, rest assured Of that,''
declared Carol, with bright pink tinge
waving into her cheeks as her eyes sought
the floor.
Althea could not know the double mean
ing which those words conveyed. She grew
cold after that. Carol had disappointed
her, so let her go the way she had chosen
there should be no more circumstances
from her.
The bitterness still ranked when Norris
came that evening for the crumb of comfort
which he hoped to get. His sorrowful face
gave Althea pang Of remorse as she told
him what had passed.
II am afraid have been to blame, Norris
for can not see that she ever loved you,
after all, and l fed the fame in your heart,
l know. Can you forgive me for it!''
There is nothing to forgive, Althea. You
were in no way to blame. l shall live and
be none the worse for this, daresay, after
a little timen
She looked at him curiously.
"You are not angry with her.!
Angry Althea, you know the secret of
my heart. l loved her-I love her still.
Did she not give herself freely and will
ingly to another man, would Iove her to
my dying day, but"
He broke off the words that came in a tor
rent, choking and rending him, swallowed
down the painful lump which rose in his
throat, and gave her quivering smile.
II will be the conqueror when that hap
pens, never fear. Until then, be her
friend, for my sake, viii you not. The
worst lies in knowing how utterly unwor-
thy of her he is. have had some hopes of
being able to prove him SO, and thus saw
ing her, but what you tell me of speedy
marriage may make it impossible
Twill be glad when you go into the bank,
Norris said Althea, with a sudden change
Of the subject, regarding him thoughtfully.
Ever since that note of warning. 1 have
feared moro misfortune there Of course,
you can do nothing until you are regularly
admitted, but 1 shall depend upon your
watchfulness them
9 viii make your fathers interest my
own rrE,-i1 I r,oI
right
Miss Everleigh drew a long sigh when
she was again alone
why does Fate draw such crooked lines
for some of U.S." she wondered, inly. "Our
paths would lie so clear and straight if
things only fell out that way. Why did not
Norris fall in love with me. for instance.
instead of with one who has not the soul to
appreciate his worth. Why must despise
my own weakness, hide it as I NAV. vet
cherish it still. The wiseacres saw that
things always come right in the end, but /
doubt if that end repays US for the mistakes
we make by the way"
Norris, meantime. was feeling the full
force OF Fate's adverse blow. Hope was
dead at last She did not love him, she
never had loved him: that point was
settled, at last. She would love the hus-
band she married and that husband would
be lngot, unless something speedily hap
pened to prove Ingot the villain he once had
thought him.
Norris was not so positive on that point
OF late With his dislike of the man, he re-
allied that he might have done him in
justice, but he was none the less unworthy
of her, coarse, mean, essentially vulgar in
his nature. how could he fail to repel that