The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-01-20
CHAPTER w.
Bouphton
REJECTED AGAIN.

"Whatl Are you blue9'' Boughton
asked; convinced now that the glisten was
no. due to the freight ION Christmas
Eve, tool That will not do the least in the
world. What's wrong"
She tossed herself back into the open
farms of the big chair with petulant gest-
ure.
Every th;ngr' she cried-"EIery thirlgr'
Boughton sat a moment gazing steadily
into the fire.
judith he said, at last, ''can't you tell
mcl 55.earl might help you, you know!"
81 on couldn't! you couldn'tP she said,
sJill vehemently knitting her chestnut
hrows, which in that position were absurdIy
ike her fathers. Nobody can. I can't
myself. Oh deGrl''
It is impossible to express the rebellion
condensed into that one "Ohl dearp' The
room seemed to reverberale with 1t.
Boughton could think of absolutely moth
ing to say just then, so he edged along to-
ward her over the deerskin rug, until he
could rest his arm on the arm of her chair.
'"Tell me-" he urged. DO Judith. One
can never tell. Perhaps may be the ,ery
Que to help you.n
But she sand ''No," very CURLY, and
stared ever his head into the fire.
Presently, however, she burst forth
again:
.iWas there ever such wild place as the
University of Virginia, do you think?" she
cried.
At that, t'Ohr' said Phil to himself. Dick
had OF course been getting into trouble, and
had cast his burden upon his sisters plucky
little shoulders, after his usual brave
fashion.
II don't know much about it, you know"
he made answer "What has Dick been
telling yOul"
She looked at him sharply.
s'Why do you think Dick has been telling
me any thing!" she asked, in rather care
full voice.
show else should you know9" Boughton
said, easily. ''But of course don't tell me
Unless you wish"
Suddenly she leaned forward, setting one
hand back down in the other as they rested
on her knees. Her necklace swung forward
from her bending throat, and the freight
cast dainty, circular shadows fromlts beads
upon the snowy white OF her neck.
"Yes, will tell you, +" she said, suddenly.
ssDick is in debt-the old, old story to sis
ters-for how much do you suppose?n
81 don't know" said BOughton, stupldly.
he was not thinking in the least of Dick
just then. He-was wondering how many of
those little soft round shadows there were
ON her white breast, and whether he could
count them if he tried.
sWell, then-for eight-do you heara-for
eight-thousand-do
teThat's not so very bad, " said Boughtons
reassuringly. 1--WE can pull him through"
t.Wei" SAID the girl, haughtily, on the de-
Ecnsive at once. ''Who do you mean by
sweP"
An at once he got his arms abouther. She
felt his hot breath in her hair, on her
throat.
..Who should mean but you and I-you
and i-yap and Il3 he went on repeating, IN
q sort of lntoxication, "Judlth-kiss me!
kiss you!h she said, kiss youFs
She was absolutely rigid with fury. Was
ever man so blind as BoughtOn?-so. deaf,
one might say. He leaned forward and
kissed the pretty blue bow, and the spaceof
white flesh encircled by the blue beads. He
looked ND and would have kissed her lips,
but was stopped by the furious light in her
ewes. He started back and freed her in
moment.
ssThis is the second time" she said, with
shut teeth, as he remembered her once be-
fore 70 have spoken-'.the second time you
have behaved like beast to me-"
ssJudith pa he said.
aes-a beast 90 she said, biting down on
the word, as it were, with her sharp little
& judith, ), he said again, ''take Care-take
.els
sa:.s-.lxe carer' she repeated. .sTake care
saat9 OF the womanhood that you don't
efsspecta Therel Your lips have touched
chem, they are vilep'
She ierked at the blue necklace with q
Sharp movement which broke it. and the
sretty beads went rolling this way and