Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-01-24
A BREACH OF FAITH
By HJALMAR HJoRTH BoYEsEN.

By HJALMAR HJ0RTH B0YESEN.
"Have you any brothers." asked the
chief, after while. as he laid down the
metal.
mo. l have neither brothers nor
sisters"
"And your parents, are they dead?"
my mother is alive, but my ia
ther"-
lis dead Yes, | supposed SO. And
you had to go out into the world to earn
your living. Isuppose you send part OF
your earnings to your mother"
Yes, as much as can spare"
That's right. | am glad you are a
good son. That is what like to hear"
About a week after this conversation
Mr.. Norman again paused in front of
Gunnar's bench. How much do you
pay for your boardY' he asked.
Five dollars week"
II live alone. If you will take room
in my house you may pay for it by extra
work which will give, mostly copying
and mechanical drawing You'll then
be able to send five dollars more every
week to your mother"
But do you think, sir, that I'll be
able to do that kind of work."
Leave that to me. | know what !
am about"
But, sir, don't think l can ac-
cept it,"
well, do as you like. You may give
me your answer tomorrow"
When no got home that night Gunnar
expected to be praised for his self denial
In refusing the rich mans invitation, for
he hoped Mathilda would divine that it
was out of regard for her that he had
foregone 80 great an advantage. But to
his surprise the young lady called him n
Ounce, and told him almost in so many
words that in looking out for his own
interest he also served hers. She felt
apparently 80 sure of him that she was
more than willing to run the risk of sep
aration. 1t was of herself she was in
doubt; but this doubt he could easily
dispel by q great stroke of business like
the one which he had confided to her.
By getting Mr.. Norman in his power (of
which he had far better chance when
living in his house, he could make his
everlasting fortune, and she hoped sim
cerely he would show that he had the
grit of a man, and would allow no fool
ish mollicoddle sentiment to interfere
with his plan. When he had ascertained
beyond the shadow of doubt that Mr..
Norman was the same as Hans Matson,
then was his opportunity. He must then
threaten disclosure and make the best
terms possible for pledging himself to
silence.
Be itsaid to the credit of our hero that
he rebelled against this project. 1t was
justice he wanted, justice for his deluded,
sorrowing mother, who had been cheated
out of her LIES happiness by this mans
Implicitly and cruelty. To make money
cut Of such a transaction seemed to him
sordid, base, infamous. He came near
quarreling outright with Mathilda, who
with all her cleverness was not clever
enough to discover that she had made u
fatal mistake in affording him so deep a
glimpse into her hard and mercenary
little heart. She had to resort to tears
and caresses in order to obliterate the
impression. whereupon she overwhelmed
him with reproaches for having thought
her capable of the very scheme which
she had a moment ago developed. And
he, poor fellow, kissed her and begged
her forgiveness for having misunderstood
her: and imagined that very likely his
intellect was not sufficiently subtle tC
comprehend the fine gradations Of mean
ing conveyed in this exquisite creatures
speech. He was SO preposterously happy
at the privileges she now granted him
that he could not have found it in his
heart to blame her if she had proposed
to him systematic transgression Of the
ten commandments, beginning with the
first and ending with the tenth.
After this delightful reconciliation
Gunnar accepted Mr.. Norman's Offer
and installed himself in two pleasant
rooms overlooking Lake Michigan. And
Mathilda, who perhaps overestimated
her hold upon his affections, resolved to
postpone the execution of her plan until
more favorable moment.