Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-08-17
CHAPTER VII.


This premature declaration of feel
ings which l had sworn to myself to
suppress was brought about partly by
the spring fever aforesaid, partly by a
youthful and eXcitable temperament
and partly by the encouraging words of
Mark Gerard that same afternoon.
Upon his own confession he had antici-
pated some such explosion; and was
not the man to balli his fancy.
II thought" my companion faftered,
chat you We're in love with another
woman-the goddess?"
"You are the goddess" said, fervent-
ly. "And | began to worship at your
shrine the very moment we met"
"Oh!"
"You seem surprised. If you had
fallen in love with me, Nancy, that
would indeed have been surprising; but
that 1 should fall in love with you is
the most natural thing in the world"
"You must fall out of it again." she
answered, graSely.
"Neverk"
"ATr. Livingston, say you must.
IleaSe don't be ridiculous"
II can't help it," I replied. "You
would make craven image love-
sick"
"And we were such good friends, -
she murmured.
II don't want to press you" con-
tinued.
II should hope not" she returned,
her absurd sense of the ludicrous up
permost, as usual. "Mr. Livingston, I'll
try and forget this-this indiscretion.
I've no love to give you. It's better to
be frank, isn't it? Don't frown, and
don't sulk. You are such nice boy"
"Boy!" I calculated. 81 am &c. Do
you know that Valerus Corvus was con-
sui at %? Boy, indeed!"
"You provoke me, Mr.. Livingston.
Let's suppose for an instant that /
could return this love of yours; are
you in a position to support wife?"
II swear could support dozen
upon the terms you mention. Your love
would spur me to Titanic efforts"
She laughed outright. And lost my
temper.
"If you look at this from dollars
and cents point of view, Miss Gerard, l
have nothing more to say"
"That is spoken like man." she
said. moclSingly. Truly, the fend of
mischief possessed her.
Nancy I cried, cut to the quick by
her scornful words, "why are you SO
cruel? Is a mans love so small thing
that you can afford to fling it aside?"
Her mood suddenly changed, and,
hating, she confronted me with flash
ing eyes.
"For your sake" she said, with dig
nifty, IL made light of your love. We
are here together, living in the same
house, meeting dozen times day. l
did my best to patch up the wool of our
friendship, but you have chosen to
burst the stitches. tried to spare you
and man of tact would have appreci-
ated my effort. have no love to give
you, Mr.. Livingston, because-because
my life is already pledged to another
pity you from the bottom of my heart.
Good night"
She walked away, leaving me ahashed
and speechless.
"Hugo," murmured, softly, "you are
a fool.'
Having registered myself among the
vast majority of my fellows, trudged
,moodily towards the island. My
thoughts followed Nancy, but my foot.
steps pointed in the opposite direction
"a fact which furnished me with meat
for reflection. Was l destined to love
this fair woman and leave her? Nor.
ally and intellectually Nancy had be
come the magnet which swayed my fac.
ulties; what if my wretched body were
constrained TO bear me henceforward
from-not to-her?
Chewing this bitter cud, rapidly APP
preached the island. Already hat
come to the margin of the lake. En-
circled with tules and bulrushes, il
CLEANED cold and placid in the moon
shine. In the winter it's surface wa.
covered with wild fowl--gecse, duck.
and occasional swans. Tonight not Z
| living creature met my eye. Solitude
rcigped supreme.
Skirting the tules, came to pon,
of land SO near to the island that stone
might be thrown from one to the other;
and across the channel | noted boat
moored to post and light twinklina
in the window of the hut. To attract
| the notice of the Greek | shouted
| louder than Stentor-thrice. At thu
| third shout the door of the hut opened
| and / could see plainly the huge body
of Demetrius filling the entrance ant
outlined sharply against the back
ground of light.
"Who is it?" Ills bass voice rolled
generously across the water.
"I-Hugo Livingston"
He turned and entered the hut, shut
ting the door, For moment | sus
pected that he meant to ignore my
| presence. but was mistaken. He APP
l ~