Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-12-16

"It may be for years and it may be
for ever. Can go now, please?"
Tell me first that you are not Of
Tended because I came to-day"
NO: am not offended she an
swered, slowly, smiling rather against
her will, as it seemed; ''but-1 think
ought to be, perhaps
"Oh, but if you're not!" he rejoined.
quickly. hesitating as though uncertain
how much of his thought he might eX-
press. 1T is so much that we can be
friends
But the very best of friends must
always part at last" she returned, rath-
er sIyly smiling down at him.
(Which means that I have really
reached the limit, I suppose" he said.
reluctantly, holding out his hand.
''Well, then, if it must be-good-by.''
But in some caprice, due more to sud-
den shyness than any other feeling. she
refused to see the proffered hand, mere
ly murmuring ''good-by" again, as
once more she lifted the rein to ride on
Harvey Neil. weighing and measuring
with a lovers morbid fancy, was cut to
the quick by the little, unconscious
snub.
"'The hand of Douglas is his own!'"
he impetuously exclaimed, his detain-
ing grasp still upon the bit. And to
think that moment ago I was fatu-
ously boasting that we were friends."
''Oh, it is not that" she murmured,
turning her face away. Il don't know
why"
But I know he bitterly exclaimed.
although his smile betrayed something
of sardonic amusement at her discom-
future. 1T is because, after all, You
do not forget that L am somebody whom
you have been hating-that you cannot
really shake off the habit. It is such L
fallacy, the popular notion that woman
is by nature only tender and forgiv-
ing; as rule, I believe she is nothing
of the sort, simply because she never
forgets. Is it not so. Miss Meredith?
All, we'll, BY their long memories the
gods are known and perhaps it is fit
ting that woman, who is so much more
| like unto the gods than we, should be
| particularly like in that respect. You
| cannot forget the sum of my imagined
offenseS against your father. Perhaps
| [ should not expect it; but some day.
| possibly, time may have so far blurred
| the record that you can spare thought
| for the fact that from the moment OF
| our first meeting I have been your
| friend; that I would have been" he
| stopped, startled by such q rush of
! feeling as almost choked his utterance,
though his eyes still chung to their
hooking light and his principal feel
/ ing was one of angry disappointment
as he went on in a lowered voice-''I
would have been-all that you could
| have permitted, Miss Meredith. But
| you need not look so frightened" break
! ing off with a short laugh, as he caught
| the expression of her face. 81 have
| reached the limit of my audacity, and
| will not detain you longer. Good-by."
| But if a lover could have prescience
| to forecast his lady's moods he we'll
| might summon fortitude to endure her
| whims and floutings, secure in winning
| compensation soon or late through her
! own capricious impulse; for never is
| the woman heart so disposed to sweet
| concession as when in sensitiZed brood
| ing upon a past offense all the mag
/ naniInity of her nature has been reused
| in longing to make atonement. And
| certain it was that Dorothy Meredith,
as she rode away from Harvey Neil
| that day, had not been so full of yearn-
! ing kindness toward him, but for that
| little hand clasp which she had re-
| fused. 1t had been an unreasoning inn
| pulse to draw back somewhat from the
! attitude of friendly confidence into
| which she had almost inadvertently
| drifted. but now she Reproduced her
! self for the childish inconsistency, his
| last words gaining force as she repeated
them in her mind, inpelling her heart
| to compunctious tenderness hitherto
undreamed of. 1t would have been so
little to concede on her part, the mere
| touch of her hand in a parting which
| might be for all time. 1t would have
| committed her to nothing, while to him
| it hight have been so much, because
ali, could it be true that he loved her !?
| Considering how little he really knew
| her and how irrevocably their paths
seemed set apart, it seemed the widest,
| maddest idea, ridiculous to the point
| of pathos; and yet, remembering the
look in his eyes, she could not ques-
ton his meaning when he said that he
would have been to her all that she
| could have let him be. Asking nothing,
expecting nothing. he had in effect laid
| his heart at her feet-and she had de-
| MED him even the mere touch of her
| finger tips! And, without Analysing
her feeling beyond this ground for self
reproach, Dorothy felt that she was
fifty punished in that she was very,
very unhappy about it.
CHAPTER TX.
The day before the trial Harvey Neil