The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1900-10-11

G0OoI - ~ A0o W oOO0AA-
pany him, but he knew that he himself
cared, yet he felt that he could not
acquaint his friend with the real rea-
son until he had actually o
At 8 o'clock Halbert came back-not
exactly on a stretcher, but leaning on
the arm of his valet. He had had a
bad fall somewhere on the riverside
drive, and had turned his elbow badly
-sprained it, In fact. They had ac-
tually subjected him to the annoyance
of carrying him to a hospital because
ne had been too dazed to demonstrate,
and when his mind was eventually
clear he demanded removal to his own
rooms.
His valet settled him comfortably
on a divan and had left the room when
Halbert sank into a slight slumber. In
a few moments Allen came in, white,
haggard, limp with anxiety, and stood
there looking at Halbert with startled
pain in his gaze. Then, with a sudden,
uncomfortable impulse, he knelt down
beside the divan for a moment and,
grasping one of the sufferers hands in
his own, crushed it to his lips with a
sob of distress and pain.
Halbert opened his eyes and turned
to look at him. He was almost too
~dumfounded to speak. Allen got up
in confusion, and Halbert kept smiling
and staring at him in a riot of bewil-
dered ideas, cropping as he did in a
queer labyrinth of uncertainties, like
a man struggling to face some peculiar
situation that his mind refused to
grasp.
Il trust you will pardon ny intru-
sion," Allen said, standing by a win
dow and looking out into the night,
but they told me you had been seri-
ously hurt, and-and-it almost broke
my heart"
Halbert sat up on the edge of the
d1van, and, drawing his dressing gown
around him closely, remained there,
looking at Allen like one surprised in
half toilet and somewhat nervous be-
aus of it. The kiss of the youth
burned still in the flesh of his hand,
and 1t travelled along the channels of
feeling and warmed his heart.
Something was CROPPING in his mind
for recognition. He still stared at AL
len n took in, with careful, scrutin-
izing gaze, the supple lines of his tall,
slender figure, the curves of his long
neck, the slender hands and feet.
Allen" Halbert said, and he got up
and walked close to the youth and
stood near him, his eyes still search
ing the boyish face, "Allen, I want to
ask you a question. In Gods name,
don't be offended if I am wrong. But
l don't think I am wrong. 1t never
occurred to me before, but / am a blind
fool, and it unnerves me. Look at me,
Allen. and answer this: Are you a
woman?"
Allen WINGED and turned farther
away and leaned against a table as if
to steady himself. The young face was
scanned with pain. There was a long
silence as Halbert waited for the other
to speak. "You are a woman" he re-
! peated.
1C0J i ~ "Ol1oA. La WOld us
came at last, firmly, almost defantly,
like thunder in Halbert's ears, stun
ming him.
my God!" was all that came from
between the parted, eager lips of the
other. But this costume-why this
l don't understand"
Because everybody has prejudice
against petticoats in the professions,
the girl answered, "and / was bound
1 would not let that interfere with my
progress. Why should I be bowed
down, tied like a slave, because of
mere selfish, unreasonable p~rejudice?'
The color burned in her cheeks bril-
liantly, and Halbert stepped toward
her with a sudden, quick movement
his arms outstretched. love OF his
tongue, in his eyes, in his gestures.
The girl stepped away from him as
he would have touched her arm.
"Mr. Halbert," she said, with dig
nifty, 81 am your secretary, and in
your rooms, and you have discovered
that I am a woman. Please respect my
UNHAPPY poSltIoA, III 1 want you u
believe that | am neither a designing
adventures nor a simpering dolt
There is another class that you seen
to be unacquainted with-that you dc
not seem to take into consideration
She looked at him steadily, her eyes
burning with determination.
Halbert's head sank under the siegt
of her look. Her speech hurt him; i
crushed him. Yes. he loved this girl
he understood it now. He had been