Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-02-16

late" she cried ansrily. as hc entered.
How shaincfully YOU treat me-"
He stood in front of the fire. pulling
off his dogskin gloves; n b~road-shouldcr-
I'd. handsome fellow. with an a%uuiiinc
nose and IL close-croppcd head.
Am l latc:' he said. indiffcrcntlv. II
really did not know it. / have had fifty
places 10 go to in as many minutes"
ID course i shall forgive you il You
have been so busy" she said, softcning
at once. Maurice. darling. are YOU not
going to kiss mc?' She stood up by his
side upon the hcartllrug. looking at Jim
with all her heart in her eyes. while his
were on tho fire. She wound her arms
round his neck. and drew his head down.
He leaned his cheek carclcssly toward
her lips. and she kissed him ~passionatcly:
and he was thinking OF something else.
Poor little woman.'' lie said, and he
pattcd her cheek lightly and urncd
round to toss his gloves into Ills hat OH
the table. How cold il, has turned
aren't you going to give mo ono tca:'
And then lie sat down on the further side
of the fire and stretched himself back i'll
his armchair, throwing his arms up DO
hind his head.
Helen rang the hell for tea.
us that all YOU have to say TO me-
She said. poutingly.
Upon my word, Helen. l am sure j
don't know what you expect. l haven't
heard amy particular news. ! saw you
only yesterday. YOU know"
Helen was silent. She knew very well
what She wanted. she wanted him to say
and do things that were impossible to
lim-to play the lover tn her. to respond
to her carcsses. to look glad to see her.
"Therc is something / wanted to say TO
you," he said, after the tea had been
brought in and they We're alone again.
He sat worward in his chair and stroked
his mnstache ncrvously, not looking mt
her as he spoke.
What is ii, Mauricc:'
We'll, it's about myself. ] have been
awfully hard hit this last week at New
market, you know"
Yes, so you told me-. 1 ann so sorry,
darling" But she did not care much us
long as he was with her and Was kind to
her.
"Ycs. but l am pretty We'll broke this
timc--I had to go to John again. He is
an awfnlly good fellow. is old John: he
has paid everything up for mo. But I've
had to promise to give up racing, and
now Nv got to live on my pay"
II could lend YOU fifty pounds
Fifty pounds. pooh. what nonsense.
What would be the good of fifty pounds
to meg"
lie said it rather ungraciously. per-
haps. and her eyes filled with tears.
When Il man does not love Il woman, her
childish little offers of help do not touch
him as they would il he loved her.
WHAT wanted TO say to YOU. Helen.
was that. of course. now l am so hard
up it's no good thinking of-of marrying
Or anything of that kind: and don't YOU,
think it would be harnicst il you and /
i mcan. wisest for us both-for you. of
course, principally-'
WHAT She lifted her head sharply.
She saw what he meant at once. y wild
terror filled her heart. You mean that
you want to throw me ovcr..'' she said.
brcathlcssly.
My dear child. do he reasonable.
Throw YOU over. of course not-but what
is it To lead to: How can We possibly
marry! 1T was bad enough before, when
l had my few hundreds Il year. But
now even that is gone. Why. / shall
hardly be able To keep myself, far less Il
wife. too. l cannot drag you down Ia
starvation. Helen: it would not be right
or honorable to continue to bind you to
my broken fortunes"
She was standing up now before him.
very white and Very rcsolutc. .
why do YOU make so many excuses:
You want to be rid of me-
My dear child. how unjust you arc".
Am l unjust? Wait. let me speak.
How have we altered things: Could YOU
marry mo amy more before you lost this
money? You know you could not. Have
we not always agreed to wait till better
times? Why cannot we go on waiting:"
lit would not be fair to tic you.''
lie had not the courage to say, II do
not love you-moncy or no money. L do
not wish to marry YOU"
Il wish to he ticd--I do not want TO be
frcc-I will not marry any other man on
earth but you. Oh! Maurice. my love,
my darling!"' casting herself down asai,
mt his feet and clasping her arms wildly
round him "Whom else do / want but
you! Maurice, tell mo. You do love me,
don't you?"
Maurice moved umcasily under. her en-.
brace as though he would withdraw Icl
arms from about his neck.
"Of course" lie said. %ncrvously; sol
course am fond of you and all that, but
we can't marry upon less Than nothing
NO: but We can watt
What are we to wait fory" he said
irritably.
oh. Il hundred things might happen
your brother might die
Heaven Forbid lie said. pushing lici
from him. i'll earnest this time.
We'll. we will not hope that. perhaps
but %grandpapa can't live forever, and liz
ought to leave me all his money! and
then we should be rich"
1T is horrible waiting for dead people.
shoes said Maurice. with IL little sliud.
der: besides, Mr.. IIarlowc is Just n.
likely as not TO leave his money to Il hos.
pital--you could not count upon any.
thing"
I'VE could at all events wait and scc.n
And be- engaged ull that time on ,hc
~off-chance?' lie said, drcarily; that is 1.
miserable prospect"
Then you do wish to get rid of mc:'
she said, looking at him s~uspiciousiy:
ssN.Nf INnNn cnnn os,n. ill., 49,