Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-04-18
"ALAS! HOW EASILY
THINGS 60 WRONG
BY MABEL II. I


ously, and there was an autbori+a-
tive tone in his voice.
Alyne Fortescue raised her head
with a naughty gesture.
i am going out riding alone with
Mr.. Bowden." she cried. wiufnuv
and VIII you please remember. he
lore you call him names, tina you
are speaking of a friend of mine,.
Friend or not" angrily, Il will not
allow such a thing. I forbid YOU to
go.
Alyne's eyes blazed.
You seem to be anticipating mat
fers," she said. You and 1 are not
married-yet- I have not promised to
obey you-yet."
Al least" his tone s~oftening, IAN
engaged girl should respect the wishes
OF her fance."
Not when they are unreasonable"
Unreasonable? ?" holly. DC you
think II unreasonable because / re-
fuse TO allow you to go out with a
man with such a reputation as he
has9~
Allow! Allow" she cried. pet
tishIy- I viii not listen to such a
word from you,"
y flash of anger again crossed his
face
Then o persist in going on this
excursion, contrary to my wishes?"
Most certainly 1 do"
Then" ~passionately. you may
choose between us I viii not marry
q girl who has anything to do with a
scoundrel ike Osbert Bowden. IN
less you promise to give up this ride,
! shall break off the engagement"
h looked al him a little fearfully
for a moment, and then she threw
her head back and laughed OF course,
he did not mean 1.-THE would never
carry out his threat. And it was a
great mistake giving in to a man be-
fore marriage. What would he be
like after?
THAT Is a matter" she said, proud
y, in which you can do as you like.
] certainly mean TO ride this after
moon with Mr. Bowden."
Neils face grew very pale.
Think of what you are doing" he
said. warningly. I am not a boy to
be tossed aside like a woman's play-
thing If you send me away now I
shall not come back"
Alyne shrugged her shoulders
You can do exactly as you please"
she answered. defiantly-
She was the darling of her fathers
heart All her life long she had been
spoiled and allowed to have her own
way. She never imagined for a mo-
ment that Neil would not give in at
once.
He looked at her with stern, angry
eyes.
Then you persist in going u with
Osbert Rcwden - he said.
- have told You so many times"
GROSSLY. ~Of course. I am going. I
promised Mr. Bowden. and I am not
one 70 break my promise. I only
wish had never told you"
Then" slowly. there is nothing to
do but 10 say good-by.- and he took
up his cap and strobe toward the door.
She watched him as he went. and
her eyes grew dark. But her head
was still as high as ever.
You NEAR to say that our engage
ment has come to a end?" she said.
At mean TO say that our engagement
has come to an end"
This is what you AVE been work
ing for, she cried, ~passionately.
You never loved me, and you catch
at the smallest excuse TO break 1t off.
You want to marry Amy Tilden, ]
suppose; she has more money than 1.
Oh" recklessly, lit is just as we'll
Just as well. 1t is better to find out
our mistake beforehand"
Just as Well" he said. in a white
rage. For you could not have loved
me much to 60 out riding alone with
another man-and such a man! Good
by"
And he turned the handle of the
door and went out, and, as If in a
dream. she listened to his retreating
footsteps until she could hear them
no longer
And then. with a sudden impulse,
she sprang up to call him back But,
alas. II was too late. She only caught
a glimpse of his tall, straight figure
as it disappeared down the drive.
Should she run after him? Should
she stay him? For a moment 1t
seemed as if she would go, and then
pride rose up to deter her He would
1riumph-he would exult-he would
think he had got his way! MOI 1t was
his place to apo1ogize-his place TO
saw he was sorry. She would leave
him to suIk as he pleased; he would
soon get over it and come back and
plead her pardon for all the harsh
things he had said
And she determined that she would
moi too easily forgive him must
have q lesson-it would do him good
IN the end. Nevertheless she thought
she would not GO out riding with
Osber- Bowden-not because Neil had
told her not TO do so-oh, dear, no!
He had nothing to do with It But
she did not want TO go; h did not
care for the man particularly Com
pliments flowed o profusely from
his lips to please her.
She wrote a little note and sent II
round. and then she wondered what
she should do. There seemed nothing
in the world TO do. She wished Neh
would come back
But h day dragged on, and a week
dragged on. and stin he did not come;
a terrible fear began to spring up IN
Alvne's heart. And then she met the
friend with whom Neil had been stay
ING the last few months
She was too proud to ask MN aIOer
IL -z4 oIlax the world !