The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-01-25
CHAPTER III.

What if this man, these men and this
woman were in league with him whose
rivalry L feared and whom [ had intend
ed to supplant on the morrow? 1t was
a wild surmise, but was it any wilder
than to believe [ was held here for a
mere whim, freak, joke, as this
bowling, smiling man before me would
| have me believe?
Rising in fresh excitement, struck
my hand on the table. "You want to
keep me from going on the steamer"
cried. THAT other wretch who loves
her has paid YOU
But that other wretch could not know
| that was meditating any such unusual
scheme as following him, without full
days warning. l thought of this even
| before had finished my sentence and
did not need the blank astonishment in
the face of the man before me to con-
vince me that had given utterance to
a foolish accusation. "It would have
been some sort of motive for your
actions" I humbly added, as 1 sank
back from my hostile attitude; ''now
you have none"
thought he bestowed upon me
look of quiet pity, but if so he soon hid
it with his uplifted glass.
Forget the girl, said he, 81 know of
a dozen just as pretty"
was too indignant to answer.
women are the bane of life'' he
now sententiously exclaimed. "They
are ever intfuding themselves between
a man and his comfort, as for instance
just now, between yourself and this
good wine"
caught up the bottle in sheer des-
peration.
Don't talk of them," cried, ''and l
will try and drink. l almost wish
there was poison in the glass. My
death here might bring punishment
upon YOU"
He shook his head, totally unmoved
by my passion.
eve deal punishment, not receive
it. 1t would not worry me in the least
to leave you lying here upon the floor"
l did not believe this, but l did not
stop to weigh the question then; was
too much struck by word he had
used.
Deal punishment" repeated. care
you furnishing me? Is that why am
here?"
He laughed and held out his glass to
mine.
You enjoy being sarcastic" he OBJ
served. well, it gives spice to con-
versation, l own. Talk is apt to be dull
without it,
For reply 1 struck the glass from his
hand; it fell and shivered, and he
looked for the moment really dis
tressed.
Il had rather you had struck me- he
remarked, for l have an answer for an
injury like that, but for broken
glass" He sighed and looked doleful-
ly at the pieces on the floor.
Mortified and somewhat ashamed, l
put down my own glass;
you should not have exasperated
me" cried and walked away beyond
temptation to the other side of the
room.
His spirits had received dampener,
but in a few minutes he seized upon a
cigar and began smoking. AS the
wreaths curled over his head he began
to talk, and this time it was on sub
iects totally foreign to myself and even
to himself 1t was good tall1-that l
recognized, though l hardly listened to
what he said. Twas asking myself what
time it had now got to be and what was
the meaning of my incarceration, till my
brain became weary and could scarce
ly distinguish the topic he discussed.
But he kept on for all my seeming, and,
indeed, real indifference-kept on hour
after hour in a monologue he endeav-
ored to make interesting and which
probably would have been so, if the
time and occasion had been fit for my
enjoying it. AS it was had no ear for
his choicest phrases, his subtlest
criticisms or his most philosophic dis
QUESTIONS. I was wrapped up in self
and my cruel disappointment. and
when in a certain access of frenzy
leaped to my feet and took look at
the watch still lying on the table and
saw it was four o'clock in the morning,
L gave a bound of final despair, and,
throwing myself on the floor, gave my
self up to the heavy sleep that merci-
fully came to relieve me.
l was reused by feeling a touch on my
breast. Clapping my hand to the spot
where had felt the intruding hand, l
discovered that my watch had been re-
turned to its pocket. Drawing it out
first looked at it and then cast my eyes
quickly about the room. There was no
one with me and the doors stood open
between me and the hall. 1t was eight
o'clock, as my watch had just told me.
That / 5-i5Sha1 from tho
took the shortest road to the steamer,
goes without saying. | could not cross
the ocean with Dora, but l might yet
see her and tell her how near l came to