Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-06-12

But you never seem to be any the bet |
ter for It.. You must not come near
mother-promise me, Bob"
IL know, | know" said the weak |
voice, pettishly. You don't under
stand, Miriam. | had to come to you
again; there's fearful mess to deal
with, and must get out and away he
fore can pull up. Have you got the
money!
"Good graciousr' thought Dick.
Fate is playing odd tricks with me,
these days! Mriam-and that unspeak-
able brother of hersl But what SOFT
ring to her voice-one would think she
-. | mustn't stay here and listen.
But how am to get out without their
seeing me? They'll know I've over
heard, and that will be worse"
1--WE got the money" girls voice
was little firmer now-"but before
give it you l want your word of honor
honor. pah!-no, l didn't mean that,
Bob, dear"-(the voice broke again
"Oh, Bob, haven't you a heart at all?
viii you really make this the turning
point? Do you know what it means
to me? 1t was your dead fathers last
present, that necklace. Are you going
to throw this away, like the rest?'
Il will pull up l will, n.my soul"
said the other voice hoarsely. Mir
lam. little girl, Ire been worse than
brute to you, H.. it's the last time,
and you shan't regret this. You shall
have it back, whatever happens. Good
by, dear, and God bless your
There was sound of footsteps hur-
rledly leaving the boathouse. The man
had gone, but the girls voice, lower,
and choking with sobs, sounded again.
whatever happens-Oh, Bob, my
brother! And how shall | keep this
from mother, now the ticket is lost?'
Dick. crouchng in the canoe, frozen
with fear lest she should discover his
presence, heard her steal out of the
shed He sat and mused, his brain
whirling with emotions, and suddenly
he drove She canoe out into the river
and padded homewards.
And | said she had no heart" he
said, staring Mt the water Poor lit
tie angel, what she must have suffer
| 1
love her. heaven help me! love her
better than my SOUL 1t will kill me,
but don't care. She'll have no better
answer for me than for the others.
Why should she? What shall do
about that ticket? oh, for an inspira
ton! I'll wait couple of days and
then I'll go and see her."
On tha third dow ha nollnI no xyicpr
but with the ticket in his wastcoat
pocket. Miriam looked drawn and
pale, but an unprecedented outsider
might have thought she seemed glad
to see Dick.
"Why does she look like that?" he
unused; its just part of my chastise-
ment, l suppose she'll crush me later.
There is no use in detailing that con
= versation, for it dealt with platitudes.
e Neither was at ease. Suddenly an idea
4 occurred to Dlck-a way out of the
{ maddening dilemma
e That's fine copy of Longfellow OH
Il the little table" he said. He is your
e favorite, isn't he?"
/ YES" said the girl, listlessly; ITS
a new edition"
l May l look at itf' said Dick. Pm
II rather student of bindings"
: He rose, slipping the pawn ticket
deity from his pocket and concealing
u it in his right hand He examined the
II cover of the Longfellow carefully and
Il turned over a few pages. Then, as he
Vt closed the book, which lay on a table
{ beside Miriam's chair, he tried to slide
II the ticket unobtrusively between the
l imagine she had mislaid 1t. But alas,
= the slip of cardboard fell from his fill
. gers and tiuttered to the floor 1t
caught Miriam's eye, and before Dick
" had moved his foot over it she had not
ed, with gasp of suppressed agony
:. the telltale lettering of the words
:. Florence Manning" And Dick knew
= that she had seen.
- "Hullo," he said, red as fire, "lv,
:, dropped book marker from it," and he
" carelessly tossed the ticket into the
,, book without CHANGING at 1t. But Mir
. lam had risen, pale as death.
Il see that you brought that she
-, said in low voice, and see that you
10 know what it is. And please, mus
know how you know-you won't re
=, fuse me? There are complications, ant
/ am miserable till know everything
You have Deen kind"
!, Dick looked into her eyes. He saw i
=, was useless to beat about the bush.
IN Those eyes!' he thought swiftly
~ can she care? III tell her everything
and then"
. He laid the whole story bare before
NJ her up to the finding of the ticket.
r. IN go now" he said, choking slight
g. ly. Pm afraid I've panied you, Blu
a. you would know all. Are you salts
=, fiedT"
Al Not yet" she said softly.
nj "MiriaIn" he cried, stepping forward
in the blood singing in his ears, "do yo'
is care for me-just n little, darlingi
-, love wont Miriam-o