The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-05-16
CHAPTER XII.

| lis, although If he had been asked to
tell exactly why, he might not have
been able to tell very clearly.
He read the letter entirely through
without once looking up, and Willis
listened in silence without changing
| his position. When Edward finished
and looked over at him, he was evil
IDENTIFY angrier than ever. for he sud.
denly walked over to Willis and ex.
claimed harshly:'
"What business have you to be think
Ing Of such thing as thisY'
Willis took his feet down from the ia
BILE and looked at Edward quietly. His
answer partly Gained Edward, who
never remained angry or excited very
long at time.
II have no business to be thinking of
1t If / have no business to care for a
girl whom I have always honored in
my thought"
you have not honored her in your
thought. If you had, you would have
stopped drinking and going with the
fast crowd all this time"
Willis turned pale, and for a mo-
ment Edward thought he was going
to strike him with his clinched fist
Then he turned his face away and re-
marked in a low voice:
That's true enough. At the same
time, I've said the same thing to my
self. | know this is true also. If ]
have ever had good thought for the
last two years, it is due to her. That
much, at least, is to be said of my feel.
ing for her."
"At the same time, this is impossi-
ble," continued Edward, striking the
letter with his hand.
II don't know whether 1t Is or not.
1t depends altogether on your sister to
say"
81 shall have something to say about
it," retorted Edward, his passion ris-
ing again.
You will not have anything to say
If she actually cares enough to so with
me-"
"She doesn't care for you. and never
will!' said Edward almost savagely.
"You don't KNOW" replied Willis
quietly.
Edward was silent moment He
did not know anything about Freedas
feelings in the matter. Since his own
unexpected feeling for Miss Seton he
had come to learn that in cases Of love
people could not always determine
with mathematical certainty just what
a person might do under certain condi-
tons. On the point of Freeda's proba-
BILE action he was really In doubt Only
it seemed like a monstrous proposition
for Willis to entertain or for Freeda to
consider for moment.
"There is one way you can find out"
Edward ventured to say.
Eyes, and intend to find out pretty
soon too"
II can't wish you success" replied
Edward, as he walked back to his own
table. AS he sat down he added In
milder tone:
willis, Of course don't need to say
that | believe It would be a calamity
for my sister to marry you. She has
been brought up In an entirely different
world. She is poor; you are rich. She
is church member; you are not. She
has a perfect horror. as have, for all
the vices that are familiar to you. You
could not make her happy"
81 could, If she loved me as l love
her."
ITS impossible. You are too far
apart even to sympathize with each
other. Besides. she never will care for
you as long as you continue to drink
and gamble"
"But I've quit all that. Haven't |
shown you that ! can master myself?
Haven't | lived all straight enough
lately? And all for her sake tooY"
Edward did not reply. He had little
faith in the spasms Of Willis reform.
"Can't live down the past all right?
Is your sister never going to marry
any one but an out and out saint?
There are mighty few Of 'em among
the men,"
81 don't think 1t does any good to
talk about it. have my opinion, and
it won't change. One thing I'm very
confident of, and that Is that Freeda
will never care anything for you. She
is here In college to get an education.
She is not old enough to get married.
She is the last person in the world to
think Of such thing. 1t Is all as alb
surd as It can be-"
at Is not absurd at all. Good God,
Ned, don't you see how l am situated?
don't care for the old college. All the
time I've been here I've been tempted
by the fast set to do the things I've
been doing. Pm no scholar. hate
books, except novels. When l think
Of what it's all for, l don't care a rap
for the education. But like business,
and know as well as anything that
can succeed with the opening my uncle
has made for me. Now, IL l can settle
down In home Of my own shall be
In fair way to make a man of myself
No other girl ever appealed to me like
your sister. feel as IL could promise
her anything and keep 1t, too, even as
l haven't kept my promise to my own
mother. Does that mean nothing to
you? 1t means everything to me-"
There was quite silence In the
room. Then Edward spoke very slowly:
"Then you want my sister to sacri.
flee herself to save you. Is that itT
IL don't ask her to sacrifice anything
IL she does NOT care for MOI ranliad