Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-21

that used to be in you. tonight. 1t was
fine. l thank you for having said he
paused.
"Why, that about my not having had
chance, you know
ooh, that was a trifie.'
81 know. But not many men would nave
said ii at the time.
II tell YOU what it is, Sempland. I like
you, / always have liked you. When l-er-
dropped out of the OLD set, you know, before
the war,I didn't mind giving up anyone so
much as you. And l was sorry for you to-
night You hadn't had a chance. God
knows love the girl, but am not the man
for her. 1 would break her heart in a
month. You don't know women. l take it,
but / think she will be yours in the end.
/ give her TO you
she is not yours to give"
mo, know she isn't. But withdraw in
your favor.
II don't want that sort of fair field.
Harry" went on the other man. uncon-
sciously dropping into the famil ar form of
boyhood, which caused Lacy's face to flush
with pleasure, 81 am sure she loves you.
l thought il was l. at first, but since this
afternoon | have changed my mind. Why
can't you be different? You are not a fit
man to marry any honest woman now, and
when | thought of your record l doubted
that you ever would be. | was sure you
would not, but-see here, old man, Throw
the past asldei A fellow that's got it in hi N
to do what you have done for the south
why can't you control yourself? Turn over
new leaf. l love her. too. She's more to
me than life itself, but her happiness is
more than mine. If she loves you, and
wants you. make yourself worthy of her.
BY heaven. I'll help you. if it kills me! You
thought l was harsh today. / swear to
you If you succeed nobody will acknowledge
il quicker than II!
will you tell her So?'
II willi''
"Rhett." said the other man, stretching
out his hand. 1.-The woman l love has this
day honored me, but by heaven, l believe
you have honored me more. / did think
IT a low-down trick for you to go TO
Miss Glen but know why you did it, and
be anything different. My father and
grandfather both died in drunken sp~ees-
It's in my blood. / can't help it I've had
n chance or two to do something a IL tie
out of the ordinary in this war. thank God
for 1t, but suppose the reason l was a lie
to carry it through was that l cared little
whether l Lived or died. No, hat isn't
true. I'd rather d than live, but I would
thing fine and noble. I-I-mgh get a be-
ter chance on the other SIDE then, you
know. Life is nothing to me, and there is
no possibilities in it,"
He spoke bitterly. 1t was rare that any
one saw him in that mood.
81 tell you I'm cursed / wouldn't take
that girl If she did accept me. only want
ed to trouble you Well, no not exactly
the devils got me in his grip and
II can't understand It," said Sempland
vaguely.
"Of course, you can't. You're so strong
and so self contained-such as you never
can understand such as I. But to be drunk
ard. and n gambler, and a
He stopped and threw up his hands. and
then dropped them heavily by his side.
It's in my blood. / tell youi 1t Is not
all my fault. Yet there IS good in me
enough good to make me go mad II | stop
10 think of 1t. / want some way to get
out OF this life with honor. l leave the
field TO you"
''She doesn't love-"
you're a fool Sempland-forgive me-
about that woman. / know women better
than you. Not so much the good as the
bad. but In some things women are alike,
woman is a woman whatever she does.
That girl loves the ground you walk on"
Nonsense! It's you
"Pshaw. She is fascinated by what
she's heard on one hand. and she shuts
her eyes to what she has heard on the
other. The war is young. Well be beaten
OF course. but not without some hard
desperate fighting. Your chance will come
anG when 1t does"
II win master II or die!''
"of course. but don't die. Master Il.