Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1903-04-30
One Mans Honor

Are you quite sure that you are
really happy. dear-very happy?"
And he leaned over the table deux
and touched her fingers behind the
friendly setter of the roses. Forget
full of the ubiquitous waiter, of every
thing but the earnest-faced man be-
fore her, the girl impulsively stretch
ed out both hands to him and said
with shining eyes:
$50 happy, dear, happier than l
ever hoped to be-and to think that
at last the dream of my life is going
to be realized-I shall go home, home
to dear England again. 1 was very
little when mamma and Grace and l
left the old home after papa's death.
But America has never seemed so
beautiful to me as our dear home in
Surrey" A look of sadness crept
into the glowing eyes and she did not
notice that the man moved uneasily
in his chair and that a gloomy, wor-
ried expression overshadowed the
bright hopefulness of a moment be-
fore.
I'VE shall go back just as soon as
we are married, shall we not, Dick?
Dear old Dick, am so glad that you
and not any one else are to give me
my dearest wish. Aren't you glad
you don't look uproariously happy
what is it. dear?"
May, would you mind so awfully
if we-well, if we didn't go back to
England, after all?"
would l mind? Dick are you
crazy? oh, you know 1 have hoped
and waited for that all my life. 1t
used to seem as if it would never
come true-till l met you and you
told me you loved me. And since then
l have thought of it, waited for it day
and night"
Dick looked at her questioningly
for a moment and then said, a little
bitterly: do you know, little girl,
that at times l have been tempted to
think that you loved the thought of
going back home better than you did
me-"
Her face crimsoned painfully, and
his heart smote him.
There, there, little one; that
wasn't fair. 1 was a beast to say it
to you-more of a beast because you
are going to be put to the test"
why, Dick, what do you mean?"
Just this. Maysie. grille; we can
not go back to England-at least l
cannot"
' You cannot go back, Dick? Surely
surely you have not committed some
crime which prevents you from going
back. 1t isn't that? Say it isn't!"
well, I'm not exactly a criminal,
little girl, but 1 might just as we'll be-"
he said bitterly. 1 should be treated
like one if l went back, and every
| one believes me to be the most des-
picable wretch on the face of the
| green earth"
eyes.
For heavens sake, Dick, tell me
what you mean"
| 81 mean just this: If went back
to England tomorrow my own rela-
tives would in all possibility cut me
dead. The fellows at the cubs-in
the pa-k-on the street, would pass
me with cold nod; if 1 offered them
my hand not mother son of them
but would quietly and coldly ignore
] st. My God, child, you don't know
what it meant to me. l went through
it once, but not even for you could
l go through that hell second time"
But, why, Dick; tell me why
what have you done?"
Its not good hearing for innocent
ears like yours, little sweetheart; but
it is your right to know. l have told
you that when came into my money
at eighteen 1 kicked over all re-
straints and went the pace till-well,
ill 1 came the worst kind of a crop
per. You see, Margrave and two
or three others of the Oxford set
came into their money at the same
time, and, like a lot of hot-headed
fools, we turned London upside down