The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-04-14
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tAtfttfhtnI. SIOuIu Dt inOIt W yOu
than any firm"
Sometimes II is necessary to look
after the bread and butter" Thorpe
reminded her gently. although he knew
that was not the real reason at all.
III your firm can't supply 1t, ! can"
she answered. ut seems strange that
you won't grant my first request Of
you merely because you need little
money"
1T isn't q little money" he objected,
catching manlike at the practical ques.
ton. You don't realize what an
amount clump of pine like this stands
for. Just in saw logs. before it is made
into lumber. IL will be worth about
$4,000. There's $4,000 profit in It,"
The girl, eXasperated by cold details
at such time, bazed out. II never
heard anything so ridiculous in my
life!" she cried. EITHER you are not at
all the man | thought you, or you have
some better reason than you have CIV
en-. Tell me. Harry; tell me at once.
You don't know what you are doing"
''rhe firm needs IL, Hilda." said
Thorpe. ''in order TO succeed. II we do
not cut this pine we may fail"
IF were man." she said. and her
voice was tense-''if were a man and
loved a woman. | would be ready to
give up everything for her. My riches,
my pride. my life. my honor. my soul
even. they would be as nothing. as less
than nothing. to me If I loved. Harry,
don't let me think am mistaken. Let
this miserable rirm Of yours fail. IL fail
II must for lack of my poor little tenn
pie of dreams" She held out her hands
with tender gesture of appeal. The
affair had gone beyond the preservati ton
of few trees. II had become the Ques-
tion of an ideal. Gradually. I'm spite Of
herself. the conviction was forcing it.
self upon her that the man she had
loved was so different from the rest
that the greed of the dollar had cor
ruptcd him too. BY the mere yielding
TO her wishes she wanted TO prove the
suspicion wrong.
II cannot. Hilda," he answered stead
lily.
"You sell me for $4,000, ! cannot
believe II. Harry. Harry. must | put II
TO you as choice? Don't you love me
enough TO spare me thatf'
He did not reply. As long as II re-
mained dilemma he would not reply.
He was in the right.
"Do you need the money more than
you do me, more than you do love?'
eho bn,uod bnr cnuI I'm bor ovoc for cl ,
was begging also for herself "Thlnk.
Harry. II Is the last chancc"'
He was face to face with n vital De-
cision. He experienced no conflict of
mind. no hesitation. for the moment
no regret. During all his woods life
he had been following diligently the
trail he had blazed for his conduct.
Now his feet carried him unconscious
ly TO the same end. There was no 9TH
er way out. In answer to Ililda's ques-
tion he merely inclined his head.
Il have seen Il vision" said she sim
ply. and lowered her head TO conceal
her eyes. Then she looked at him
again. There can be nothing better
than love-" she said.
Yes. one thing" said Thorpe-"the
duty of success
The man had stated his creed, the
woman hers.
She left him then and did not see
him again. Four days later the camp
ing party left. Thorpe sent Tim Shear
er over as his most efficient man to see
that they got off without difficulty, but
himself retired on some excuse to
Camp Four. Three weeks gone in Oc-
tober he received a marked newspaper
announcing the engagement Of Miss
Hilda Farrand to Mr.. Hildreth Morton
OF Chicago.