Courier Democrat., 1904-06-30

S04S very W1uIcI.
She had not a suspicion Of the true
state Of affairs. isn't 1t lucky / spoke
Of it" she exclaimed. "You must see
to 1t today, now"
She sprang up impulsively and stood
waiting for him. He arose more slow.
y.
"Hilda, I cannot" he said.
She stood very still for some seconds.
"Why not?' she asked quietly.
Because / have not time to cut a
road through to another bunch of pine.
It is this or nothing"
"Why not nothing, then?
II want the money this will bring"
His choice Of verb was unfortu-
nate.
''Wul you tell me for what you want
the money!" she asked.
The young man caught the note of
distrust. At once, instinctively, his
own confidence vanished. He drew
within himself again the power of
justifying himself with the needed
word.
'.The firm needs it in the business, -
said he.
Her next question countered instan-
taneously.
"Does the firm need the money more
than you do me?"
They stared at each other in the ST.
lence Of the situation that had 50 sud-
denly developed as q dust cloud springs
up on plain.
''You do not mean that, Huda?" said
Thorpe quietly. 1T hardly comes to
that"
"Indeed it does," she replied, every
nerve Of her fine organization strung to
excitement. II should be more to you
than any frm.'
Sometimes it is necessary to look
after the bread and butter" Thorpe
reminded her gently, although he knew
that was not the real reason at all.
IF your firm can't supply it, car" J"
she answered. 1T seems strange that
you won't grant my first request Of
you merely because you need a little
money"
ut isn't 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. it will be worth about
$4,000. There's $4,000 profit in it,
The girl. exasperated by cold details
at such time. blazed out. II never
heard anything so ridiculous in my
life" she cried. "Either you are not at
all the man l 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"
THE firm needs it, Hilda.' said
Thorpe, ''in order to succeed. II we do
not cut this pine we may fail"
IF I were a man." she said, and her
voice was tense-'.if I were man and
loved woman. would be ready to
give up everything for her. Ny riches,
my pride, my life, my honor, my soul
even. they would be as nothing. AZ less
than nothing. to me IL I loved. Harry,
don't let me think am mistaken. Let
this miserable firm Of yours fail, IL fan
It must for lack Of my poor little tenn
pie Of dreams" She held out her hands
with tender gesture Of appeal. The
a6a1r had gone beyond the preservation
Of a few trees. It had become the oues-
ton Of an ideal. Gradually, in spite Of
herself. the conviction vps forcing IT,
self upon her that the man she had
loved was 20 different from the rest
that the greed Of the dollar had cor
fupted him too. By the mere Yielding
70 her wishes she wanted to prove the
suspicion wrong.
II cannot. Hilda," he answered stead.
~.
"You sen me for $4,000! I cannot
bslieve 1t! Harry, Harry, must I put Il
TO you as choice7 Don't you love me-
enough to spare me thatr'
BE did not reply. A. long @ 4 -
mained dilemma b would not rsply.
He was In the rishk