The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1905-08-03
The Quarrel
By KEITH GORDON
Copyright. loo5. BY Frances Wilson

I There were two sides TO the question,
| Of course. There always arc two sides.
| He, being man. saw only the mascu-
line side. while she, being every inch a
| woman, could see only the feminine ns.
pect of the matter that rose between
them like a wall.
According to his reasoning the great
pearl that beamed softly on the third
finger Of her left hand--his gift-was
the solemn, final expression Of his
faith, his choice. 1t was the Official seal
affixed to hls avowed belief that she
| was the supreme woman,
In his deeper. finer moments he would
relive the moment when he had put It
there. when the splendor Of his own
Destiny had sobered and steadled him
till his whole being had cone out In the
wordlcss prayer, God grant that may
make her happy"
From that moment she was the fixed
star of his life. Indeed. she scarcely
seemed to him a separate entity, but
rather the finest part of himself. And
this was where the trouble began. He
was dashing and debonair, and tho
armament of his life was strewn with
stars of lesser magnitude. mere pin
heads beside her, but in the aggregate
by no means without interest and beau
ty. That they were feminine stars goes
without saying. and II there were mo-
ments when they shone and twinkled
for his especial benefit how could he
do less than to acknowledge the COM
! plirlent?
To him 1t seemed no more than a
laughing byplay. the light. graceful
variation OF the grand love theme of
his life. But the fixed star saw 1t diff
ferertly-saw 1t with eyes that deepen
ed and darkenc1 with tragedy which.
after few weeks of sino.dering. burst
into the flame OF anger.
:; Never, perhaps. lad she appeared to
him so superb, SO obviously queen of
the world, as az that moment when she
hal faced him. white with scorn. and
occused him In plain. brutal. everyday
English of being fiirt.
At first sheer anazenent held hiSl
silent. But from the torrent OF words
that rushed from Ler lips he vas soon
in possession OF the srm Of his Of
fenscs--his attentions TO Miss Lincoln,
his evident enjoyment of the society of
Mrs. Colin Stuart, not to mention Bet
~ Pell and Lucia Armitage!
AS Van Pet listened to the cutting
words OF his flancee his first amszemenr
gradually congealed into SON ething
else He had paid some attentions to
Miss Lincoln, who was visitor and
friend of his sister, and Mrs. Stuart
had asked him for a dinner or so, and,
cd chance to join them. Had they
net been comrades since the days when
their nurses wheeled their perambu-
lators to the park side by side?
And. though he had frequently en-
coprtsrcd Fiayia under these circum-
stances, no hint OF bis possible displeas-
ure had ever occurred to him. She
was she not the only one, 50 near, 50
much part of himself. that there was
no more need for explanation than
there was to his own soul? So at these
encounters his eyes had leaped to meet
hers without self consciousness and
without apology.
at first her confidence met his
nobIy. Then little gnawing doubts
crept in. She world have liked him to
protest. for, alas. she was but a wom-
an! And sometimes the high. white
Place Of his soul. where be kept her
enthroned- made her shiver and long
to be pestcd and scolded. And In
place of that he made her a goddess.
supposedly with the power Of reading
hearts.
"Yon have--quite finished?"
His cbol drawing voice filed her
first pa,ise with an icy suavity. and the
steel OF his eyes met the fire Of hers
unhincinnsly. Invoiuntariy she caught
I her breath. He not only showed NO
inclination to explain, to exculpate
himself. but he had the look of man
who has received a mortal wound.
whose deepest feelings have been
merci,css.y scofred at. jeered at, tram.
pied IN tie mire.
At the words her heart turned to
ice. Truth to tell, her outbursts had
nothing more serious than the quick
resentment of a warm hearted. high
spirited woman at fancied neglect
from the man she adorcd. A pair Of
open arms and eyes that loved back.
begging for tolerance and forgiveness
that was what she wanted and ex-
pected. But this man with the hard
glance and the incisive. cold voice
what Ind she done?
Despite her terror, the world old bat
tie between pride and love was raging
in her heart. and It was pride that won.
'Tinished?' she qucried bitterly,
with an infection that conveyed that
IL she ceased it was by no means be-
cause she had reached the end OF the
list. I'VE will call 1t SO at least" And
with the words she drew off the ring
and he'd 1t out to him. He received Il
with low bow.
Obviously the episode was ended.