Gilpin observer., 1906-11-08

that yoC-tnaJ wnau you J17eu 20 90
was against my will?" she went on.
breathing tensely.
Il don't think it was" he responded.
toying with his watch fob.
You are most insolent!"
Trenner caught his breath under the
look she gave him, temporising bit.
You have made the mistake, Mrs.
Hardiman, of confusing the spiritual
and the material There is no spirit
ual." He made the announcement in
a tone of finality
After moment she replied, lamely:
The question now is neither material
nor spiritual in aspect. 1t involves
simply an abstract-fact"
1he other laughed again, and shook
his head
Aren't you talking just a little dis
connectedly?" ne asked. indrl=o=t!v.
Il think not. l am quite c--------
of my ground"
There was a long silence. When
she looked toward Trenner again, he
was running his fingers refectively
through a tawny mass of coarse, vel
lowish hair that gave to his face a
distinctly leonine type of expression.
Il shall always consider that you
placed me in false position she re-
marked, angrily.
Still you will have to admit that
you confess yourself unable to cope
with circum stances"
The office boy, for instance" she
hurled back.
There was another silence. Trenner
was the first to break it.
We'll, have you found out all you
wanted to know?" he inquired.
"All, and more. My experiment has
been most successful. l owe you an
untold debt" She gave him a sphinx
like look.
Trenner's lips parted in an involun-
tary smile.
Il thought you'd come up here and
explain it ALL" he observed.
Mrs. Hardiman swallowed her rage
and covered it up with little quick
laugh. N.s.assssS-
That was my intention" she
agreed, rising.
Trenner preceded her to the door
and held it open. He said nothing, and
the woman did not speak either, or
look back.
When Mrs. Hardiman gained the
open air, she drew a deep breath of
relief. She felt faint and dizzy and
wretched. The encounter she had had
with Trenenr left her more than phys
ically weak; it had seemed to take
something vital forever from her life.
The experiment into which she had
plunged blindly for the sake of her
work had proved little more than
she had been able to grapple with.
Trenner had-to be sure-showed
himself all that she had wished and
intended-the exact opposite of the
romantic amorist who might have
met her reproaches with weak assev.
erations of his love and penitence.
But she felt conscious of keen sense
of moral hurt, a.:,sEr-.-, azzs...:-,ss.ET Z, ~,
When she reached her own gate,
she was worn out and spiritless. She
ran upstairs to her room and flung
herself face down on lounge, a burn
ing sense of modification pervading
her being. Presently, a rush of tears
came to her relief and she sat up. re-
freshed. After all, though his hands
had touched hers, he had not kissed
her as he would have done, had not
some last remnant of superior will
power preserved her in the extreme
moment from that pollution. --...--
After awhile her husband came into
the room looking for her, and she
jumped up excitedly and threw heY
arms about his neck. ....---
Dick she cried, hysterically, "you
must take me away from here, some
wnere-~anywhere-for a time. I've
worn my nerves to shred over thi.
last story, and l mean to burn it up
l shall never write another line q,
: long as ! live!'