The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-09-12

cultured, high bred woman like Ann
Rupert, and you know itr'
Munro was staggered. What busi-
ness is it of yours?" he asked, with
instant anger.
Raymond's wrath was self contained.
"Keep your temper. Jack. We've sum-
mered and wintered together, and you
can't make any mistakes about what I
mean. I know the kind Of women you
live with and the kind Of life you lead,
and I tell you to keep away from the
Kelly cabin
Munro did not snarl as Raymond ex-
pected. His voice became softly in
sinuating as he said: Suppose the
lady invited me to call? Suppose she
was interested in my conversation?
The lady had chance to go. The path
was open, but she fingered, she smiled" :"
you're a liar!''
Munro was now very confident. cam
1? Ask the boy; he saw her talking
with me. I say the lady was gracious. .
The gambler took on the air Of an in
jured comrade. 'Now, see here, Rob;
you're away out of limits. I acknowl-
edge I've known a whole lot Of cheap
women, but that's an the more reason
why I should be able to tell when l
meet the real thing. Her name is as
safe with me as with you. Probably
81, o,e io1 lao0 al in fhn CfCtaS
way, so that neither Of US has any
chance Of interesting her. But it's an
open course and no fayors, and so long
as she doesn't hand me out the icy
mitt' I'm going to make the most Of
my chance, and from this moment'-he
took off his hat-''I reform, throw up
my job at Hanley's, 1 cut off booze
and / shake Eau Claire"
Raymond was impressed by his RI
vaTs manner ''You can quit gam
bling, and I hope you can leave liquor
alone, but I see trouble when you
shake Claire But that doesn't matter.
For the sake Of old times I want to
avoid quarrel with you, Jack. But I
warn you that if Miss Rupert finds
your presence disagreeable you go, and
you stay! AS you say, she is probably
engaged to a better man than either Of
us. But she is here because Of the boy,
and I feel a certain responsibility for
them both. and the man who presumes
on chance acquaintance with her will
answer to me-"
"All right. Leave it to her, Rob-"
said Munro almost jocularly. ''If she
turns me down I'll pull out Of my own
accord, lightning sure Good nightv
Raymond walked away with a sense
Of failure. Munro had adroitly writhed
out Of his grasp and was probably ex-
ulting at his own cleverness. He was
troubled, too, by the confident tone
which Munro had taken in saying, "The
way was open; she fingered"
Out of the tumult Of his doubt he
emerged with an accession of conf
6ence in himself. "If it comes to
choice between US. my chances are as
good as Jacks. Her tolerance Of him
is due to ignorance Of his real charac-
ter. Mrs. Kelly must tell her"
He saw the light in Kelly's home.
and its allurement was stronger than
ever before, but he resolutely held his
way to his own freside, there to bit
terly muse the entire evening over his
poverty and the false position in which
Munro had cleyerly placed him.
He repented of his resolute passing
Of her door when he heard next day
chat couple Of the Independent opera
tors had spent the entire evening with
Kelly and that one Of them talked
great deal to Ann. The sting Of it lay
in the fact that Tracy was fine young
fellow, studious and capable. ''You are
fool,' Raymond said to himself. "fou
threw away a chance to be happy.
Don't do it again"