The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1906-04-06

~ tient to be clothed and seat
L. 4 ed in an easy chair, and.
calling Mrs. Barnett to him, Raymond
asked, DO you think Miss Rupert wiz
see me now?" r. s
II will ask her." replied Jeanette.
with due appreciation of the romantic
situation. /. 81
Ann rose to comply, with little
thrill Of unpleasant excitement. She
did; not want to see him, and yet she
could not decently refuse. 80
At the door of the sitting room Mrs.
Barnett stopped, and the girl walked
in alone, her face set in lines of cold
disdain. N ss3.
Raymond sat in a big, padded chair,
with his back to the, window and the
sunlight streaming over his head. He
wore handsome gray dressing gown.
| and the linen at his neck and Wrists
was spotlessly clean: His hands were
refned-almost delicate in efTect-and
his clean shaven face and his we'll
brushed, abundant brown hair gave
evidence Of most careful toilet.
Something mystically solemn and
sweet was in his eyes, and his lr.
trembled as he greeted her. rhis ia;
very good 81 you. Pardon me, wont
you? 1 am forbidden to stand" @
II beg You, do not think Of it."
"Dare l ask you to be seated
want to thank you more suitably than
I have been able to do for what you
did for me-" .,. .... ,~e.,, # n a.
please don't, Mr.. Raymond SO
sure you I deserve 10 credit. I vent
out there under compulsion, and what
did was determined by pressure OF
circumstances. I'm not bit Of q hero.
ine,and do not like praise" Z: =
He was chilled by her tone aud for "a
moment hesitatet1. "A sick man may
be forgiven some things" he began to
say%at last. II may as we'll confess
that i have been longing to see. you. ~
have been trying for many days to rise
and dress in order that I might have
you come in You, must let me ask
your forgiveness for the rude way In q
which received you that day. All that
l did seems incredible to me now, like
the action of another man." !
A CLEAN of amusement crossed AIMS
face II didn't blame you. I'm willing
to admit that your position was try
ing" 49,. g
He was too exalted of mood to re-
spond to her quiZzical tone. Il had
lived for years quite apart from any
from association with cultivated PEG.
,,11 7 ho1 RI
that was wasting my life and had be-
come irritable. l went to the ranch to
pay off debt, and well, had fallen
into groove. You recalled me to bet )
ter things"
II and the bullet" she said rather
tiippantly, for she was becoming appre-
hensive Of the trend of his condolences. !, )
Hesignored her interruption, or, rath- !
er, he plowed across 1t with something
like his old time resolution. 1T is due
to you to know-or at any rate desire
you to know-that am not fugitive !
from Justice. Baker thought he was
being funny" - $@Es .,
S"'I am not so dull as you think, Mr..
Raymond. 1 understood him perfect
IT," y
e"."I am glad you did. It is true am
estranged from my family, but it is not
due My faults have never been GRIM
inal" ~ ..cfj So 49, - =. -
"Please do not feel it necessary to
explain" interrupted Ann. 1T is pain \
full to you, and-and it Is wholly unnec- 5
essary. 1 beg you to desist I hope you /
will understand that I am in no sense
doubling you" .;,$a.s a
/. A shadow of pain crossed his face.
Somehow the reality Of their meeting &
was not as he had imagined 1t.
She, on her part, was angry and dis
pleased with herself and resentful Of d
his implied social equality, and yet he
looked the gentleman and his face I
wasSsvery handsome; very mo- ring In
its clear pallor. Suffering had il!fl:te-j I
~ refined it's lines. bni she coi',h ct III
: =. = ITO be Continuously 81 "a Sss s
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