Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-03-21
Picturing for ourselves, II we may,

how nine men out of ten would have
given place to panic-ardor, turning a
possible victory into hopeless rout,
let us hold aloof and mark the gen.
eralship of the tenth, who chances to
be the heaven-born.
| For five of the six precious hours
Ormsby merely saw to it that Elinor
was judiciously marooned. Then the
dlnlng-car was reOpened and the
evening meal was announced. Wait
ing until sufficient number of pas
sengers had gone forward to insure a
crowded car, Ormsby let his party fall
in with the tail of the procession, and
the inevitable happened. Single seats
only could be had, and Elinor was
compelled to dine in solemn silence
at a table with three strangers
| Dinner over, there remained but 90
minutes of the respite; but the dip
lomatist kept his head. going back to
the sleeping-car with his charges and
dropping into the seat beside Elinor
with the light of calm assurance in
his eye.
"You are quite comfortable?" he
|
In the buffet make you cup of tea?
That in the diner didn't deserve the
name"
! She was regarding him with curious
anger in the gray eyes, and her re-
ply quite ignored the kindly offer of
| refreshment
"You are the pink of dragomans,' -
she said. Don't you want to go and
smoker"
TO be entirely consistent, I sup
pose 1 ought to-" he confessed, Won
dering if his throw had failed. ''Do
you want me to go?"
have been alone all the after
noon; l can endure it little while
longer, l presume"
Ormsby permitted himself a single
heart-throb Of exultation. He had de-
liberately gone about to break down
| her poise, her only barrier of defense,
and it began to look as if he had sue
| ceeded.
Il couldn't help it, you know" he
said, catching his cue swiftly. There
are times when I'm obliged to keep
away from you-times when every
fiber of me rebels against the re-
straints of the false position you have
thrust me into. When I'm taken that
way 1 don't dare play with the fire.
Il wish 1 could know how much you
mean by that" she said musingly.
Deep down in her heart she knew she
was as far as ever from loving this
man; but his love, or the insistent
urging of it, was like strong current
drifting her whittier she would not
go.
Il mean all that an honest man
can mean" he rejoined 81 have
fought like a soldier for standing
room in the place you have assigned
me; have tried sincerely-and stupid
ly, you will say-to be merely your
friend, just the best friend you ever
had. But it's no use. Coming or 60
ing. l shall always be your lover"
please DON'T she said, neither
coldly nor warmly. "You are getting
over into the domain of the very
young people when you say things like
that
1t was an unpleasant thing to say,
and he was not beyond wincing little.
None the less, he would not be turned
aside
you'll overlook it in me if I've
pressed the thing too hard on the side
of sentiment, won't you? Apart from
the fact that feel that way, I've been
going on the supposition that you'd
like it, if you could only make I'D
your mind to like me-"
81 do like YOU" she admitted; more
than any one l have ever known, |
think
The drumming wheels and a long
drawn trumpet blast from the loco
motive made shield of sound to iso-
late them. The elderly banker in the
opposite section was nodding over his
newspaper; and the newly married
ones were oblivious, each to all else
but the other. Mrs. Brentwood was
apparently sleeping peacefully three
seats away; and Penelope was invis-
ible
There was a time when | should
have begged hard for something more.
Elinor; but now I'm willing to take
what l can get, and be thankful. Will
you give me the right to make you as
happy as l can on the Unconditional
basis?"
She felt herself slipping.
IF you could fully understand"
Il understand that you don't love
me, in the novelist's sense of the word,
and | am not asking more than you
can give. But if you can give me the
little now, and more when have won
it-don't curl your lip at me please;
I'm trying to put it as mildly as
can"
She was looking at him level-eyed,
and he could have sworn that she was
never calmer or more self-posseSsed.
Il don't know why you want my
promise-or any woman's promise-on
such conditions" she said evenly.
But l do" he insisted.
The lights of town suburb were
fitting mast the wipdOwc and tho rno-