Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-09

This time his smile was 2 mere grimace.
 "You will have to make one excep- tion, after this; and so shall I. And since 1t is the first of any consequence in all my mounting years, it grinds. I can't throw another man out of the window and take his place."
 If you were anything but what you are, you would have thrown him out of the window another way" she re- joined.
 That would have been a dago's trick; not a white man's," he asserted. T suppose I might have got in his way and played the dog in the manager generally. and you would have stuck to your word and married me. but am not looking for that kind of a win ming. I don't mind confessing that I played my last card when I released you from our engagement. I said to myself: If that doesn't break down the barriers. nothing will"
 She looked up quickly.
 You will never know how near it came to doing 1t, Brookes."
 But it didn't quite?"
 No, it didn't quite"
 The brother-smile came again.
 Let's paste that leaf down and turn the other: the one that has David Rents name written at the top. He is going to succeed all around, Elinor; and am going to help him-for his sake, as we'll as yours."
 No" she dissented. "He is going to fail; and am to blame for it."
 He looked at her side-wise.
 ''so you were at the bottom of that, were you? I thought as much, and tried to make him admit it, but he wouldn't What was your reason?"
 'T gave it to him: I can't give 1t to you."
 T guess not" he laughed. 'I wasn't born on the right side of the Berk- shire hills to appreciate it. But really, you mustn't interfere. As I say, We are going to make something of David; and little conscience-of the right old Pilgrim Fathers brand goes long way in politics"
 But you promised me you were not going to spoil him-only it doesn't matter; you can't" .
 Ormsby chuckled openly, and when she questioned "What?" he said:
 'I was just wondering what you would say if you knew what he is in- 10 now; if you could guess, for in- stance, that his packers have put up a cool hundred thousand to be used as he sees fit?"
 "Oh!" she exclaimed; and there was dismay and sharp disappointment in her voice You don't mean that he is going to bribe these men?"
 "'No" he said, relenting. "As mat ter of fact, don't know precisely what he is doing with the money, but I guess it is finding it's way into legitimate channels. I'll make him give me an itemized expense account for your ben- eft when it's all over, if you like"
 "It would be kinder to tell me more about it now" she pleaded.
 NO; I'll let him have that pleasure, after the fact-if we can get him par doned out before you go back east"
 She asked no more questions, being unwilling to tempt him to break con- fidence with Kent But she was think ing of all the desperate things de- termined man with temperamental un- balancings might do when the touring car rolled noiselessly down the final hill into the single street of Megilp.
 There was but one vehicle in the. street at the moment; a freighter's ore-wagon drawn by team of mules,' meekest and most shambling-prosaic of their tribe. The motor-car was running on the spent velocity of the descent, and Ormsby thought to edge past without stopping. But at the critical instant the mules gave way to terror, snatched the heavy wagon in to the opposite plank walk, and tried to climb a nearby telephone pole. ormsby put his foot on the brake and something snapped under the car.
 What was that?" Elinor asked; and ormsby got down to investigate.
 ''It is our brake connection" he an- nounced, after a brief inspection. And we are five good miles from Hudgins and his repair kit"
 A ring of town idlers was beginning to form about them. An automobile was still enough of rarity in the min ing camp to draw a crowd.
 ''Busted?" inquired one of the on- lockers.
 ormsby nodded, and asked if there were a machinist in the camp.
 Yep" said the spokesman; "up at the Blue Jay mine"
 Somebody go after him." suggest ed Ormsby. Tipping coin; and a boy started on a run.
 The waiting vas a little awkward The ringing idlers were good-natured but curious. Ormsby stood by and an- swered questions muItiform, diyerting curosity from the lady to the ma chine Presently the spokesman said:
 @Is this here the steam-buggy that helped a crowd of you fellers get away from Jud Byers and his posse one day a spell baek7"
 No said 0rmsby. Then he remem- bsred the evening of small surprises the racing tslly-ho with the Inn suto-esr to help
 What vas the trouble that day- he asked. putting in a question on his