Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-06-06


barons have looted your xailroad?"
mo; that is only part of 1.-THE
smallest part"
Il hoped so; If you have too little, /
have a good bit too much. But that
corners it in way to make me sorry.
Lam not keeping my promise to win
what you weren't able to give me at
first"
II please don't put 1t that way. If
there be any fault, it is mine. You
have left nothing undone."
The man of expedients ran over his
cards redectively and decided that the
moment for playing his long suit was
full come.
Your goodness of heart excuses me
where 1 am to blame,' he qualified
II am coming to believe that have
defeated my own cause"
by being too good to me?" she sug-
geSted. :.
mo; by running where should have
been content to walk; by Stacking
you with promise, and so in certain
sense becoming your jailer. That is
putting it rather clumsily, but isn't
it true?"
81 had never thought of it in that
light" she said. unresponsively.
you wouldn't, naturally. But the
fact remains. 1t has wrenched your
point of view hopelessly aside, don't
you think? have seen it and felt it
all along, but haven't had the courage
Of my convictions
''In what way?" she asked.
''In the only way the thing can be
stood squarely upon its feet. It's
hard-desperately hard; and hardest
of all for a man of my peculiar build
am no longer what you would call
young man, Elinor, and I have never
learned to turn back and begin all over
again with any. show of heartiness
They used to say of me in the Yacht
club that if l gained half-length in
a race, I'd hold it if it took the sticks
out of my boaty
81 know" she assented, absently.
"Well, it's the same way how. But
for your sake-or rather for the sake
of my lOve-I.am going to turn. back
for once. You are free again, Elinor
All ask is that you will let me begin
where l left off somewhere on the
road between here and Boston last
fall"
She sat with clasped hands looking
steadily at the darkened windows of
the opposite house, and he let her take
her own time. When she spoke there
was thrill in her voice that he had
never heard before.
II II don't deserve it-so much consid-
Grafton, L mean,' she said; and he
made haste to spare her
Eyes, you do; you deserve anything
the best man in the world could do
for you, and I'm a good bit short of
that"
But if l don't want you to go back?"
He had gained something-much
more than he knew; and for a trem-
ulous instant he was near to losing it
again by passionate retraction of all
he had been saying. But the cool pur-
pose came to his rescue in time.
Il should still insist on doing it.
want more, and 1 am willing to do
what is necessary to win it,
Again she said: You are too good
to me-" and again he contradicted her.
mo; it is hardly question of good
ness; indeed, am not sure that it es-
capes being selfish. But am very
much in earnest, and l am going to
prove it. Three years ago you met
man whom you thought you could
love-don't interrupt me, please He
was like some other man we know;
he didn't have the courage of his con-
victions, lacking the few dollars which
might have made things more nearly
equal. May go on?"
Il suppose you have earned the right
to say what you please was the i'm
passive reply.
1t was the old struggle in which
they were so evenly matched-of the
Woman to preserve her poise; of the
man to break it down Another lover
might have given up in despair, but
prmsby's strength lay in holding on il
the face of all discourageme
L believe, as much as believe any
thing in this world, that you were mis-
taken in regard to your feeling for the
other man. he went on, calmly. But
lttwant you to be sure of that for your
self. and you can't be sure unless you
are free to choose between u.s.
ooh, don't!--you shouldn't say such
things to me-" she broke out; and then
he knew he was gaining ground.
Yes, must. We have been STUN
bling around in the dark all these
months, and mean to be the lantern
bearer for once in way. You know,
and l know, and Kent is coming to
know. That man is going to be a
success, Elinor; he has it in him, and
he sha'n't lack the money-backing he
may need. When he arrives
She turned on him quickly, and the
blue-gray eyes were suspiciously
bright.
4 please don't bury me alive" she
begged.
He saw what he had done; that the