The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-11-01
CHAPTER XVI.

~ turned to Cairo and gave an ac-
count Of his stewardship. With TEN
pie in control as superintendent and
engineer the mine had become a richly
paying property, and with Temple there
there was no further need for Dun
cans presence.
During that half year Duncan had
lived chiefly with the Temples in the
superintendent house, which Mary
Temple had quickly converted from
barnlike structure, standing alone upon
the face of the bald prairie, into
home in the midst of garden of flow
ers.
During his long stay at the mine Dun
can had made frequent visits to Cairo
These were brief in duration, usually
covering Sunday, but each visit gave
Guilford Duncan two opportunities
that he desired. He could sit late on
Saturday evening, discussing his plans
with Captain Will Hallam, and on Sun
day he had opportunity to become more
and more closely acquainted with Bar
bara.
He made no formal calls upon her,
and none was necessary. He simply
adopted the plan of remaining after
the o'clock Sunday dinner, and little
by little Barbara came to feel that he
expected her to join him in the little
parlor after his cigar was finished. He
seemed to like the quiet conversations
with her, while she regarded the op-
pOrtunity to talk with a man so su-
perior in education, culture and intel
lect to any other that she had known
as privilege to be priced
Their attitude toward each other at
this time was peculiar. They were
good friends, fond of each others So
ciety, and seemingly at least they were
nothing more. The fascination that
Duncan had from the first felt in Bar
bara's presence was still upon him,
but he accepted it more calmly now,
and it sOothed his natural restlessness
where at first it had excited it.
To Barbara, Guilford Duncan's atti-
tude seemed gracious condescension,
which she did not dream that she de-
served. She sometimes wondered that
this young man Of rare quality, who
was sure Of welcome wherever he
might go, should be content to sit with
her throughout the Sunday afternoons
instead Of seeking company better fit
to entertain him.
1t was riddle that she could not
read, and for the present at least Dun
can would not offer her any help in
solving it. He knew now that Bar
bara Verne was the woman he loved
the only woman in all the world who
could be to him what wife must be
to man of his temperament, if two
| souls are to be satisfied.
But he saw clearly that Barbara
| Verne had no thought Of that kind in
| her mind, or, at least, no such con-
| sclous thought She was accustomed
to think of herself as very common
| place young woman, not at all the
equal of this very superior man, to
whom everybody in Cairo paid mark
| ed Difference. He understood Barbara
as she did not at all understand her.
self. He had looked upon her white
| soul and bowed his head in worship Of
its purity, it's nobility, it's utter truth
fitness. He knew the qualities of a
mind that had no just self apprecia-
| ton. He felt, rather than knew, that
no thought of his loving her otherwise
than as an elder brother might love
little sister had ever crossed her COLI
seriousness. He felt that the abrupt
suggestion Of that thought would only
shock and distress her.
| iii find a way Of making others sug-
gest it after awhile" he resolved. I'm
the meanwhile''- He didn't finish the
sentence even in his own mind. But
what he did in that "meanwhile'' was
to see as much us possible of Barbara,
to talk with her impersonally, gently
nnd Interestingly, to win her perfect
| trust and confidence and, so far as DOS
Eible, to make his presence necessary
Thing to her. He paid her no public at
tention of any kind, but he paid no
public or private attention to any 9TH
stood that for a time he was living
at the mine and coming to Cairo only
for brief visits Of a business charac-
ter at infrequent intervals. His neg
lect of society therefore seemed in
need Of no explanation, while his un-
ostentatious intimacy with Barbara
attracted no attention. The only per-
son who ever spoke to him about it
was Mrs. Will Hallam.
"You are going to marry Barbara
Verne, Of course?' she half said, half
asked one day.
IF can, yes," he answered.
"I'm very glad Of that" And she
said no more.
On his final return to Cairo, however,
Duncan found himself expected in
what is called society. Society was
destined to disappointment, for Dun
can went nowhere, except that he usu-
ally sat for some hours every Sunday
afternoon in the vine clad porch of the
house in which he took his meals Bar
bara's aunt often sat there with him.
Barbara always did so in answer to
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