Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-30
CHAPTER XVI.
CIx months came and went before

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's house, which Mary
 Temple had quickly converted from a
 barnlike structure, standing alone upon
 the face of the bald prairie, into a
 home in the midst of garden of flow
 CTS. .--..
 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 Euilford 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 sbara.
 < He made no formal calls upon her, and none was necessary. He simply sadopted the plan of remaining after u by little Barbara came to feel that he Expected her to join him in the little sparlor 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 slect to any other that she had known as privilege to be prized.
 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 1t more calmly now, and 1t soothed his natural restlessness where at first it had excited it.
 To Barbara, Guilford Duncan's atti- tude seemed a gracious condescension. which she did not dream that she de- served. She sometimes wondered that this young man of rare quality, who was sure cf a 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.
 It 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 a 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- scious thought She was accustomed to think of herself as a very common place young woman, not at all the equal of this very superior man, to whom everybody in Cairo paid a mark ed deference. 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, its nobility. its utter truth. fulness. He knew the qualities Of mind that had no just self apprecia- tion. He felt, rather than knew, that no thought of his loving her otherwise than as an elder brother might love a little sister had ever crossed her con sciousness. He felt that the abrupt suggestion of that thought would only shock and distress her.
 '.I'll find a way of making others sug- gest it after awhile" he resolved. Tn 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 as possible of Barbara, 10 talk with her impersonally, gently and interestingly, to win her perfect trust and confidence and. so far as pos sible, to make his presence a necessary thing to her. He paid her no public at- tention of any kind, but he paid no public or private attention to any oth- CT young woman. It was well under stood that for a time he was Uying at the mine and coming to Cairo only for brief visits of a business charac- ter at infrequent intervals Ills neg feet 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 1t was Mrs. Will Hallam.
 You are going to marry Barbara Verne, of course?" she half said, half : s,ked one day.
 If can. yes" be answered.
 -rm very glad of that" And she said no more.
 On his final return 10 Cairo. however. | Duncan found himself expected In | what Is called society. Society was <estined to disappointment. for Dun ] can went nowhere. except that be usu- l ally sat for some hours every Sunday l afternoon in the vine clad porch Of the ' house in which he took bis meals. Bar | l,ara's aunt often sat there with him 1 Barbara always did so in answer 10 | what seemed to he his wish He made no calls. He declined all invitations J to the little excursions On the river. which constituted the chief social ac- tfvities of the summer time. He gave I if out that he was too busily engaged with affairs to have time for anything l pise. and that explanation seemed fO- ! time to satisfy public curiosity.
 And that explanation was true. Gull lord Duncan had begun 10 take upon himself the duties of a leader. in an important way. Tn the wOzE Of upb1iIi- ,- ,-hirt a- rt.ar fine -rsS a-zz~fu-