Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-12-13

turned her eyes from his with an effort.
I'm going back to Montana in the
morning. want you to marry me to-
night won't oven wait one more
day-one more hour. know it's a
thing you never dreamed of-marrying
poor man. You'll look at it as the
most disgraceful act Of folly you could
possibly commit, and so will every one
else here-but you1l do It, Tomorrow
at this time you'll be halfway to Chi
cago with me-"
MIR. Bines-rm perfectly reasonable
and serious--I mean it-are you quite
sure you didn't lose your wits when
you lost your money!"
1T may be considered a witless
thing to marry a girl who would marry
for money-but never mind that-Tm
used to taking chances"
She glanced up at him curiously
you know I'm to marry Mr.. Shepler
the tenth of next month"
your grammar is faulty-tense is
wrong-You should say was to have
married Mr.. Shepler. I'm fastidious
about those little things, confess"
How can you jest?"
II can't. Don't think this is any
joke. He'll find out"
Who will find out--what, pray?"
HE will. He's already said he was
afraid there might have been some
nonsense between you and me, because
we talked that evening at the Old
akers'. He told my grandfather he
wasn't at all sure Of you until that
day lost my money"
"Oh, see-and of course you'd like
your revenge-oarrying me off from
him Just to hurt him"
IF you say that I'll hold you in my
arms again." He started toward her.
'Ive loved you so, tell you-all the
time-all the time"
COR perhaps it's a brutal revenge
on me-after thinking I'd only marry
for money"
1--WE loved you always, tell you"
He came up to her, more gently now,
and took up her hand to kiss it. lie
saw the ring.
Take his ring off,"
She looked up at him with an
amused little smile, but did not move.
He reached for the hand, and she put
it behind her.
Take it off" he said, harshly.
He forced her hand out, took off the
ring with it's cleaning stone, none too
gently, and laid it on the table behind
him. Then he covered the hand with
kisses.
Now it's my hand. Perhaps there
was little Of both those feelings you
accuse me of-perhaps l did want to
triumph over both you and Shepler-
and the other people who said you'd
never marry for anything but money
but do you think I'd have had either
one of those desires il | hadn't loved
you? Do you think I'd have cared how
many Sheplers you married if hadn't
loved you so, night and day-always
turning to you in spite of everything.
loving you always, under everything
always, tell YOU"
Under what-what 'everything?'"
when l was sure you had no heart
that you couldn't care for any man
except a rich man-that you would
marry only for money"
you thought that?"
"Of course l thought it."
What has changed your"
Nothing. I'm going to change It
now by proving differently. l shall
take you against your will-but shall
make you love me-in the end. know
a woman, in spite of your
self"
you were entirely right about me.
would even have married you because
of the money"
Tell me what it is you're holding
back-don't wait"
LET me think-don't talk, pleased"
She sat a long time silent, motion
less, her eyes fixed ahead. At length |
she stirred herself to speak.
you were right about me, partly |
and partly wrong. l don't think can
make you understand. I've always
wanted so much from life-so much |
more than It seemed possible to have.
The only thing for girl in my posi-
lion and circumstances was to make |
what Is called a good marriage, / |
wanted what that would bring, too.
was torn between the desires-or
rather the natural instincts and the
trained desires, had ideals about
owing and being loved, and had the
material ideals of my experience in this
world out here.
Il was untrue to each by turns.
aere--I want to show you something"
She took up book with closely writ
EN- pages.
Il came here Tonight won't con-
zeal from you that / thought Of you
when | came, It was my last time
lere, and you had gone, supposed.
Among other things had out this old
liary to burn, and / had found this,
written on my eighteenth birthday,
When l came out-the fond, romantic
ecret ideal or a foolish girl-listen:
The Soul of 1--we we'd tha Soul ~