Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-06-27

|, with an attempt q her ignanes&
"a reasonable woman Is - trying ~
an unreasonable man..
But we are going TO be sensible
with each other" she urged. like two
friends. Aren't WEI"
I'VE are going to be what we are
going to be" said-I. Wen have to
take life as it comes"
That clumsy reminder set her to
thinking, stirred her vague u%neasiness
in those strange circumstances to ac-
tive alarm. For presently she said,
in a tone that was not so matter-of.
course as she had tried to make it:
"WJl go now to my Uncle Franks.
He's a brother of my fathers. l al
ways used to like him best-and still
do. But he married a woman mamma
thought-queer. They hadn't much.
so he lives away up on the West Side
One Hundred and Twenty-seventh
street.
1.-THE wise plan, the only wise plan"
said !, not so calm as she must have
thought me, "is to go to my partners
house and send for a minister"
"Not tonight" she replied nervous
ly. Take me to Uncle Franks, and
tomorrow we can discuss what tn do
and how to do it,"
Tonight" l persisted. I'VE mlT'
be married tonight. No more uncer-
tainty and indecision and weakness
Let us begin bravely, Anita"
Tomorrow" she said. But not to
night. l must think it over"
Tonight" I repeated. Tomorrow
will be full of its own problems. This
is to-night's."
She shook her head, and l saw that
the struggle between us had begun
the struggle against her timidity and
conventionality. mo, not tonight"
This in her tone for inality.
To argue with any woman in such
circumstances would be dangerous; to
argue with her would have been fatal.
To reason with a woman is to fiatter
iA ia& ~Saspecting you of weakness
and herself Of strength. l told the
Cudul6uI W Lulu dUOuJ anu 81 olOWlJ
up town. She settled back into her
corner of the brougham. Neither of
us spoke until we were passing
Grants tomb. Then she started out
of her ecu confidence in my obed-
fence, and exclaimed: 'This is not
the way!" And her voice had in it
the hasty call-to-arms.
NO." I replied, determined to push
the panic into a rout. "As told you,
our future shall be settled tonight"
That in my tone for finality.
A pause, then: ut has been set
tied" she said, like a child that feels,
yet denies, it's impotence as it strug-
giles in the compelling arms of its
father. Il thought until a few min
utes ago that l really intended to
marry you. Now l see that l didn't"
Another reason why we're not going
to your uncle's," said l..
She leaned forward so that l could
see her face. Il can not marry you,"
she said. II feel humble toward you,
for having misled you. But it is bet
ter that you-and I-should have
found out now than too late"
1T is too late-too late to go back"
would you wish to marry a woman
who does not love you, who loves
some n else, and who tells you so
and refuses to marry you?" She had
tried to concentrate enough scorn into
her voice to hide her fear.
II would" said l. "And I shall. I'll
not desert you, Anita, when your cour
age and strength shall fail. 1 will
carry you on to safety"
II tell you I can not marry you,'
she cried, between appeal and co1r&
mand. There are reasons-I may
not tell you. But II | might, you
would-would take me to my uncle's.
l can not marry you!"
"That is what conventionality bids
you say now" I replied. And then
gathered myself together and in a
tone that made me hate myself as |
heard it, l added slowly, each word
sharp and distinct: But what will
con%ventionality bid you say tomorrow
morning, as we drive down crowded
Fifth avenue, after a night in this
brousham?"
I could not see her, for she fell back
into the darkness as sharply as If ]
had struck her with all my force full
in the face. But | could feel the ef-
feet of my words upon her.
Full fifteen minutes of that fright,
full silence before she said: II will
go where you wish" And she said il
in a tone that makes me vince as
!, recall 1t.
: | called my partners address ur
through the tube. Again that fright
full silence, then she was trying to
. choke back the sobs. A few words
caught: "They have broken my will
: they have broken my will"
: My partner lived in a big, gray
. stone house that stood apart and com
: manded a noble view of the Hudson
. and The Palisades. 1t was, in the
main, a reproduction of a French cha
. teau, and such changes as the archi
! tect had made in his model were not
: positively d%isfiguring, though anus
: ing.
/ ITO be Continually