Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-01-25

| other mood that might have angered
me. Just then it hurt me SO deeply
that to remember 1t today Is 10 Ieei
a faint ache IN the scar OF the long
healed wound. My face was not hid
den as was hers; SO, perhaps, she saw.
At any rate, her voice tried TO be
friendly as she aid well nave
| crossed the Rubicon. And don't re-
gret. 1t was silly of me 10 cry. l.
thought I had been through SO much
that / was beyond such weakness. But
you will find me calm from now on,
and reasonable
mot too reasonable, please" said |,
with an attempt at her lightness. "A
reasonable woman is as trying as an
unreasonable man."
But we are going to be sensible
with eac other" she urged, IKE Two
friends. Aren't WEI
1--WE are going to be what we are
going 10 be- said /. Wen nave 10
take life as it comes"
That clumsy reminder set her to
thinking, stirred her vague uneasiness
in those strange circumstances 70 act-
i've alarm. For presently she said, in
a tone that was not so matter-of-
course as she had tried to make it:
Wen 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 ann
thought-queer. They hadn't much, so
he lives away up ON the West Side
one Hundred and Tw~enty-seventh
street"
The wise plan, the only wise plan,"
said l, not SO calm as she must have
thought me, lis 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 to do
and how to do it,"
Tonight" I persisted. "We must
be married tonight. No more uncer-
tainty and indecision and weakness.
Let us begin bravely, Anita!"
Tomorrow" she said. But not to-
night. / must think it over"
Tonight" | repeated. Tomorrow
will be full Of It's w problems. This
is tonight's."
She shook her head, and I saw that
the struggle between us had begun
the struggle against her timidity and
cOnventionality. mo, not tonight"
This in her tone for flnality.
To argue with any women in such
circumstances would be dangerous; to
argue with her would have been fatal.
To reason with a woman is to natter
her into suspecting you OF weakness
and herself of strength. I told the
chauffeur TO turn about and go slowly
up town. She settled back into her cor
ner Of the brougham. Neither OF us
spoke until we were passing Grants
tomb. Then she started out OF her
secure confidence in my obedience, 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. LAS l told you,
ON. f,rtItra Gha11 he CnftlnI tnniuht u
That in my tone for finality.
A pause, then: 1T has been settled"
she said, like a child that feels, yet
denies, it's impotence as it struggles IN
the compelling arms of it's father. II
thought until a few minutes ago that I
really intended to marry you. Now I
see that L didn't
Another reason why we're not going
to your uncle's," said /.
She leaned forward so that I could
see her face. Il "a not marry you"
she said. Il feel humble toward you,
for having misled you. But it is better
that you-and I-should have found out
now THAI 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
one else, and who tells you so n re-
fuses to marry your" She had tried to
COI1CClllI Z ClIOu6 SAOlA AANO ~ OAS
to hide her fear.
'I would" said I. "And 1 shall. I'll
not desert you, Anita, when your cour-
age and strength shall fail. i will carry
you on to safety"
II tell you l can not marry you," she
cried, between appeal and command.
There are reasons-I may not tell YOU.
But If / might, o would-would take
me to my uncle's. l a. not marry
you'll"
THAT is what conventionality bids
you say now 1 replied. And then I
gathered myself together n in a
lone that made me hate myself as /
heard it, 1 added slowly, each word
sharp and distinct: But what will
conventionality bid you say tomorrow
morning, as we drive down crowded
Fifth avenue after a night in this
brougham?"
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 I could feel the effect
of my words upon her. l paused. not
because I expected or wished an an
swer, but because / lax to steady my
self-myself, not my purpose; my pur-
pose was inflexible. 1 would put
through what we had begun, just as I
would have held her and cut off her
arm with my pocketknife If we had
been cast away alone, n / had to do
1t to save her life. She was not COM
petent to decide for herself. Every
problem that had ever faced her had
been decided by others for her. Who
but me could decide for her now? I
longed to plead with her, longed to let
her see that / was 20 hard-hearted,
was thinking of her, was acting for
her sake as much as for my own. But
/ dared not. She would misunder-
stand me-" said / to myself. "She
would think you were weakening"
Continued Next Week.)
No Railroad Passes in France.
An excellent feature of French rail-