The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-01-24

other mood that might have angered
me. Just then 1t hurt me SO deepiy
that to remember it today is to feel
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 said: "NVell-I have
gret. 1t was silly of me to cry. I
thought I had been through so much
that | was beyond such weakness. But
you will find me calm from now on.
and reasonable"
Not TOO reasonable, please" said /.
with ar attempt at her lightness. "A
reasonable woman is as trying as an
unreasonable man"
But we are going to be sensible
with each other" she urged, like two
friends. Aren't WEI"
wv are going to be what we are
take life as it comes"
That clumsy reminder set her to
thinking, stirred her uneasiness
in those strange circumstances to 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:
We'll 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 m
thought-queer. They hadn't much, so
he lives away up on the West Side
One Hundred and Twenty-seventh
street"
The wise plan. the only wise plan,''
said l, not SO calm as she must have
thought me, sis to go to my partners
house and send for a minister"
Not tonight" she replied %ervous
" n $40 TT11l~ Two allie ~,-l
tomorrow we can discuss what to do
and how to do it."
Tonight" 1 persisted. w must
be married tonight. No more uncer-
tainty and indecision and weakness.
Let US begin brayely, Anita"
Tomorrow" she said. But not to-
night. 1 must think it over"
Tonight" I repeated. Tomorrow
will be full Of It's own problems. This
is tonight's."
She shook her head, and l saw that
the struggle between us had begun
conventionality. mo. not tonight"
This in her tone for finality.
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 f1atter
her into suspecting you of weakness
and herself of strength. I told the
IL W luIi dDuul anu 20 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" 1 replied, determined to push
the panic into a rout. las 1 old you,
our future shall be settled tonight"
That in my tone for finality.
A pause, then: "It has been settled,'
she said, like a child that feels, yet
denies, its impotence as it struggles in
the compelling arms of it's father. IT
thought until a few minutes ago that I
really intended to marry you. Now I
see that I didn't"
Another reason why we're not going
to your uncle's," said L.
She leaned forward so that / could
see her face. II car not marry you,'
she said. II feel humble TOWARD you.
for having misled you. But it is better
that you-and I-should ave found out
now han too late"
1T is too late-too late to go back"
would you wish to marry a woman
who does not o " you. who loves some
one else, and who tells you so and re-
fuses to marry you?" Sac had tried to
concentrate enough scorn into her voice
10 nlQe ner Tear.
II would" said I. "And I shall. Til
not desert you, Anita, when your cour-
6 and strength shall fail. I will carry
you on to safety
II tell you l can not marry YOU" she
cried, between appeal n command.
There are reasons-I may not tell you.
But If I might, you w~ould-would take
me to my uncle's. I can not marry
you'll"
THAT is what conventionality bids
you say now I replied. And then I
gathered myself together and in a
tone that made me hate myself as I
heard it, I 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 his
brougham?"
I could not see her, for she fell back
into the darkness as sharply as If I
had struck her with all my force full
In the face. Blu I could feel the effect
of my words upon her. I paused, not
because I expected or wished an an
self-myself, not my purpose; my pur-
pose was inflexible. I would put
through what we had begun, just as I
would have held her and cut off her
arm with my p~ocketknife if we had
been cast away alone. and I had to do
1t to save her life. She vas 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 I was not h~ard-hearted,
was thinking of her, was acting for
her sake as much as for my own. But
I dared not. she would misunder-
stand me-" said I to myself. 'She
| would fhjr1ly xyn,, x1,oro 1x,oo l1arj~~r ,, HE
Continued Next Week.)
No Railroad Passes in France.
An excellent feature OF French rail-
road management is described as fol-
lows by Charles Edward Russell in
Soldiers of the Common Good" in the
March Everybody's: