Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-01-11
nastenea from rne ROM.

nastened IRON tne room.
thought she had gone to order, or
perhaps TO bring, the tea. The long
minutes dragged away until ten had
passed. Hearing rustlIng in the hall,
rose. intending to take leave the In
slant she appeared. The rustling
stopped Just outside. / waited a few
seconds. cried: well, I'm OF. Next
time want to be alone, IN know
where to come" and advanced to the
door. 1t was not Alya hesitating
there; II was Anita.
Il beg your pardon" said I. coldly.
II there had been room to pass I
should have gone. What devil pos.
sessed me! Certainly In all our rela.
tons | had found her direct aud frank,
II anything. TOO frank. Doubtless il
was the influence OF my associations
down town. where for so many months
had been dealing with the short.
card" crowd Of high finance, who
would hardly play the game straight
even when That was the easy way 10
win. My long, steady stretch in that
stealthy and sinuous company had put
me In the state Of mind In which II is
impossible TO credit any human being
with a motive that is decent or an &C.
ton that is not dead-fall. Thus the
obvious transformation in her made
no impression on me. Her haughti.
ness, her GOODNESS, we're gone, and
with them had gone all that had been
least like her natural self, most like
the repellent conventional pattern to
which her mother and her associates
had nodded her. But was saying to
myself: "A trap! LangdOn has gone
back to his wife. She turns to me-"
And | loved her and hated her.
Never" thought l. has she shown
SO poor an opinion of me as now"
MY uncle told me day before yes.
terday that it was not he but YOU"
she said, lifting her eyes to mine. II
is inconceivable to me now that |
could have misread their honest story;
yet | did.
Il had no idea your mcle's notion
OF honor was also eccentric" said L
with a satirical smile that made the
blood rush to her face.
That is unjust to him." she re-
piled, earnestly.
He says he made you no promise Of
secrecy. And he confessed TO me only
because he wished to convince me
that he had good reason for his high
opinion Of you"
Really" said I, ironically. "And
no doubt he found you open vide to
conviction-now." This a subtlety 10
let her know that understood why
she was seeking me.
NO" she answered. lowering her
eyes. Il kDew-better than he"
For an instant this, spoken in q
voice had long given up hope Of ever
hearing from her. staggered my cyn.
ical conviction. But-"Possibly she
thinks she is sincere" reasoned my
head with my heart; even the SINGER.
est women. brought up as was she, al.
ways have the calculator underneath;
they deny 1t, they don't know II often,
but there It is; with them, calculation
is as involuntary and automatic as
their pulse" So. said to her, mock.
ingly: Doubtless your opinion of me
has been improving steadily ever since
you heard that Mrs. Langdon had re-
covered her husband"
She WINGED, as If | had struck her,
"Oh!" she murmured. If she had been
the ordinary woman, who in every
crisis with man instinctlveIy resorts
to weakness strongest weakness,
tears, might have a different story to
tell. But she fought back the tears
In which her eyes were swimming and
gathered herself together. THAT is
brutal" she said. with not a touch Of
haughtiness, but not humbly, either.
But | deserve It."
There was a Time" I went on.
swept In a swift current Of cold rage,
there was time when l would have
taken you on almost any terms. A
man never makes complete fool Of
himself about a woman but once in
his life. they say. l have done my
stretch-and II Is over"
She sighed YEARLY. 'Langdon came
to see me soon after l left your house,
and went to my uncle" she said. II
will tell you what happened"
II do not wish to hear" repped L
adding pointedly, Il have been waiting
ever since you left for news Of your
plans"
She grew white. and my heart smote
me. She came into the room and
seated herself. Wont you stop.
please, for a moment longer?" she
said. Il hope that. at, least, we can
part without bitterness. understand
now that everything is over between
us. A womans vanity makes her be-
lief that man cares for her die hard.
/ am convinced nowII assure you. I
am. shall trouble you no more
about the past. But have the right
to ask you to hear me when I say that
Langdon came. and that l myself sent
him away; sent him back TO his wife"
Touching self-sacrifice" said L
ironically.
M" eha ronIiad ct nanrok iii