Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-01-11

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"You are-suffering!" she said. and
her voice was like the flow Of oil upon
q burn. II have never seen o like
this. / didn't believe you capable Of
OF much feeling"
/ could not trust myself to speak. If
Bob Corey could have looked in on that
scene, could nave understood 1t. how
amazed he would have been!
What happened down town today?"
she went on. Tell me, II / may know"
.I'n tell you what l didn't think, ten
minutes ago, I'd tell any human being"
said /. They've got me strapped down
in the press. AT ten o'clock in the o
ing-precisely at ten-they're going to
put on the screws" / laughed. II
guess they'll have me squeezed pretty
dry before noon"
She shivered.
$50, you see," I continued, IT don't
deserve any credit for giving you up. l
only anticipate you by about twenty
four hours. Mines a death-bed repent
ance."
I'D thought of that" a she re-
fiectively. Presently h added: Then,
1t is true" And / knew Sammy had
given her some hint that prepared her
for my confession.
"Yes-I can't go clustering through
the matrimonial market" replied l..
I've been thrown out. I'm a beggar at
the gates
"A beggar at the gates" she muir
INJURED.
I got up and stood looking down at
her.
Don't pity mel I said. MY re-
mark was a figure of speech. l want
no aims. / wouldn't take even you as
aims. They'll probably get me down,
and stamp the life out of me-neariy:
But not quite-don't you lose sight OF
that. They can't kill me, and they can't
tame me. I'll recover. and I'll streW
the street with their blood and broken
bones"
She drew I'm her breath sharply.
And a minute ago l was almost Xix
ing you!" she exclaimed.
I retreated to my chair and gave her
a smile that must have been grim.
Your ideas of life and of men are
like a clustered nuns said /. II
there are any real men among your ac-
quaintances, you may find out some
day that they're not much like lapdogs
as they pretend-and that you wouldn't
like them, If they were"
"What-just what-happened to you
down town ~today-after you left me z"
"A friend of mine has been Turing me
into a trap-why, / can't quite fathom
Today he sprang the trap and ran
away
"A friend of yours?"
"The man we were talking about
your ex-god-Langdon."
"Langdon,' she repeated, and her
tone told me that Sammy knew n
had limited to her more than sus-
pected him of knowing. And. with her
arms still folded, she paced up n
down the room. l watched her slender
feet in pale blue slippers appear and
disappear-first one, lei the other
at the edge of her trailing skirt. Pres
emily she stopped In front of me. Her
eyes were gazing past me.
You are sure 1t was he" she asked.
I could not answer Immediately, so
amazed was / at her expression. /
had been regarding her as a being
above and apart, an incarnation OF
youth and innocence; with a shock 1t
now came to me that she was expert
enced, intelligent, that she understood
the whole Of life. the dark as fully as
the light, and that h was capable to
live it, too. 1t was not a girl that
was questioning me there; 1t was a
woman.
"Yes-Langdon," I replied. But I've
no quarrel with him. My reverse is
nothing but the fortune OF war. / as
sure you, when / see him again, I'll be
as friendly as ever-only a bit less of
a trusting ass, i fancy. We're a lot
of free lances down in the street. We
fight now on one side, now or the other.
We change sides whenever it's expedi-
ent; and under the code it's not neces-
sary to give warning. Today, before /
knew he was the assassin. i had made
my plans to try to save myself at his
expense, though / believed him to be
the best friend / had down town. No
doubt he's got some good reason for
creeping up On me in the dark"
You are sure it was he?" h re-
peated.
He, and nobody else,'' replied /. He
decided to do me up-and / guess he'll
succeed. He's not the man to lift his
gun unless he's sure the bird will fall"
DO you really not care any more
han o show?" she asked. "Or is
your manner only bravado-to show
off before me-"
Il don't care a damn, since Tn to
lose YOU" said l. It'll be a godsend
to have a hard row to hoe the next
few months or years"
She went back to leaning against
the table, her arms folded as before. /
saw she was thinking out something.
Finally n said:
Il have decided not to accept your
release.
T I sprang to my feet.
"Anital" / cried. my arms stretched
toward her.
But she only looked coldly at me,
folded her arms the more tightly and
said:
do not misunderstood me. The bar
gain is the same as before. If you
want me on thoSe terms l must-give
myself"
WHY" l asked.
A faint smile, with no mirth in It,
drifted round the corners OF her mouth.
impulse" she said. II don't quite
understand 1t myself. An impulse from
from" Her eyes and her thoughts
were far away, and her expression was
the one hat made 1t hardest for me
to believe she was a child of those
parents OF hers. "An impulse from a
sense of justice-of decency. | am the
cause of your trouble, and j daren't be
a coward and q cheat" She repeated
the last words. "A coward cheat!
We-I-haye taken much from you,
more han you know. 1t must be re-
paid. If you still wish, / will-will
keep TO my bargain"
IT'S true, I'd not have got into the
mess said 1. IF I'd been attending to
business instead of dangling after you.
But you're not responsible for that
folly"
She tried to speak several times, be-
fore she finally succeeded in saying:
'It's my fault. ! mustn't shirk."
I studied her, but / couldn't puzzle
her out.
..r,,o baap thinktru all alone thee va,