Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-01-11

those people who don't reach their best in
the early twenties but, oh !. it's so horribly
difficult to explain"
You've met some one else, perhaps?"
He looked at her with a queer, doubtful
look
I've never had ten minutes serious con-
versation with any girl but you since nv
return" he said slowly; ''and out there
well, the ladies weren't exactly charming
and they were all black. No; it's this way.
m nearly thirty nova man, not a boy
want to protect, not to be protected She
Will mother me still, and it doesn't suit
me as it used to do. l find that we've
gone such different ways in ten years that
we haven't a single idea in common and
the long and short of it is that, though I
respect her and all that, my love for her
Is as dead as the proverbial door nail
Why on earth don't you tell her 500
Miss Reynolds think you said your
name was Reynolds? You don't know her
She's the very soul of honor herself-as
straight as, and far more faithful than
any nan | know and, you see, unfortu-
nately she loves me with every inch of
herself-Just as such do love. If
circumstances were reversed and she'd
ceased to care, she'd have kept her promise
to me whatever it cost her-I know she
would And I can't, l couldn't be such
cur as to spoil her life, especially when 1
owe mine-such it is-to her. I'm more
bothered with conscience than some men,
l suppose, but I'd feel such a wretched cow
ard if I wriggled out of it now,
'But wouldn't it be less cowardly to tell
her the truth? She'll find out for hereslf
in time if you don't if she's half woman
II hope not 1t shan't be my fault if she
does. She doesn't even suspect such thing,
so fart almost wish she did If she'd
tax me straight, I'd have told her the truth;
but she's got such implicit and utter conf
dence in me. Do you know when / started
off this morning-it her idea that we
should spend our last day of single life in
our own way and separately-when I started
off the sckly temptation came over to
end it ALL you know what I mean. She
would only have thought it one of the many
boating accidents that happen every sum
mer, and there's no one else to care; and
perhaps she'd have been happier with
a memory than as a reality But since
met you that's all gone out of my head;
you've been sort of guardian angel, you
see, and saved me from myself.
Tara did not answer. The tragic humor
of the situation held her spell-bound Sure
ly there was something more than blind
chance in the collision of the morning and
the broken claret bottle She looked curious
ly at the young man who had bent to his
oars again, and an almost tender light came
into her grey eyes. He simple and
chivalrous in his ideas, and in her sordid
little world chivalrous men were rare.
"Im afraid I've bored you," he said, mis-
constituting her silence. won't you tell me
your history-do?"
"'I haven't got any history said Tara,
rejecting Eat least, mines awfully COM
omonplace / just work for my living be-
cause my parents died almost together, and
left nothing for their only child
'Poor little girl" he said softly, resting
from his work again to look at her. You
want a protector if anyone does. God send
YOU worthy one! You don't look tit to
fight your own battles"
ooh, I'm strong enough, as rule she
answered quickly. She did not feel as II
she could stand pity just at that moment.
"Now. tell me something more about your
self, 1t doesn't bore me; indeed, lit
interests me very much Are you quite,
unite certain she cares for youths
woman?"
Enthusiastically certain y
s.Then perhaps you're right to keep your
word only it all seems so terribly sad But