Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-04-24
cHApTER xxvIlI.-continued.

is ABOUT 10 tell ME THAT Sue Is lca'-
ing" thought l. But l managed to
say: I'm glad to hear of your luck"
though / fear my tone was not espe-
cially joyous.
so" she went on, Il am in posi-
ton to pay back to you, l think, what
| nv father and Sam took from you.
1t won't be enough, I'm afraid. to pay
what you lost indirectly But l have
| told the lawyers to make it all over
| to you
I-could have laughed aloud. 1t was
| too ridiculous, this situation into
which l had got myself l did not
| know what to say. l could hardly
| keep out of my face how foolish this
| collapse of my crafty conspiracy made
me feel And then the fule meaning
| of what she was doing came over me
the revelation of her character. l
J trusted myself to steal a glance at
her; and for the first time l didn't
see the thrilling azure sheen over her
smooth white skin, though all her
beauty was before me, as dazzling as
when it compelled me to resolve to
win her No; l saw her, herself-the
woman within. had known from the
| outset that there was an altar of love
within my temple of passion. l think
that was my first real visit to it.
Anita" said, unsteadily. "Anita!"
The color famed in her cheeks; we
| were silent for long time.
"You-your people owe me moth
ing" l at length found voice to say.
Il I ~ nd
wouldn't take your money. But, be-
lieve me, they owe me nothing"
You cannot mislead me-" she an
| swered. When they asked ME to be-
come engaged to you, they told me
about it."
| had forgotten. The whole repul-
sive, rotten business came back to me.
| And, changed man that l had become
in the last six months, l saw myself
as l had been. l felt that she was
looking at me, was reading the de-
grading confession in my telltale
| features.
Il will tell you the whole truth"
said l. II did use your fathers and
your brothers debts to me as a means
of getting to you. But, before God,
Anita, 1 swear l was honest with you
when l said to you l never hoped or
wished to win you in that way!"
Il believe you," she replied, and her
tone and expression made my heart
leap with indescribable joy.
Love is sometimes most unwise in
his use of the reins he puts on pas
sion. Instead of acting as impulse
commanded, l said, clumsily: And l
am very different to-day from what l
was last spring." 1t never occurred
to me how she might interpret those
words.
Il know" she replied. She waited
! several seconds before adding: 81, too,
have changed. l see that l was far
more guilty than you. There is no
excuse for me. 1 was badly brought
up, as you used to say, but"
"No-no," l began to protest.
She cut me short with a sad: You
need not be polite and spare my feel
ings. Let's not talk of it. Let us go
back to the object l had in coming
for you to-day.
You owe me nothing" l repeated.
Your brother and your father set
tied long ago. lost nothing through
them. And I've learned that if l had
never known you, Roebuck and Lang.
don would still have attacked me-"
What my uncle gave me has been
transferred to you," said she, woman
fashion, not hearing what she did not
care to heed. Il can't make you &C.
cept it; but there it is, and there it
stays"
Il cannot take it." said 1. eff you
, insist on leaving it in my name, ]
shall simply return 1t to your uncle.
Il wrote him what had done" she
rejoined. His answer came yester
day. He approves it."
Approves it," l exclaimed.
You do not know how eccentric he
t Is" she explained. naturally misun
) derstanding my establishment. She
} took a letter from her bosom and
handed it to ME. l read:
Dear Madam: 1t was yours to dc
: with as you pleased. If you ever fine
/ yourself in the mood to visit, Gull
} House is open to you. provided yor
bring no maid. will not have female
Z servants about Yours truly,
| HOWARD FORESTER"
, You will consent now, will syor
not?" she asked. as l lifted my eye:
< from this characteristic note.
: l saw that her peace of mind wa:
at stake. "Yes-I consent"
She gave great sigh as at the lay
,, ing down of heavy burden. Thanh
,, YOU" was all she said, but she put 8
world of meaning into the words
She took the first homeward turning
! We were nearly at the house before
found words that would pave the
way toward expressing my thought.
my longings and hopes.
, You say you have forgiven me-
, said /. Then we can Defends? p
: She was silent, and took her som
, Der expression to mean that she
feared was hiding some subtlety.
; II mean just what l say, Anita"