Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-01-02

those people who don't reach their best in
the early twenties: but. oh! it's SO horribly
dificult to explain"
you've met some one else, perhaps?"
He looked at hev with a queer. doubtful
.'rve never had ten minutes serious con-
versation with any girl but you since my
return" he said slowly: "and out there
we'll, the ladies weren't exactly charming
and they were all black No; it's this way.
I'm nearly thirty nova man, not boy.
want to protect, not to be protected She
will mother me still. and 1t 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 1t is that, though
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 man I know; and, you see. unfortu-
nately she loves me with every inch of
herself-just as such women do love. IL
circumstances were reversed and she'd
ceased to care. shed have kept her promise
to me whatever it cost herr know she
would. And l can't, l couldn't be such
cur as to spoil her life, especially when
owe mine-such as it is--to her. I'm more
bothered with conscience than some men.
/ suppose, but I'd feel such a wretched cow
ard IL wriggled out of it now"
"But wouldn't 1t be less cowardly to tell
her the truth? She'll find out for hereslf
in time il you don't. If she's half woman"
hopo CHI no my nj SbQ
does. She doesn't even suspect such thing.
so far almost wish she did. II 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
of this morning-it was her idea that we
should spend our last day Of single life in
our own way and separately-when started
off the sickly temptation came over me to
end il all; you know what l mean. She
would only have thought 1t one of the many
boating accidents that happen every sum
mer, and there's one else to care; and
perhaps she'd have been happier with me as
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 almost tender light came
into her grey eyes. He was so simple and
chivarous in his ideas. and in her sordid
little world chivalrous men were rare.
I'm afraid I've bored you." he said, mis-
constituting her silence. Wont you tell me
your history--do?'
II haven't got any history" said Tara,
rejecting ''at least. mines awfully COM
monplace l 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 protector II anyone does, God send
you a worthy one. You don't look ht to
fight your own battles"
ooh, I'm strong enough. as a 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. It doesn't bore me; indeed. lit
interests me very much. Are you quite
quite certain she cares for you--this
woman?"
"Quite-absolutely-to certain y
"Then perhaps you're right to keep YOU
word onlv N all seems SO terribly sad. Blu