Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-01-25

low and vain. slave to those poor
'man-of-the-world" passions-ostenta-
ton and cynicism and skill at vices old
as mankind and tedious as a tread.
mill, the commonplace routine OF the
idle and foolish and purposeless. A
clever, handsome fellow, but the more
pitiful that he was by nature above
the uses to which he prostituted him.
self.
He fought hard to keep his eyes stead.
lily on mine; but they would wayer and
shift. Not, however, before / had
found deep down in them the begin.
nings of fear. You see. you were
mistaken" said I. you have nothing
to say to me-or to YOU"
He knew | had looked straight to the
bottom Of his real self, and had seen
the coward that is in every man who
has been bred to appearances only.
Up rose his vanity, the towards sub.
stitute for courage.
You think | am afraid OF YOU" he
sneered, bluting and clustering like
the school bully.
u don't in the least care whether
you are or not" replied |. What are
you doing here, anyhow"
1t was as II | had thrown off the
cover OF furnace. Il came to get the
woman | love-" he cried. you store
her from me! You tricked me! But
by God, Blackjack, I'll never pause un.
til l get her back and punish youi"
He was brave enough now, drunk with
the fumes from his brave words. "All
my life" he ragged arrogantly on, I've
had whatever wanted. I've let moth.
Ing interfere-nothing and nobody.
I've been too forbearing with you
frst because knew she could never
care for you, and, then, because I
rather admired your pluck and impu-
dence. like to see fellows kick their
way up among US from the common
people"
put my hand on his shoulder. No
doubt the fiend that rose within me, as
from the dead, looked at him from my
eyes. He has great physical strength,
but ne WINGED under that weight and
grip, and across his face fitted the
terror that must come to any man at
first sense Of being in the angry clutch
OF one stronger than he. | slowly re-
leased him had tested and realized
my physical superiority; to use II
would be cheap and cowardly.
You cant provoke me to descend to
your level" said |, with the easy phil.
osophy of him who clearly has the bet.
ter Of the argument.
He was shaking from head to foot,
not with terror, but with impotent
rage. How much we owe to accidentl
The mere accident of my physical su.
periority had put him at hopeless dis
advantage; had made him feel inferior
to me as no victory of mental or
moral superiority could possibly have
done. And myself felt a greater con-
tempt for him than the discovery OF
his treachery and his shallowness had
together inspired.
Il shan't indulge In fapdoodle," I
went on. I'll be frank. A year ago,
II any man had faced me with a claim
upon woman who was married to me,
I'd probably have dealt with him as
your vanity and what you call honor
would force you to try to deal with a
similar situation. But live to learn.
and I'm fortunately, not afraid to fol-
low a new light. There is the vanity
OF socalled honor; there is also the
demand Of justice-of fair play. As I
have told her, so now tell you-she
is free to go. But shall say one thing
to you that | did not say to her. II
you do not deal fairly with her, shall
see to to 1t that there are ten thorns
to every rose in that bed of roses on
which you lie. You are contemplate
in many ways-perhaps that's why
women like you. But there must be
some good In you, or possibilities OF
good, or you could not have won and
kept her love-"
He was staring at me with a dazed
expression. l rather expected him to
show some Of that amused contempt
with which men Of his sort always
receive a new idea that Is beyond the
range of their narrow, conventional
minds. For | did not expect him to
understand why l was not only will.
ing, but even eager, to relinQuish q
woman whom | could hold only by
asserting a property right in her.
And | do not think he did under.
stand me, though his manner changed
to a sort Of grudging respect. He
was, | believe, about to make some
impulsive. generous speech, when We
heard the quick strokes Of iron-shod
hoofs on the path from the kennels
and the stables-is there any sound
more arresting! Past US at a gallop
swept a horse. on his back-Anita.
She was not in ridlng-habit; the wind
huttered the sleeves Of her blouse,
blew her uncovered hair this way and
that about her beautiful face. She
sped on toward the landing, though I
fancied she had seen US.
Anita at Dawn Hill-Langdon. in a
furious temper, descending from the
house toward the landing-Anita pres
emily, riding like mad-"to overtake
him." thought l. And read confrma-