Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-04-30

Dallas, though more gently. because
you don't really love me-"
81 do! l do! With my whole heart,
I"-
ooh. Alwyn" she exclaimed with al
most mother-like tolerance, what a
child you are. What a mere child!
Some one tries to take away from you
a playthlng you've grown used to hav-
Ing. You never cared especially about
the plaything before; but, now that
you're in danger of losing it, you cry
out: oh, l love it! I love it! You'll
soon find another toy that'll make YOU
forget
"Dallas, you are unfair! You have
no right to treat my love for you as
if"-
GAS if it were a mere whim? Isn't
it? Now. don't say No. but look me
IN the eyes and answer n question.
If Scott Gibbs hadn't proposed to me
IT that paragraph had not appeared in
the paper-would you have come here
today and told me you loved me? No.
you know you wouldn't!"
Don't talk like that, dear!!" implored
Bennett. 81 tell you l love you! More
than l ever dreamed a woman could be
loved. love you'll T"-
"There's an easy way to prove it,
then"
"What way? Anything"-
by doing something to make me
feel proud Of you. l don't feel so now.
1 could not marry a man who loiters
his life away-a man who sits idle
while others are thronging past him in
the upward climb. You are rich,
thanks to your fathers efforts. What
haye you done with that wealth? If
you've done no harm with it you've at
least put it to no good use. You are
young, talented, highly educated.
What have you done with your youth,
your talents, your education? How
have you used them for your own bet
terment or for your fellow mems?
What have you to offer me? Money?
Social position? 1 have plenty of both.
What else can you offer me? Nothing
absolutely nothing"
"My love. for one thing. 1 can offer
you that"
Gin what is your love better than
any other mans? Behind it is not
a record of hard work, of self sacrifice,
of achievement-of any of the things
that go toward making love strong and
enduring and beautiful-to make it a
support that a woman can lean on for
life? What have you to offer me OF
any other woman?"
There was a silence. Yet when Ben
nett spoke there was a new note in
his voice-a ring of awakening strength
that impressed Dallas in spite of her
self-that sent a wholly strange thrill
through her and set her heart to beat
ing with unwonted quickness.
You are right said he. 81 have
done nothing. I've been content to be
a rich mans son, and I've nothing to
offer that is worthy your acceptance,
but that does not mean | never shall
have. And by the grace of God I
shall! You've put things in a new light.
l see them as | never did. 1t isn't a
wholly pleasant experience, but it's
good for me. There's nothing yet that
= IL iSSSo Z Wv, VI L II lllu SOlllclllllS,
never fear. And when do"-
Don't say there's nothing you're fit
for" protested Dallas. There's moth
ing you couldn't accomplish if once
you set yourself to it. Why, just think
of those speeches you made for Mr..
Lorimer last campaign. They were
fine. l was so"-
ooh, those amounted to nothing. l
just did it to oblige him. And, be-
sides, it was fun to sway the crowds"
CHATS just it. You did it for fun
and for Il friend. Why not do some
thing in earnest and for yourself? The
world is fairly bristling with oppor-
tunities for such a man as you. Grasp
those opportunities. Won't you?"
Eyes. And when | do-is there any
hope that you will?"
II have given Mr.. Gibbs no promise.
l told him to wait"
"Then my chance is as good as his.
From now on l am going to drop the
role of rich mans son and be some
thing on my own count. If you have
faith in me-if you believe in me-if
IiIC1C 40 u SaOoC VI q Sui1CC ludl SoU
can some day love me-
81 have faith in you, Alwyn," she
answered softly, letting her hand lie
passive in his grasp. Then, withdraw
ing it with a pretty gesture of petu-
lance, she added:
"Only 1 wish it didn't always re-
quire a blow to rouse you to action.
Did you ever happen to notice that
trait in ~yourself?"
"Why no. l don't quite understand
"Then here's an instance that will
show you what I mean In your senior
year at Yale when you were playing
halfback Oh the varsity eleven I saw
my first football game. 1t was against
Princeton. You were the only man on
either team I knew. SO l watched you
from first to
XIII last. Little as I
TX understood foot
~CE M ball, 1 could see
f7NRNNJ HNhk you were play
1n1NEYAkyhkNh ing a clever,
~. n >WMMMNRtHNHW hard, c%onscien-