Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-10-17

He was taking = lovers way of
making her retract the lowIy name
when distant CLEAN warned him of
the journeys end There's Toano.
Wen be there IN 20 minutes. haven't
said half 1 wish. Oh. my darling, I'm
lust the same nameless mani I've
nothing to offer you. VIII you wait
stin little longer? Stella, I've no
right to taste of heaven; I've been
cheating you," he finished ruefully.
Il Think think I'd rather be so
cheated than have any other mans
honesty" she said. with her first
touch of shyness.
Yet you must now know the truth
about me. l ought to have told you
before. My father thought me thief,
turned me adrift, forbade me to use
his name Until can prove him in
the wrong cannot offer you the only
name I'm willing you should have.
but how could he call you thief?
He ought to know you simply couldn't
steal You steal." Her eyes blazed.
and she lifted her head proudly.
Her dear faith warmed him, yet his
voice was sad
L
some one else to do it. And my ia
Their had every right to believe me
guilty" His voice dropped; his eyes
were shadowy.
But you never meant to! He should
have known that" she persisted We
Lemently.
God knows didn't mean it: but
fire burns, whether one falls in or
jumps in" He gazed past her into the
dim desert.
She caressed his cheek. but was ST.
| lent
It's a long story-Ill tell 1t all some
day. You'll like to hear about Max.
Max Ober, my lifelong friend, as his
father and mine were always friends.
| They were poor boys together; but my
| father grew rich rapidly; Mr.. Ober has
| always been poor. Yet Max was his
| only SON and idol; and both fathers
| tried to prevent Max and me from
recognizing the part that money
| played in our lives.''
How foolish!"
Worse! 1t was criminal. was the
older. the leader, Max's model. He
came to college when entered my
| junior year, and 1 took, him at once
| into my own rollicking clique. We
weren't vicious, only silly, INDUCING in
] various costly pranks that seem to
| spring from a young cubs desire to
| destroy things, the same whether it's
boy, bear or pup Afterward I knew
how Mr.. ODER had crippled himself
that Max might return my dinners at
five dollars plate, or light his Ha-
vanas with currency. Remittances
from home did not begin to suffice.
Max borrowed heavily, his association
with me making that dangerously
easy, and left college when did great
| ly in debt. We both entered my ia
| theirs bank"
A double whistle warned them OF
| the approaching station.
"Oh, it was the same old story" Al
| fred continued hastily. Mr. ODER
| broken in health, called for part OF
| Max's salary. Max, beside himself
falsely proud toward me, and genuine
| ly anxious to spare his father, Stunned
every one. pinched, paid little, but
not fast enough. Then he began to
| gamble. successfully at first, but after
| wards losing; and then he plunged,
| and dipped into the banks till 1 hap
| pened upon him one night after all
the others had gone. He was toiling
feverishly at his books, a loaded pistol
at his side. 1 forced from him the
whole story" He stopped, and Esther
saw his Jaw set sternly
yet you, Alfred" she began, but
| he went on without needing her.
| For the first time 1 realized the
moral obligation money imposes, the
| Mephistophelian part I had played in
| Max's life. 1 beat down his objections,
| made him transfer to my account his
| doctored bank record and pledged him
| to secrecy. Since we had been fools
1 together we should repent together.
to pay; but 1 would tell my father, ask
him for time to work out the deficit "
And wouldn't your father?" Esther
began Indignantly.
Before 1 could explain, the secret
/ expert discovered me, reported to my
| father. He refused me hearing, dis
| owned me, commanded me to drop his
name, a name all Boston honors. That
hurt worst of ALL. He finished and
dropped his eyes.
| Alfred, don't look down, look upi
| You've done a grand, a heroic thingi
| No matter how long we have to wait"
She rose to her feet, her face glowing
with love and pride.
| He stood beside her, cheered by her
eager approval. Il said 1t was tine
same, but it isn't; I'm thousands near
/ err. Gideon helped to