Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-05-06
The
Fighting
Chance.
By ROBERT W. CHAMBERS.
Copyright. 1909. by the curth Pubtiahing
Company.
Copyright. 1903. by Robert w. Chamber.

at think you are sacrificing friend
ship for an epigram," she said. careless
of the undertone OF contempt in her
voice.
81 have never sacrificed friendship"
He turned and looked at her pleasant
". II never made an epigram con-
sciously. and | have never required Of
a friend more than l had 10 offer In
return. Have your
The flush Of hot displeasure stained
her cheeks.
Are you really questioning me, Mr..
Plank"
eyes. You have been questioning
me rather seriously. have you notT
81 did not comprehend your defini-
ton of friendship. | did not agree
with II. l questioned 1t, not you.
That is all"
Plank rested his head on one big
hand and stared at the clusters OF dim
blossoms behind her. and after awhile
he said, as though thinking aloud:
MANY have taken my friendship
for granted and have never offered
their own in return. l do not know
about Mr.. Siward. There is nothing l
can do for him. nothing he can do for
me. If there is to be friendship be-
tween us II will be disinterested. and
would rather have that than any
thing In the world, think"
There was a pause. but when Sylvia
would have broken 1t his gesture COM
mitted her to silence. with the dignity
fOh In. oh In 20 M
child.
you question my definition of friend
ship, Miss lands. | should have let
your question pass, however keenly II
touched me, had II not also touched
him. Now | am going to say some
things which lie within the straight
and narrow bounds l spoke of. l new
er knew a man l cared for as much
as care for Mr. Siward. l know
why too He Is disinterested. l do
not believe he wastes very many
thoughts on me. Perhaps he will.
want him to like me If it's possible.
But one thing you and l may be sure
Off he does not care TO return the
friendship ! offer him he will never
accept anything else from me, though
he might give at my request, and that
Is the sort of a man he is, and that Is
why he is every inch a man, and so
like him. Miss lands. Do you won
der?"
She did not reply.
"Do you wonderT he repeated
sharply.
"No." she said.
Then He Strengthened up, and
the silent significance Of his waiting
attitude was plain enough to her.
But she shook her head impatently.
saying: Il don't know whose dance il
Is, and / don't care. Please go on. IL
isis pleasant. / like Mr. Siward:
like to hear men speak of him as you
do. | like you for doing It. If you
should ever come to care for my
friendship that is the best passport to
it-your loyalty to Mr.. Siward.'
mo man can truthfully speak other
wise than | have spoken" he said
gravely.
mo, not of these things. But you
know w-what isis usually said when
his name comes up among men,"
do you mean about his habits?' he
asked simply.
Eyes. Is it not an outrage to drag
In that sort of thing? II angers me
intensely, Mr.. Plank. Why do they
do 1t? Is there a single one among
them qualified to criticise Mr.. Siward
And. besides, It is not true any more,
is it, what was once said Of him with
with some truth? Is itP''
The dull red blood mantled Plank's
heavy visage The silence grew grim
as he did his slow, laborious thinking,
the while his eyes, expressionless and
almost opaque in the dim light, never
left hers until under the unchanging.
merciless inspection the mask dropped
for an instant from her anxious face,
and he saw what he saw.
He was no fool What he had come
to believe she at last had only con-
nrmed. And now the question became
And by what title did she demand his
confidence?
"You ask me II II is true any more.
You mean about his habits. II answer
you, 1t is because | cannot be indif-
ferent to what concerns him. But be-
fore l answer | ask you this, Would
your interest I'm his fortunes matter to
himi"
She waited. head bent, then:
II don't know. Mr.. Plank" very low
did your interest in his fortunes
ever concern hlmf"
Eyes. once"
He looked at her sternly. his jaw
squaring until his heavy under lip pro
jected. within my definition of friend
ship, is he your friend?"
"You mean he"-
''No; mean you. | can answer for
him. How is It with you? DO you
return what he gives-if there is really
friendship between you. OF do you take
what he offers. offering nothing in re
turnT'
She had Turned rather white under
he direct impact OF the questions
The Earring repetition OF his voice II
self vas like the dull echo Of distant
blows Yet II never occurred to her tc
resent II nor his attitude nor his sell
assumed privilege. She did not care
She no longer cared what he said q
her or thought about her, nor did she
care that her mask had fallen at last
It was not what he was saying, but
what her own heart repeated so heav
fIv that drove the color from her face