The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-12-18
"Ihe Shadow betWeen''
CHAPTER XIV. (continued.)
SILAS K.

CHAPTER XIV. (continued.)
we have missed you very much"
Have you, little girl?"
"A house is a one-sided sort of q
place without a man in It,"
"Is that So"
1T is easy to talk about the equality
OF the and all that sort Of thing.
But in an emergency one man is
worth a dozen women"
Clement gave a short laugh. my
dear Esther he said," you are talk
ing rank treason. II you were to give
expression to such sentiments in some
quarters you would be mobbed."
Il keep out of such quarters" she
answered, seriously. Il believe in
women being womanly and recogniz-
ing their limitations"
1T doesn't matter very much what
anybody believes respecting them" he
said, with a smile. They are a law to
themselves"
You still despise them as a class?'
she questioned.
Il did not say so, Esther. Come,
come"
Il don't wonder in the least" she
Interrupted. Il wish it were possible
for women to trust each other as men
do: but the trouble with so many of
them is they are not gentlemen-"
well. MOI" he laughed.
you know what I mean, Glen.
There are splendid exceptions. | adj
nit. And a really good woman is, l
honestly believe, the noblest thing the
Almighty ever made, but
You think the material early ran
short??" he interrupted, l%aughingly.
II don't know whose the blame u.s."
she answered, walking to the fireplace
and resting her elbow on the mantel-
piece; but | do wish we had the av.
erage Englishman's sense of honor.
But there. run away and get dressed,
or YOU will be too late for dinner"
Esther dropped into hel chair again
when Clement had gone and stared
hard at the fire. She had been per-
turbed all the afternoon. Gossip had
been coupling her name with Gray
tons in a most ungenerous way, Miss
Ladla, the postmistress, who had Long
angled for the curate, being particu-
larly yencmous. To add to her irrita-
ton she had heard only that afternoon
that her best he owed and most trusted
girl friend had flung over he man to
whom she was engaged. and whom
protested to tie passionately In O
with, and had married a purse-proud
Wiaower with an almost grown-up son.
To Esther, with her lofty sense OF
honor and loyalty, it seemed horrible.
She cold not get it out OF her mind.
It had haunted her all the afternoon.
II seemed so heartless, so cruel, SO
absolutely wicked, that 1t produced IN
her a feeling that amounted almost
10 Physical pain.
She had been more hurt than any
one knew when Edith Tremayne Tilted
her brother, and turned, for the time
being, the honey of his life into worm
wood and gall. But Ada Pendower
she had always believed belonged to
a different type. She seemed to have
heart and conscience and imagination,
and that she could have trampled upon
love and honor and sold herself for
gold and position seemed edit
What will women not do? What
will they not say?' she said to herself,
almost bitterly. "Is it any wonder
that men Gespise us, ven-even
they love US"
And then she rose to greet her
mother. who came noiselessly into the
room.
You have seer Glenn, mother?" she
questioned, eagerly.
Eyes, Esther. He came to me at
once. lent it lovely to have him
home again." And then Wilkins a
nounced that dinner was served.
That night Esther and her brother
had a long talk after Mrs. Mawgan had
gone to bed. She wanted to know how
matters stood between him and Ma
rion West.
But Clement was on his guard. He
could. not tell even his sister what had
passed between them. He mentioned
her name freely enough, told again
how he discovered her, and mentioned
the fact that he had seen her the pre-
vious Sunday evening.
Esther watched his face narrowly
every change Of expression, every look
In his eyes. but she remained unen-
lightened.
perhaps I was mistaken" she said
to herself, AZ she made her way up
stairs to bed. Perhaps the fact that
she is Richard Vests child prevents
his liking from growing into love.
Perhaps he is waiting to see how her
character develops" But that her
brother had already proposed to Ma
rion and had been refused once
occurred to her.
Next morning Clement made his way
directly after breakfast to Rowns-
killy. He had slept little during the
night, go great vas his Impotence to
see his friend.
Grayton received him with q wan
smile that was Infinitely pathetic. but
his cheerfulness had never left him.
"Oh, I shall get better" he said.
slowly and feebly, a. II in reply to
Clements serious look. LOSS Of blood
-AN H# sAa- A..A j