The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1908-08-28
BY MISADVENTURE
F. r A N K b a r RE TT
60 zSS6SSSSSS~~
CHAPTER XIV.

The yeung man bent bis head and look
ID - the ground. He couldn't stand
chat but 10 had 10 make the best Of II
nsw-perhaps conssiing himself with the
reflection that he would not stand Il
after their marriage. I can imagine him
premising himself - break her In and
bring her to meek submislien IN the fu-
ture. Fifty those peor souls who marry
Q bully they have leased beforshAndI
II think this II scarcely . time for
badinage," sadd he, after q pause, still
lseking upen the ground and tracing the
pattern It ths carpet with the lash Of his
whip. II know / am not perfect; but
yeu must admit that allowances should
be made for q fellow under the influence
of-ef emotion"
II am willing to admit that Q man
under that condition is not responsible
Tor his acAions-is that enough?"
IF you admit that, what am I to IN
dsrstaa6 by your present attitudef You
seem t. forget what took place before
went sway"
"But do not. You made mo an offer
Of marriage: but am wrong In thinking
chat you made that under the influence
Of emotionf I absolve you from respon-
sibility for action under that condition.
May not suppose that you were beside
yourself when you made that proposal,
and overlook the mistake % readily as
that you have committed SINGER
1T was not a mistake, Gertrude-l
loved you then as love you now; have
come here this afternoon to ask you again
II you will have me, faulty az l am-yet
IN honest fellow-and be my wife,"
Nurse Gertrude was not greatly moved
with this speech, which had very little
appearance Of depth and sincerity In It,
despite the Quavering Of that manly voice.
May I ask why you have thought 1t
necessary to ask me second timer she
asked, trying to fix his shifty eyes, and
learn the truth from them.
"Well, your manner seems to imply
that you consider the engagement broken
off,"
II did think 1t broken of. Had not
reason to think sol"
"Oh, yes: the way I spoke to you and
little LAure was objectionable"
He paused and looked down again to
escape from her fathoming eyes. He had
probably thought that there would be lit
tie difficulty In his way, and that he could
Just reconcile Gertrude, If she should re-
sent his silence, with few words or
kiss or two, and without going into any
more vexatious explanation than q mere
avowal Of manly weakness under trying
circumstances. DR.. Awdrey had told him
to confess the truth, and conceal nothing,
adding that a woman would forgive the
man she loves anything except duplicity.
But Lynn, In his own conceited, pig
headed way, had fully relied on his own
cleverness; his contempt for women in
general disposed him to tell them no more
than was necessary. He would rather
have avoided an explanation which,
though It presented certain attraction
In being untruthful. would require a good
deal Of boistering up to support his as
sumption Of honesty and generosity. How
ever, he had bungled so disastrously In
his own attempt, that he saw no escape
from dis dilemma but by acting now on
Awdrey's suggestion.
! "Th4 fact is," said he, changing his
tone with q slash at his leg, u was pur-
posely brutal to little Laure and you.
] wished you to take ofsense and relieve
&s from the engagement"
"That Is what thought was the
only construction could put upon your
behavior" said she.
II dare say you wonder what my rea-
son was. will tell you. can't conceal
the truth, and I know well enough that
there's nothing a loving woman will not
forgive. except duplieity."
A new warmth glowed in Gertrude's
heart. She liked those words; they were
good and true-it never struck her that
they might be DR.. Awdrey's.
II knew that through Keene's delay
was ruined-that had nothing whatever
to expect from my uncle's will. I knew
that must no longer cherish tho thought
Of making you my wife, in debt and PEN
niless a. was, aud-but there, you can
imagine the rest
"You wanted to give me the opportu-
nifty Of breaking the engagement, before 1t
might appear that our separation was due
to mercenary considerations on my part.
Oh, that was generous /" exclaimed Nurse
Gertrude. carried away by her own impul-
sive and generous recognition of an I'M
selfsh-nay, a chivalrous motive on his
part. All my warning was forgotten in
an instant.
II did not want to tell you this" he
said, In a tone that seemed to disclaim
any merit to gratitude.
"But you wronged me, Lynn" she said
gently-'you wronged me, to think l
might wish to break the engagement be-
cause you were less rich than you ex-
pected to be when you made me an Offer"
She held out her hand to him frankly,
and he took 1t. If he had been wise
enough to tell her all that had passed be-
tween him and Awdrey. she would have
been his without doubt. In return for an
open avowal, she would have swept aside
my warning and all prudential con-
alterations. put the best construction on
his motives, and scorned to entertain any
suspicion Of mercenary motives which
might be suggested by his conduct. Now
was tho time for him to spring up and
put his arms around her; but he huns
back. the dolt. With that perverse idea
of a girls mental inferiority, he thought
he had told her enough. Possibly he was
annoyed In being forced to abandon his
own way Of winning her, and act upor
Awdrey's more generous and manly ad
vice. Perhaps, believing that she wa,
.rx;o,,o "a rot him ha thoupht he mich,