Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-05-20

Old"uclSu uuFE1euly.
For week Montrous was moody
and depressed. He took no apparent
Interest in his dinner. Tess gently raj
lied him and even changed his orders
to suit her idea of what he needed.
His face grew pale and drawn. Finally
Tess said sharply to him one day:
you need rest-a change"
DO l? And you, what about you?
You're all played out Tess, and you
must take vacation"
"Oh, can stand it until"-
Until you collapsev' he blurted out
angrily.
Montrous did not appear at the res
taurant for three days. Then on the
fourth he entered, with a new. quiet,
determined expression on his face.
Tess. want to see you tonight" he
said briefly. Tits about the patent
and-and-our-your vacation"
When he entered her bare. plain hall
room that evening, the old depression
had worn off. Her eyes were aglow
with new passion. Without circum-
locution he plunged to the heart of his
subject.
'Tess, I've sold the patent for lump
sunni"
She glanced up hurriedly, with q
frightened expression on her face. The
color deserted her lips. Mistaking it
for false alarm. he went on, with q
smile on his lips:
Il sold it to the Consolidated Tin
Can company for $1,000. l made them
raise their bid $500. Isn't that glori-
GUS"
A cry escaped her lips. and her eyes
filed with anguish Montrous stared
at this exhibition of emotion. unable to
explain it.
"And the royalties" she gasped.
'"There will be no royalties"
but you said there would be a for.
tune in royalties and that you would
never sell it outright"
The light in his eyes made her shiver
But Tess, little girl. don't you see, l
might have to wait years for that, and
we needed the rest, the change-you
and I. And $4,000 is a good sum. 1t
Will give US vacatiOn'-
She placed her hands to her face and
was sobbing softly. Montrous ap-
preached and tried to speak steadily,
but his voice wavered.
"Tess. dear, don't you see that love
you and that we can-can go away for
time? When we are married we''-
She stepped back, still holding her
hands before her eyes. The movement
brought Montrous to a sudden stiff at
titude. The blood left his face. His
voice was very faint.
"Tess. you do not love me? You can
not care for me-in this wayY'
She made no reply, but continued her
sobbing
"Oh. I'm so sorry" she murmured
brokenly. You must let me think
leave me alone!''
Tess did not appear at the restaurant
the next day nor the next. On the
third Montrous could stand it no
longer: He interviewed the proprietor
and learned, to his chagrin, that the
new waitress had left.
Tess was out when he called at her
boarding house. but he was relieved to
find that she had not changed her lodg-
1ngs and thus escaped him entirely. He
was full of good news and anxiously
waited her return. She came in late,
less tagged than when he met her last,
but still with circles under her eyes.
"Tess, I've good tid1ngs." he said i'm
pulsively. taking her hand "Some
fairy godmother of mine has interced-
ed for me. The great Tin Can heart
has softened. I can hardly believe tho
news to be true. But 1 have it in black
and white, and I'm forced to accept II. I"
She flushed prettily, and the return
OF the old happiness in her eyes trans
formed her features.
You don't ask me what It is I have
to tell you?' he added in disappoint-
ment. "Have you lost all interest in
the patent? If so, then my good for
tune will not interest you"
mo, no! Tell me!''
i've made new contract with the
Consolidated Tin Can company" he
announced abruptly. Instead Of pay
ing me $1,000 for the patent they viii
use it in all their factories and pay me
royalties. And the most wonderful
thing about it is that the proposition
came from them. Can you believe it?''
mo" she answered family.
do you know what that means to
me?" he added. 'Why, it will make
me rich-rich enough to go on with my
work and to take a vacation when
wish. It's sure income Of many
thousands, and
Then he stopped. The remembrance
Of their last interview flashed over
him. The joy Of the present suddenly
lost Its power. He was conscious Of a
loss which success could not reQuite.
The sadness in the corners of his eyes
| gave him an old, wrinkled appearance.
He glanced once at her, and then his
resolution made him turn away. His
hands strayed idly among the papers
and magazines on the table. She had
brought bundle of them in with her,
and they lay close to his finger tips.
While his eyes roamed from one print
ed word to another the slow abstrac-