Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-10
CHAPTER
NINE
(Continued.)

(COntinued.)
| 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 do not know
about Mr.. Siward There Is nothing !
can do for him. nothing he can do for
me. If there is to be friendship be-
tween us 1t will be dislnterested, and
I would rather have that than any
thing in the world, think"
There was q pause, but when Sylvia
would have broken It his gesture COM
mitted her to silence, with the dignity
one might use in checking persistent
child
"You question my definition of friend
ship. Miss I.andis should have let
your question pass. however keenly it
touched me. had 1t not also touched
him. Now | am going to say some
things which lie within the straight
and narrow bounGs spoke Of. l new
err knew man cared for as much
as l care for Mr.. Siward. l know
why too He Is disinterested. do
not believe he wastes very many
thoughts on me- Perhaps he WILL |
want him to like me II It's possible.
But one thing you and l may be sure
Off be- 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 man he Is, and that is
why he is every inch man. and so l
like him, Miss Lands. Do you Won
der?"
She did not reply
30 you wonder?" 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 impatiently,
saying: II don't know whose dance 1t
is, and l don't care. Please go on. 1t
isis pleasant l like Mr.. Siward; l
like to hear men speak Of him as you
do. l like you for doing 1t. II 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 l have spoken" he said
gravely t.s
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 habitsY he
asked simply.
Eyes. Is 1t not an outrage to drag
in that sort of thing! 1t angers me
intensely, Mr.. Plank. Why do they
do it? Is there 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 it,"
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-
flrmed. And now the question became
simple, Was she worth enlightening?
And by what title did she demand his
confidence?
"You ask me If it is true any more.
You mean about his habits. If answer
you, 1t is because l cannot be indif-
ferent to what concerns him. But be-
fore | answer I ask you this, Would
your interest in his fortunes matter to
him?'
She waited, head bent, then:
II don't know. Mr.. Plank" very low.
ibid your interest in his fortunes
ever concern him?"
"Yes. 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''-
mo; 1 mean you. I can answer for
him. How is 1t with you? DO you
return what he gives-if there is really
friendship between you. or do you take
what he offers, offering nothing in re-
turn?''
She had turned rather white under
the direct impact of the questions
The Earring repetition Of his voice it
self was like the dull echo Of distant
blows Yet 1t never occurred to her to
resent it nor his attitude nor his self
assumed privilege She did not care.
She no longer cared what he said to
her or thought about her, nor did she
care that her mask had fallen at last.
1t was not what he was saying, but
what her own heart repeated so heav-
ily that drove the color from her face.
Not he, but she herself had become the
pitiless attorney for the prosecution;
not his voice, but the clamorlng con-
science within her demanded by what
right she used the name of friendship
to characterize the late relatlons De-
tween her and the man to whom she
had denied herself.
Then a bitter Impotence swept her
and dawning fear, too, for she had
set her foot on the fallen mask, ana
the impulse rendered her reckless.
I'Why don't you speak?" she said.
eyes, have right to know. care
for him as much as you do. Why don't
YOU answer me? l tell you | care Cor