The Montgomery tribune., 1909-09-17

ceratiop."
"Ah," said I. now we understand
each other"
He nodded.
II would hardly have expected this
Of you, Ankony."
you admit the theft don't yosT'
do you admit the motive that |
prompts you in the prosecution"
That's got nothing to do with It. |
But naturally-quite naturally, I'm |
sure-it is to our interest to stop this
business and make an example of the |
thief. We've stood It too long al |
ready. This is the fifth time this has
happened to the company in twice
that many years. tell you 1t won't
do to let it go on"
looked at him and smiled. 1t may
not have been a very pleasant smile:
| certainly didn't intend 1t to be, and
he flushed beneath 1t.
What do you mean?" he clustered
THAT what you are telling me is all
| nonsense" retorted.
Now that you've gone this far, per-
haps you will go little farther and
make yourself plain" he cried an
grily
Certainly. You were refused last
night by Miss Hemingway"
"She told you that?"
"If you knew her better you would
not ask such a question. She told me
nothing. You made your proposal SO
| public that the refusal was bound to
| be more or less so, and you have your
| self to thank for the fact that l. with
| others. know of it. Now, to make her
| suffer, you throw her brother into
| prison."
He got up hotly and took step or
| two toward me.
BE careful what you say. You
| know better than that"
| Your habit has not been to run
down offenders" 1 remarked.
We've had to let several of them
| go because of their relation to mem
bers of the company. But there must
be stop somewhere, and l am in
earnest when say that it must be
here. I'm sorry for the boy and for
his sister, though l don't expect you
| to believe 1t. But"
mo, don't" said l.
/ took up my hat
wait! Where are you going?"
Back to my Office"
What for?"
Because our interview Is at an
end"
ITS only begun. We must talk of
how we are to proceed"
I walked toward the door.
"Am to understand you refuse to
have anything to do with the prose-
cution?" he cried.
you certainly are, Ankony."
81 must remind you of your obliga-
tion to the company"
There's an obligation before it,"
said, my hand on the knob.
"That sounds very fine" he sneered.
Naturally, / can understand that you
wish the Hemingway name kept clean,
since"
Don't go any further, If you please
l shall send In my resignation at
once"
ooh, better think twice of that, Mr..
Twining."
I went out and shut the door. But
halfway down the hall I turned de-
liberately, hesitated only a moment,
and went back. What pride had for
myself and for Dan and Barbara was
gone. Matters must be amicably ad.
justed IL possible.
"Ankony," I said, going in to him.
"for Gods sake think of Miss Hening-
ray, If you won't think of the boy.
If she had accepted you last night,
you would not have followed this
course. You wouldn't have consid-
cred 1t. You would have been full Of
other plans this morning. Surely we
can't hold women to blame for not
caring for US when we ask them to.
It's not fair. Love isn't to be com.
PEELED; you know that as well as /
do. Think better of this. Won't you?
You know what an honored place
theirs has always been in the com.
munity. You know what luck they've
had ever since their fathers death,
, and how they've met it. You have
been a guest in their house, a friend
of them both. You must have ad.
! mired their courage, their smiles, and
t the Incompatible way in which they
8 have both set themselves to make
r things come right. The boy has been
? weak"
CTo BE coNTINuED.)
Pineappies In aueensIand.