Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-12-09

self for doing 1t. It was not his wa.
to ruin his health Intentionally. Thei
Porter came putting in and flung him
self into chair He knew he was no
wanted and did not care. He begal
| 10 talk
king, you precious donkey, I've
! cooked your goose.
And mixed your metaphors shame
lessly. Get out and let me alone"
You precious IDIOT" persisted Por
ter. don't stick your stubborn head
into the sand and imagine the world is
blind. You're selfish past words. YOU
! think only of yourself and don't mind
whom you hurt. or course nobody
cares if you want to suffer. but how
about-her? You chase after her, your
eyes like the moon following the sun
In this fool friendship game which de-
ceives no one. What business have
YOU to punish an innocent girl because
her grandmother willed her fortune:
How could she know your confounded
pride would shy at 1t? You needn't
try to shut me up; I'm talking for
once. l can't see why man can
coolly take woman's beauty and
youth. every quality of heart and mind,
all the real things she has to give, and
use them like water or daylight and
then balk at the paltry money she is
not TO blame for having and which is
less to her than-well, infinitely less
than single kiss. What if she has
dollars? You have sense-or used to
have"
Il still have enough to hate your
cheap puns. Porter. Get out of here''
Il won't, Take that from me and
wait till l finish. And you've set the
old pussies whispering about her.
Have you heard the news? No? Well,
her cousin to!a me tonight that she.
Rose Law. has made over every cent
of her money to an orphan asylum
and is leaving early tomorrow morn
ing for New York to take a course in
nursing. They all think she's crazy,
and she is. Girls are like that-ln
stories and out of them. When they
think love has failed them they want
to be good to suffering world. She
is going to have the papers, the deed
of gift. made when she gets there.
Now. In an orphan. You might have
given the vile stuff to me if you would
not let the child have it to play with
herself, while you made her happy in
your own independent, imbecile way.
I'm sick Of you. It's too late for you
to do anything, so III use the phone
in the outer Office and CO."
AS in a daze. not hearing the words,
King was conscious of Porters phon-
ing. then of his putting his head in at
the door again.
Il told you I cooked your goose.
King. l began. as left Morton's, by
telling Miss Law that you were sud-
denly called away on business, but
were coming back as soon as possible
to bid her goodby and asked me to
beg her to wait for you in the garden
since she was there when / saw her.
1t will be romantic setting"
King was too furious to speak. He
thought it a very bad joke in the worst
possible of Porter's always question
able taste. But it dawned on him that
it was no joke, and he rose angri.y.
Porter continued: my voice, you
know. is strangely like yours. just
called her up by phone and said you
would be there in q moment. She
said it was too late. and told her
you would see her or rouse the house
and that you would tell her what you
had to say if the assembled family
had to hear it too. She said she would
be in the garden. It's not much past
10 and not far. Hurry"
He fed before King could drive him
out.
Willing to slay Porter. hoping, then
fearing, that he joked or lied. he set
off on the chance Of finding her in the
garden. But he was certain Of one
thing. two things-his own heart and
the great soft moon. He had no be-
lief that she could care. But he saw
himself with Porter's eyes, which
were. after all. clear and honest.
And he found her in the garden. by
happy chance. however. as Porter was
ever gifted with fine imagination.
He came on her suddenly, and she
turned in a terror real enough till she
saw who 1t was She trembled.
"Its warm in the house. and !
couldn't sleep. It's lovely here"
"Its lovely wherever you are and
misery where you are not. Oh. Rose!
oh, Rose. Could you love me little?
You will not go away, will you:"
He held his arms out for her, and
she did not deny the call.