The pioneer express., 1909-06-25

He tossed Il contemptuously over
the rock. The beautiful virgin sky
had suddenly grown dark. With q
fierce pang, he felt Wild rush Of
longing for the solitude Of his prison
cell. At this moment his wife seemed
less woman to him than disturbing
element in his long-cherished plans.
He flushed darkly. To wait three years
for this!
He crossed over and laid one arm
on her bowed shoulders.
Molly" he said huskily. molly, you
don't know what you're saying-you
don't know what you're doing. There
hasn't been an hour in the day or
night that haven't been planning for
you and Margie. My God! You knew
l was innocent-you knew didn't
take the money. What If all the others
believed me guilty! You knew-you
didn't doubt met" He stopped entreat-
ingly. His eyes besought her.
Come, Moll," he said gently, "let us
go home"
She looked at the blue vault above.
where the stars were beginning to
tremble. The croak of the crickets
came shrilly to her ears.
4 can't" she said somberly-'T
can't. Every stitch that put into
that hateful coarse sewing seemed to
take me farther away from you. OH"
she suddenly cried out, let me go!
Let me go!" She twisted her hands
/ 1Si
can't understand"
The man was trembling like a
wounded animal. With a miserable
gesture he raised his torn hat as he
stumbled blindly away.
Barton, approaching from the oppo.
site direction, stared in blank bewil-
derment at the retreating figure.
Good heavens!" he calculated.
where's he going?"
He's going out of my existence"
replied Molly simply.
Barton whirled round on her. What
do you mean?" he abruptly inquired.
Molly stood at bay. She knew Bar.
ton well enough to divine how her at
titude would affect him, and she hesi-
tated to reveal it. Already, in her
mind, little clouds of doubt were form
ing. In these three years Barton had
been her friend and stay, the sustain
ing, helpful figure in the foreground Of
her existence. At this juncture, half
unconsciously. she looked to him. Her
eyes were imploring, but Barton af-
fected not to observe it. She answered
him desperately:
"We-I don't think Jim and are
suited to each other any more" she
said miserably.
Barton was honestly shocked.
Hes your husband" said Barton
sternly, hurt that his unacknowledged
ideal of womanhood could be found
wanting. Il don't know anything
about woman's love-" he said bitter
ly, but know how man would feel, "
he added, his pity for his friend carry.
ing him away.
A look of acutest pain swept over
Molly's blanched face.
You don't understand-you don't
know" she said convulsively. "I don't
love him any longer. l wish 1 did
I wish 1 did!" she repeated in agony
Poor Jim-poor old fellow!" said
Barton regretfully, the sympathy in
his voice goading her to despair. He
seated himself on an adjacent rock
and began thoughtfully punching holes
in the turf with his stick. He did not
meet her eyes.
II remember" he said reflectively,
something Jim once said to me that
time you were so i'll. He was pretty
white, and his eyes had the same hurt
look | saw in them to-day. Barton
he said, If my wife dies, it's all up
with me'-and l could hear him say
ing that for week afterwards; and
when you were out of danger the
whole Office knew it, just by the glori.
fled look on his face"
He cast quick glance at the mo-
tionless figure by the rock, but her
hands were clinched, and she did not
answer.
And when Margie was born," Bar.
ton went on, there wasn't anything
good enough for that little morsel. He
used to stand worrying the fruit ped,
dlers merely because they hadn't got
an apple big enough and red enough
and round enough to dangle before
her eyes. suppose" he went on. in
terrogatively, you remember that big
fire on Main street about six years
ago? It was all in the papers, Of
course, and, well-the fireman whose
life Jim saved by that leap into q
blazing hell thinks good deal of Jim
even yet. I don't know that you
ever heard" he resumed, softly, what
were Jim's first words as soen as he
could speak. Don't tell Molly he
said, gently, and when you did come
he tried to hide his burned hands so
as net to frighten you."
His glance wandered down the
lonely road. Silent and empty, It
stretched away into the gloen Of the
gathering night In the stiffness they
heard the solitary FLASHING Of the
waves. He rose and faced Molly
/ i}1uhtfuHv