Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-06-10


knew, to mix sentiment with politics.
But, on the brink of his first diverg-
ence from that stern and robust recti-
tude which, with him, was a distaste
for evil, rather than a victory over
temptation, he felt imbued with sud-
den subjective recklessness that knew
no law.
In the soft light of a woman's eyes,
he forgot, temporarily, the vicissitudes
of career" It seemed very far
away-the other life-as he held both
her hands for a moment and then
sank, in comfortable WEAKNESS, into
an easy chair at her side.
Margaret Haslage had been some
thing vaguely between friend and
sweetheart to James Haskins for
many years. Once, in the Long Ago
it seemed long ago, because he had
lived rapidly since then-he had want
ed her solely in the lattGr oa~aci'v.
Failing in this, he had grown almost
used to accepting her in the former,
but, though he did not realize it him
SELF he had never ceased to hope.
There was an atmosphere of sane
tity in the little room, into which
thoughts of the political and moral
maelstrom from which he had fed for
a momentary respite, could not enter
Margaret's eyes were troubled as
she looked at him. Hers was that
rarer intuition which blends sympathy
with understanding and merges both
in practical helpfulness. Beyond the
commonplace of greeting neither had
spoken.
us your campaign going wrong,
Jim?' she questioned presently.
aren't you going to VIM"
Manlike, he misconstrued. Was he
going to win? She wanted him to,
and she was disappointed by the pres
age of defeat which must, somehow,
have come into his face. The features
of Pulkerson looked before him. 1t
recalled the opening scene of Faust"
Marguerite and Margaret! Almost
identical names! That seemed odd
But he wasn't going to win her. If
that were the stake, there would be
no hesitation, he decided However,
he would hesitate no longer.
Eyes" he said, slowly, and with in.
creasing emphasis on each succeeding
word. -going-to-win."
Margaret regarded him curiously.
'You say that, as though you were
sorry she smiled.
Haskins turned away. "You don't
understand these things, little wom-
an he replied when one gets any
thing-one pays"
She arose and, leaning over the
back of his chair, placed her hands
lightly upon his bowed shoulders.
Jim" she cried anxiously, unbe-
lievingly. "Jim-you don't mean that
that"
Give sold myself?" he finished
harshly. "No-not YETI
"You mustn't she cried out, start
ing backward. ooh, Jim! You would
not do that"
The reproach in her tone stung him.
He arose and stood before her, de-
| faint
TITS hard to give up everything" he
said with bitter meaning every hard
You don't know. You're a woman"
Margaret's eyes blazed with quick
| scorn. eff you do this thing" she
said with deliberate distinctness, 81
| shall never speak to you again.
Haskins' teeth met with a snap. He
knew it was not an idle threat, and.
also, he knew what this would mean
| to him. But he was not used to be-
ing dictated to- and this night he had
been the shuttlecock of conflicting
purposes. The woman's ultimatum
acted like a goad
Very WELL" he answered, coldlv.
tits part of the price, l suppose.
Goodnight"
In another moment he would have
gone. But suddenly, the spark of an
ger died from Margaret's eyes and
| something else replaced it, With an
| 1mpulsiVe movement she hurried aft
er him and flung both arms about his
neck
"Jim!" she cried, in last appeal.
| do you want to break my heart? Do
you? Do you? jim won't you let it
go-and be satisfied with me?"
With you?" he repeated wonder
ingly, strange light in his eyes.
with you? Why-you-said-"
| She hid her face on his shoulder.
Il said that ] didn't love you-once,"
| she sobbed out. Butt can't let YOU
do this thing. You won't, Jim? Will
you? Promise me you won't"
With quick, hungry force Haskins'
arms EMBODIED her. All life seemed
present and new to him. There was
no past, no complication, now.
| Nothing but a sense of beautiful. mar
| velous victory, greater than any of
which he had ever dreamed.
On the following morning, Pulker-
son stood in the lobby of the capitol
scrutinizing, blankly, for the twentieth
time, a sheet of note paper which bore
the following terse inscriptions:
go to the devil-Haskins.
Record Mountain Climber.
Longs peak, in Colorado, which has
been called the American Matterhorn.
has been successfully climbed by a
small girl of Is years, little Emily
Zoynton She scorned the aid of a
guide, even in the dangerous places,
but went clear to the top. distance
of 14,271 feet. This gives her the
record for mountain climbing among
children of the world possibly.