Mexico Missouri message., 1909-09-09

steps leading to his arrest and incar
ceration."
."Ah," said /. now we understand
each other"
He nodded.
II would hardly have expected this
of you, Ankony."
you admit the theft, don't yoS?'
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. l tell you 1t won't
do to let it go on"
1 looked at him and smiled. 1t may
not have been a very pleasant smile;
l certainly didn't intend it to be, and
he flushed beneath 1t.
| What do you mean2" he clustered.
THAT what you are telling me is all
nonsense" retorted.
Now that you've gone this far, per-
haps you will go a 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 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 I, with
others, know of it. Now, to make her
suffer, you throw her brother into
prison"
He got up holly 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" remarked.
We've had to let several of them
go because of their relation to mem
bers of the company. But there must
be a stop somewhere, and am in
earnest when l say that it must be
here. I'm sorry for the boy and for
his sister, though 1 don't expect you
to believe it. But"
mo, don't" said /.
took up my hat.
Wait! Where are you going?"
Back to my Office"
What for?"
Because our interview is at an
end"
, IT'S only begun. We must talk of
, how we are to proceed"
l walked toward the door.
q Am l to understand you refuse to
have anything to do with the prose.
cution?" he cried.
You certainly are, Ankony."
II must remind you of your obliga.
ton to the company"
There's an obligation before it."
said, my hand on the knob.
THAT sounds very fine" he sneered
Naturally, l can understand that you
wish the Hemingway name kept clean
since"
Don't go any further, If you please
I shall send in my resignation al
once"
ooh, better think twice of that, Mr.
Twining."
I went out and shut the door. But
halfway down the hall turned de
liberately, hesitated only a moment
and went back. What pride 1 had fol
myself and for Dan and Barbara was
gone. Matters must be amicably ad
justed if possible.
"Ankony," said, going in to him
"for Gods sake think Of Miss Heming
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 it. You would have been full Of
n other plans this morning. Surely we
can't hold women to blame for MOI
caring for us when we ask them to
It's not fair. Love isn't to be com
PEELED; you know that as we'll as
do. Think better of this. Won't you
u You know what an honored place
theirs has always been in the com
munity. You know what luck they've
II had ever since their fathers death
e and how they've met it. You have
been a guest in their house, a FRIEND
:. of them both. You must have ad
d mired their courage, their smiles, ant
It the Incompatible way in which they
S have both set themselves to make
+ things come right. The boy has beer
y weak"
d (rO BE CoNTINUED)
u Plneapples In Queensland.
Altogether there are some 5000
| kn1 60 III