The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-10-08
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANDRE BOWLfS

Il am going to leave this country
Marion Sinclair was saying. There's
nothing here for me; can see that
What's the use of my eating my heart
out over the way I've been treated?
I've given the best years of my life to
this railroad, and now they turn me
down with kick and curse. It's
the old story of the Indian and his
dog, only l don't propose to let them
make soup OF me. I'm going. to the
coast, Marion. I'm going to California,
where wanted to go when we were
married, and wish to God we had
gone there then. All our troubles
might never have been if l had got in
with different crowd from these cow
boozers on the start. And, Marion l
Want to know whether you'll give me
another chance and go with me-"
Sinclair, on the bench and leaning
against the tree, sat with folded arms
looking at his WIFE Marion in a
hickory chair faced him.
mo one would like to see you be all
you ought to be more than l, Murray:
but you are the only one in the world
that can ever give yourself another
chance to be that"
F THE fellows in the saddle here now
have denied me every chance to make
man of myself again on the railroad
you know that, Marion In fact,
they never did give me the show was
entitled to. l ought to have had
Hailey's place. Bucks never treated
me right in that; he never pushed me
in the way he pushed other men that
were just as bad as / ever was. 1t
discouraged me; that's the reason 1
went to pieces"
ut could be no reason for treating me
as you treated me; for bringing drunk
en- men and drunken women into our
house, and driving me out of it unless
l would be what you were and what
they WERE"
Il know l haven't treated you right;
I've treated you shamefully. l will do
anything on earth you say to square
it. ] will! Recollect, / had lived
among men and in the same country
with women like that for years before
l knew you. didn't know how to
treat you; l admit it. Give me anoth-
er chance, Marion
Il gave you all that 1 had when
married you, Murray. l haven't any
thing more to give to any man. You
would be disappointed in me if could
ever live with you again, and I could
not do that without living lie every
day"
He bent forward, looking at the
ground. He talked of their first meet
ing in Wisconsin,; of the happiness of
their little courtship; he brought up
California again, and the northwest
coast, where, he told her, a great rail-
road was to be built and he should find
the chance he needed to make record
for himself-it had been promised him
"a chance to be the man his abilities
entitled him to be in railroading. and
I've got a customer for the ranch and
the cows, Marion. I don't care for
this business-damn the cows! let
somebody else chase after 'em through
the sleet. I've done we'll; I've made
money-a lot of money-the last two
years in my cattle deals, and I've got
it put away, Marion; you need never
lift your hand to work in our house
again. We can live in California, and
live well, under our own orange trees,
whether work or not. All want to
know is, will you go with me?"
mo! l will not go with you, Muir.
ray"
He moved in his seat and threw his
head up appealingly. "Why not?"
Il will never be dishonest with you:
1 never have been and never will be.
I have nothing in my heart to give
you, and 1 will not live upon your
money. / am earning my own living,
am as content as ever can be, and
I shall stay where l am and do what 1
am doing till l die, probably. And
this is why I came when you asked me
to: to tell you the exact truth. l am
not a girl any longer-I never can be
again. am woman. What I was
before married you 1. never can be
again, and you have no right to ask
me to be hypocrite and say can
love you-for that is what it all comes
to-when l have no such thing in my
heart or life for you. 1t is dead and
gone, and cannot help It,"
That sounds pretty hard, Marion"
1T is only the truth. It sounded
fearfully hard to me when you told
me that woman was your friend-that
you knew her before you knew me
and would know her after I was
dead; that she was as good as l, and
that if didn't entertain her you
would. But it was the truth! you told
me the truth, and it was better that
you told it-as it is better now that
tell it to you"
! was drunk. didn't tell you the
truth. A man is pretty tough animal
sometimes, but you are woman and
pure one, and 1 care more for you
than for all the other women in the
world, and it is not your nature to be
unforgiving.'
1T is to be honest"
He looked suddenly up at her and
spoke sharply: Marion, l know why
you won't CO."
I have honestly told you.'
No; you have not honestly told me.
The real reason is Gordon Smith"
IF he were l should not hesitate to
tell you, Murray; but he is not" she
said, coldly.
Sinclair spoke harshly: "Do you
think you can fool me? Don't you sup
pose | know he spends his time loaf
ing around your shop?"
Marion flushed Indignantly. ut is
not true!"
Don't you suppose know he writes