The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-03-22
A WeddinS
Present.
by fzarzba @cCu7ocb-
6fHIsunS.
Copyrighted. 1903. by Associated
Literary Press.

az won't! 1 say IT. I mean it!
won't! Not now, never, nor the next
day. So therer' Adela cried, her I'm
gers tight in her ears and stamping
her foot hard.
That's a pity! Such a pityr' Billy
Bruce murmured, with bis most engag-
ing smile ga pity you say it, 1 mean,
because 1 know and you know per-
fectly that you will"
who's going to make me, or what?
Certainly not you, not the little old
scrap Of a fortune" Adela retorted,
sticking out her chin. Billy laughed
softly, hardly more than a chuckle.
True, we don't amount to much, the
fortune and l." he said. "StiIl, there's
rather more to us than you can get
any other way"
ooh, you think so! Your modesty
won't kill you, not for long time
yet" Adela broke In, with a wicked
toss of the head. Billy made her his
best bow, saying half plaintiveIy:
''You didn't notice 1 held up my fin
gers for quotation marks. was quot
ing-from Rob Torrens. He talked you
over down at the hotel"
"I don't believe 1t! How dared you
let him? What did he say?' Adela
shot at him, a round red spot blazing
in either cheek.
"He didn't say much-after l got to
him. Benny briggs was with him.
They were going on at a great rate un-
til came. No; he spoke no harm Of
anybody. Indeed, he was more sensi-
BILE than one might reasonably expect. !"
Billy continued.
UNLESS you tell me 1 shall go
straight and ask him-ask him if he
said anything at all about me-" Adela
cried, her lip curling family. Billy
stood thought straighter. You can't
do that. He's leaving on the evening
train. It's due, just about" he said.
IT don't think you can mean to imply
that I'm lying 1 wouldn't do that If it
would make you love me. Torrens said
| this, as nearly as l can recall his
words: IT is a good thing the little
Ware girl has her future all settled for
her. She's pretty enough, madcap
enough, to make history. lots of it, if
she had a free rein. And really Billy
Bruce, plus $4,000, ought to console
her fairly for losing me-"
"You-what did you say?" Adela de
manded, sparks at the bottom of heI
eyes. Billy's mouth was set into q
grimmish smile 1T didn't seem t.
me a time for talking" he said. 81
said nothing, but Mr. Torrens got CT
the piazza-and thought he was going
to get of the earth about two seconds
later, while I explained to the RES
that 1 felt myself insulted by the color
Of his politics"
''Is that why he's going away9" AIDE
la asked in faint, small voice. Bill!
nodded. II reckon So" he said. May
be he'll write and give you anothel
reason. think he had. engaged to cal
on you tonight"
Adela put both her hands over he
face and for a minute cried stormily
Billy watched her with something biz
flung down her hands and faced him
teary and woebegone. She was badl.
spoiled, impatient withal and selfsl
with the selfshness of eighteen.
'eBy all the rules Of the game
/. ought to give in to you at once" sh
said, swapping out the words. but
, won't do it. Go away! hate you
: almost as much as / hate that" stoI
ping and choking. Il don't want t
see you-ever again-not unless m
mind changes. 1 do not want to see
any man at all"
"All right, I'll vanish" Billy sal
Z half wistfully. But, Dell, have 20
thought Of thls2 If you NOPE at home
seeing nobody at all, the town wi
have it you're breaking your heart 70
Torrens. Now think of 1t, my goin
: will help a lot You can REASONABLE
I be supposed to be grieving after me.
I; ooh, you'll kill mer' Adela moanet
= But where are you gOing2 Not tha
: it matters-if only you stay awayy
? 81 shall stay a couple of years. tt
n take about that time for leisurel
y globe trotting," Billy said craftil!
0 'T've all along had it in mind, thong
I / didn't mention it. / hoped so muc
0 we could go together"
, Adela stared at him, forgetting
her amazement to cry. "Of all things
q she calculated. why, BiIlyl nevt
!; thought you'd care to go a hundre
miles from home. You-you've bee
/ always so careful about money NJ
). that you were mean, but you didn't
:; Make q splash" Billy supplement
ed as she stopped for a word IN
]; That always seemed to be foolish an
I in mighty bad taste. But / shall /
o able to afford a lot of things nov
: You see, began to let the rents Of n
q farm accumulate as soon as gra,
$ dads viii was read, giving us to eaC
&c other. Money grows a lot when yc
= leave it for ten years and put more
5, it every little while. kept my moui
: shut about it, bat many a time I'V
a told myself, This is to give Dell II
, wedding present she'll like best in Il
i world"
g why didn't you tell meT' AIDE
(; said fretfully. Billy smiled, but Dire
e. long breath.
l. Telling would have broken Il