The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-04-16

4 did not couprehend your oe1nA-
tion Of friendship I did Lot agree
win a. questioned IL not you
That T. an
Plank rested his bad on one big
hand and stared az the clusters Of din
blossoms behind her. ard sitter swhIAe
be said a. though thinking akoCd,
MANY have taken my friendship
for granted and have never cSere,i
their OWn IN return I do not knOVs
about Mr.. Siward There Is nothing
can Do for aim. nothing be can do for
me. II tbere. is % be friendship BE-
tween Us il viii BE disinterested and
I wouId rather have that than any
thing II the world. I think
There vas = pause. but when Sylvia
would have broken IL bis gesture con-
nitted her TO silence. with the dignity
one might use in checking persistent
child
"You question ny definition Of friend
ship. Miss lands should have ie-
your question pass. however keenly IL
touched me. had it not alsO touched
him Now an going 10 say some
things which lie within the straight
and narrow bounds / spoke OF, new
er knew a man / cared for as much
as care for Mr.. Siwsrd. know
why too He Is disinterested | do
not believe be wastes very man
thoughts on me. Perhaps he VIII ]
want him to Ike me il it's possible
But one thing you and | may be SURF
off be does not care to return the
friendship offer him be viii never
accept anything else from me, though
he might give at my request, and that
b the sort of a man be Is, and that IS
why he is every inch a man. and so |
Ike him. Miss Lands. Do you woH-
der?~
( She did not reply.
DO you wonderT he repeated
sharply.
"No." she said
Then He Strengthened up, and
the silent significance Of his waiting
attitude was plain enough to her
z But she shook her head impatiently
saying: Il don't know whose dance II
b, and | don't care Please go on. II
isis pleasant like Mr.. siward; |
ike TO hear men speak Of him as you
do. | like you for doing II. If you
should ever come to care for my
friendship that is the best passport TO
ft-your loyalty to Mr.. Siward"
NO man can truthfu1ly speak other
wise than | have spoken" be said
grayely.
mo. not of these things. But you
know w-what isis usually said when
his name comes up among men"
DO you mean. about his habitsY' he
asked simply.
'eYes. Is it not an outrage to dras
In that sort of thing? 1t angers me
intensely, Mr.. Plank. Why do they
do 1t? Is there single one among
them qualified to eriticise Mr.. Siward
And, besides. it is not true any more.
is it, what was once said OF him with
with some truth? Is itr'
The dull red blood mantled PLANK
heavy yisage. The silence grew grim
as he did his slow, laborious thinking
the while his eyes, expressionless and
almost opaque in the dim light never
left hers until under the unchanglng'
mercileas inspection the mask dropped
for an instant from her anxious race.
and he saw what he saw.
He was no fool What he had come
TO believe she at last had only con-
frrned. And now the question became
simple Was she worth enlightening:
And by what title did she demand bis
confidence?
"You ask me If it Is true any more
You mean about his habits. If answer
you. 1t is because | cannot be indIf
fereut to what concerns him. But be
fore / answer ask you this. -Would
your interest in his fortunes matter TO
him?"
She waited, head bent, then:
81 don't know, Mr.. Plank" very low
"Did your interest in his fortunes
ever concern himT
"Yes. once"
He looked at her sternly. his jaw
souaring until his heavy under lip pro
iected within my definition of friend
ship, is he your friendr'
"You mean he"-
mo: mean you. Tcan answer for
him How is 1t with your Do you
return what he gives-if there is really
friendship between you, or do you take
what he offers. offering nothing In re-
turn
She had turned rather white under
the direct impact Of the questions
The Earring repetition Of his voice It
sef was Ike the dull echo Of distant
hlows Yet 1t never occurred to her tc
sesent It nor his attitude nor bis sei'
assumed privilege. She did not care
She no longer cared what ne said tc
her or thought about her, nor did sht
care that her mask had fallen at last
lIt was not what he was saying, Dur
what her own heart repeated so neaV'
fly that drove the color from her race
/ hah fnanfnl