The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-09-15
R 66e ee -@
 Silver Horde
 By REX BEACH Author ea rns ghs ssggs1 sgsilsr" and coPYRIeHrs Isoe BY HARPER BROTHERS
1909. BY HARPER BROTHERS
Author of .'The Spoilers'' and
 "The Barrier

"It's quite impossible! rdon't want to go back now
 Indeed: And no doubt it was inn possible for you to come out here last night for the same reason.''
 ''It was. The fish struck in and I could not Ieave.''
 "It was that woman who kept your' cried Mildred. Tt is because of her that you refuse to leave this country"
 Please don't" he said quietly. q have never thought of her ip that way''-
 H"Then come away from this wretch ed place. | <detest the whole country the fisheries, the people, everything. This isn't your proper sphere. Why not come away now, at once, and be gin something new. something worth whi1e?'
 "Do you realize the hopes. the heart aches. the vital effort I have put into this enterprise?" he questioned.
 But she only said;
 T don't like it. It isn't nfee bush
 cess. Let father take the plant over
 If you need money, I have plehty's-
 "Waitv' he interrupted sharply "Sit down I want to talk to you.'' He drew the wrap closer about her shoul- ders and led her to deck chair. The change in him was becoming more ap- parent He knew now that he had never felt the same since his first meet ing with Mildred, upon the arrival of the Grande Dame.N Even then she had repelled him by her lack of sympathy. She had shown no understanding of his efforts, and now she revealed as complete a failure to grasp his code of honor. It never occurred to her that any loyalty of man to man could off set her simple will. She did not see that his desertion of George would be nothing short of treachery
 It seemed to him all at once that they had little in common. She was wrapped completely in the web of her own desires. She would make her preju dices law for him. Above all, she could not respond to ehe exultation of his success. She had no conception of the pride of accomplishment that is the wine of every true mans life He had waged a bitter fight that had sapped his very soul; he had made and won the struggle that man makes once in a lifetime, and now5 just when he had proved himself strong and fair in the sight of his fellows, she asked him to forego it all Engrossed in her own
 
 sacrifice than any he had made. Now that he had shown his strength she wanted to load him down with golden fetters-to make him a dependent. Was it because she feared another girl? She had tried to help him, he knew in her way-and the thought of it touched him. That was like the Mil dred he had always known-to act fearlessly, needless of what her father might do or say. Somehow he had never felt more convinced of the sin cerity of her love, but he found him self thinking of it as of something of the past. After all, what she had done had been little, considering her power. She had given scarelessly out of her abundance, while Cherry He saw it all now, and a sudden sense of loyalty and devotion to the girl who had real ly shared his struggles swept over him in warm tide. It was most unlike his distant worship of Mildred. She had been his dream, but the other was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.
 For long time the two sat talking while these thoughts took gradual form in the young mans mind, and, although the deck was deserted, Miss Wayland had now no need to curb her once headstrong wooer
 He could not put into words the change that was working in him, but she saw it. and. grasping it's meaning at last. she began to battle like a mother for her child. His awaken ing had been slow, and hers was even slower, but once she found her power over him waning her sense of loss grew and grew as he failed ito answer to her half spoken appeal
 Womanlike, she capituIated at last. What matter if he stayed here where his hopes were centered? This life in the north had claimed him, and she would wait until he came for her. But still he did not respond. and it was not long until she had persuaded herself, that his battle with the wilderness had put red blood into his veins and his conduct had been no worse than that of other men. Finally she tried to voice these thoughts, but she only led him tod stiff denial of the charges she wished to forgive. As she saw him slipping further away from her she Summoned all her arts to rekind1e the flame which had burned so steadily. and when these failed she surrendered every prejudice. It was his love she wanted. All else was secondary At last she knew nefSelI She could nave cried at the sudden realization that he had not kissed her since4their parting in Chicago. and when she saw he had no will to do so the memory of his last arose to torture her. She was almost glad wien q launch bringing 1 her father came from the shore and the old man joined them.
 The two men bore themselves with | formality. unable as yet to forget their mutual wrongs. The in | terruption gave Boyd the opportunity | he had not been brave enough to make, 1 and he bade them both goodby. for the 1 tide was at its flood. and the hour of l their departare was at hand.
 There were q meaningless exchange |