The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-12-29
THE STOLEN
HOUR
y ETHEL HARRINGTON,

N
By ETHEL BARRINGTOrl
(ceIyrisht. tste. b. Asseeaassd Li.stary Press
The jswelsd clock chimed flve. Mil,
icsnt True touched the bell. Her de.
tision was nnal. There remained
pnly the task Of handing the missivti
10 the servant. Who would deliver Il
to Lord Windmefe.- From that MOI
heat shei would .bscoms tho Ainanesi
wife Of the English noblsman. Hear;
Ing steps. Millicsnt. without turninsi
held out the letter.
r See that 1t goes 1t once:"
''ls II 90 very imp0rtant?"
At the voics. % entirely differen,
from the one she expected. the Girl
sprang up. "Oh. Adam, I'm Glad,
but drst ! must dispatch my note"
About to restore the letter 90 oddly
thrust upon him. Howe's eye fell upon
. the address. Let us talk first" he
suggested. coolly; there's plenty Of
+ time"
Barely sufficient; it's already
nve. His lordship remains at his club
till ok. when, should there be no mes.
sage. he starts on his deferred trip
to California. Why doesn't James
Gomez"
ALLOW me-" Rowe .eisurely crossed
to the mantelpiece. his gaze lingering
On the girl. tidying papers In her
desk. Suddenly bending above the
clock. his broad shoulders masking i.
from view. he remarked. Five, you
said! Your clock says four"
Il can't be mistaken" In the
act Of consulting her watch she was
arrested by an exclamation from her
guest. whose sleeve had brushed
roughly againsts statuette. prompt.
ness alone on his part saving 1t from
destruction. Millicent shuddered in
mock relief.
To-day is my lucky day he as.
sured her. Il feel capable-o of miracles
even Of convincing you to my way
Of thinking. Come" Halt jocularly
he pushed chair before the hearth,
then set another for himself. Hands
thrust deep In his pockets. he nodded
toward the clock. For one hour We
will talk"
And the subject"
Everything that concerns you
or me-"
She studied him from the corner Of
her eyes. contrasting the fine pro-
portions Of his musuclar frame with
that Of Lord Windmere, to the lat
ter's disadvantage. Il am . head
taller" she thought. experiencing q
quick sense Of repulsion.
Rowe smiled Quiszically. you
approve of me physically. Good!"
Il was not thinking OF YOU"
/. so? was-about you. Who
would have dreamed that such q
scrawny kid could develop. into the
beauty you are now. No offense-
looks being your second biggest as.
set in the game you're playing"
You are coarse; won't be talked
r. sol"
After today, maybe. l shan't care
t" talk to you at. ALL"
The girls face sottened. "Oh. yes.
you will. The spice of things has
been In our discussion Of them after!
ward. Your point Of view IL direct
It's the reward of keeping at sufl.
cient distance to permit of perspec.
tive. With me, relative values often
grow confused"
You remember the creek where we
fished as youngsters?" the man de.
manded. irrelevantly. "And the day
you insisted on crossing the slippery
log alone. and tumbled in?"
Millicent laughed softly. Il can
see you now. with your torn cap,
your 'knickers' rolled up and your
homemade rod. thought you aw:
fully brave when you pulled me out
two feet Of water, wasn't IT."
But think Of the reward you
promised.
Children make pie-crust prom
isss!'
: "Just 20 you remember, that's all"
Adam stretched hts long le8s to the
blaze and his companion. conscious
OF his slightest movement. felt half
frightened resentment At the power
Of her old playmate to crowd out all
other personalities from her thoughts.
I'm thinking Of the night you
told me Of your fathers first big sue.
,cessful speculation. 1t was raining:
We were in tho, best room. abomina,
bic stuRy because rarely opened.
Your life was changed by that deal
just a. the mountain stream il
changed when 1t falls into the river.
1t became merely question of time
before you would reach the city to
be engulfed."
You thought 1t would make a diff.
ference in our friendship, but"-al.