Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-10-28

knew, you wouldn't speak to me; much
less lot me sit here and talk TO you"
IF 1 only knew what? Perhaps you
would better tell me and let me judge
for myself" she suggested; and out OF
the past came a flick of the memory
whip to make him feel again that she
was immeasurably his senior.
I'm expelled" he said, bluntly.
"Oh!" For a full minute, as 1t seem
ed to him, she looked steadfastly out
of the window at the wall of blackness
fitting past, and the steady drumming
of the wheels grated on his nerves and
got into his blood. When 1t was about
to become unbearable she turned n
gave him her hand again. I'm just as
sorry as 1 can bel" she declared, and
the slate-blue eyes confirmed it.
TT was this way: three of the boys
came to my room to play cards-be-
cause their rooms were watched. /
didn't want to play-oh, I'm none too
good;"-this in answer to something
in her eyes that made him eager to tell
her the exact truth-'Tve done it lots
of times. But that night I'd been
thinking-well, 1 just didn't want to.
Il lAid . I'LL 4ACh INV obAA 4 "oo oAA0'@
and of course that settled it."
"Of course" she agreed, loyalty.
wait; l want you to know it all"
he went on. doggedly. When Martin
he's the Greek and Latin, you know
slipped up on us, there was a bottle
of whisky on the table. He took down
our names, and then he pointed at he
bottle, and said, Which one of you does
that belong TOP Nobody said any
thing, and after 1t began to get sort Of
well, kind of m%onotonous, l picked
up the bottle and offered him a drink,
and put 1t in my pocket. That settled
me-"
But it wasn't yours" she averred.
His smile was a rather ferocious
grin. Wasn't it? Well, l took it, any
way; ana I've got it yet. Now see
here: that's my berth over there and
I'm going over to 1t. You needn't lei
on like you know me any more.'
"Fiddle!" she said, making a face al
him. You say that like a little boy
trying, oh, so hard, to be a man. II
believe you are just as bad as ban car
be, if you want me to; but you muslin
be rude to me. We dom play cards Of
, drink things at Carroll College, bu'
. some of us have brothers, and-well
we can't help knowing"
Tom was soberly silent for the spac,
of half a hundred rail-lengths. Then h,
= said :"I wish I'd had a sister; mayb,
= it would have been different"
mo, indeed, it wouldn't. You're go
ing to be just what you are going t.
. be, and a dozen sisters wouldn't max
any difference"
"One like o would make a lot q
difference" 1t made him blush an,
have a slight return of the largeness O
hands; but he said it.
She laughed. That's nice. But
mean what I say. Sisters wouldn'
help you to be good, unless you reall
= wanted to be good yourself. They'r
just comfortable persons to hav
:, around when you are taking you
a whipping for being naughty"
n We'll, that's a good deal, isn't It
Again she made the adorable littl
:, face at him. do you want me to b
a your sister for a little while-till yo
:. get out of scrape? Is that what yo
! are trying to say?"
He took heart of grace, for the fir
:. time in three bad days. Say, Ardea
. I'm hunting for sympathy; just as
- used to a long time ago. But yo
- mustn't mix up with me. I'm not wort
it."
"Oh, I suppose not; no boy Is. b.
II tell me; what are you going to
Ia when you get back to Paradise?"
a "Why-I don't know; l haven
n thought that far ahead; go to work
II the iron plant and be a mucker all t
to rest of my life, l reckon"
re And all the way along you've bee
r meaning to be a Minister"
ID He gritted his teeth. That's a
re over, now; I reckon it's been over f
of a long time"
f. THAT is more serious. Does yo1
10 mother know? She mustn't, Tom;
L. will just break heart"
n "As if 1 didn't know" he said, bi
i'll terly. But, Ardea, l haven't been qui
of square with you. The way l told
about the cards and the whisky "
might think-'
On II know what you are going to sa
But it needn't make any all-the-tin
ry difference, need it? You've been bac
is sliding-isn't that what o call it?
n, but now you are sorry, and
mo; that's the worst of II. I'm n
of sorry, the way 1 ought to be. Beside
ut, after what I've been these last t,
he years-but you can't understand;
nd would just be mockery-mocking &C
he I told you I wasn't worth your whil'
She smiled gravely. You are su
~, a boy, Tom. Don't you know that
through life you'll have two kinds
ng friends: those who will stand by y
ar because they won't believe anythi
mt bad about you, and those who will ia
you for just what you are and ST
Ter stand by you?"
He scowled %thoughtfully at her. Isl
NJ Ardea; I'd just like to know how {
let you are, anyhow! You say things e
on erv once in a while that make me Il