Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-11-12

venge. and she rejoiced in making me
ridiculous"
''Then II Is the first ignoble thing
ever knew her to do" said Boyd slow
~. "She has helped me in a hun
dred ways Without her assistance 1
could never have won through. That
cannery site would still be grown up
10 moss and trees. and ! would still
be disheartened dreamer"
TITS very nice OF you. OF course, TO
appreciate what she has done But
she can't help you any more. You
surely don't intend to keep up your ac-
Quaintance with her now" He made
no reply. and. taking his silence for
agreement. she went on: The trip
home VIII be terribly duh for me. I'm
afraid. I think-yes. shall have IA
ther ask you TO go back with US"
But ! am right In the midst OF the
run I can't leave the business"
"Oh. business! Do you care more
FOR business than for me7 I don't
think you realize how terribly hard for
me all this has been. I'm still fright
ened. shall die OF nervousness with
out some one TO talk to-"
IT'S quite impOssiblel I--don't want
TO go back now"
Indeed And no doubt Il was I'm
possible for you to come out hero last
night for the same reason"
1T was. The fsh struck IN and 7
could not leave"
''It was that woman who kept your
cried M%red. 1T Is because OF her
that you refuse 70 leave this countryr'
please don't" he said quietly. II
have never thought OF her IN that
way
Then come away from this wretch
ed pace. 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
while7"
40 you realize the hopes. the heart
aches. the vital effort have put inta
this enterpriseT'' be questioned.
But she only said:
II don't Ike &. Il isn't a nice bush
ness. Let father take the plant over.
II you need money. 1 have plenty
"Waitv" he interrupted sharply. "sit
down. / want 20 talk TO YOU" He
drew the wrap closer about her shout
ders and led her 20 a deck chair. The
change In him was becoming more APP
parent He knew now that he had
never felt the same since his drst meet
Ing with Mildred upon the arrival OF
the Grande Dame. Even then she had
She had shown no understanding OF
his efforts. and now she revealed as
complete a failure 20 grasp his code OF
honor. 10 never occurred 20 her that
any loyalty OF man TO man could on
set her simple Will. She did not SEQ
that HIS desertion OF George would be
nothing short OF trenchery.
IL seemed 90 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 a law for him. Above all. she
could not respond 20 the eNultation 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 tight that had Slapped
his very soul: he had made and won
the struggle that n man makes once I'm
a lifetime. and now, Just when be had
proved himself strong and fair In the
sight or his fellows, she asked him 10
foregO IL all Engrossed In her own
egoism, she required OF him a greater
acrihce than any he had made Now
that be had shown his streng D. she
4
fetters-to make him a dependent Was
II because she feared another grip
She had tried 10 help him. be knew
In her way-and the thought OF IL
touched him. That was like the MI
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 II as OF something OF
the past. After all, what she had done
had been little, considering her power.
She had given carelessly out OF her
abundance, while Cherry He saw II
all now, and n sudden sense Of loyalty
and devotion 10 the girl who had real
ly shared his struggles swept over him
In a warm tide. IL 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 a long time the two sat talking
while these thoughts took gradual
form in the young mans mind, and.
although the deck was deserted. Miss
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 ii. and. grasping its meaning
at last, she began 10 battle like a
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 10 answer
to her half spoken appeal
Womanlike. she capitulated at last
What matter II 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