The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-20
(Copyrighted, 1909

| Inc hurrying Workaday croWo 1na1e
| Broadway seem sober. alien. Everybody
| In the car looked pinched and tired and
cold. For the last few minutes, olive
Hastings had been considering a subject
| unpleasantly recurrent in her thoughts
nowadays-Is life worth living?
| For her, at least. IT meant getting up
at an uncanny hour in the morning. III
meant standing in crowded, foul-smell-
| Ing car II meant taking letters all day
| at the alternate dictation Of two stodgy
| middle aged business men, 1t meant
| skimping on lunches and dinners for the
sake of summer vacation. To intermit
| such Improbable reflections she had re-
course TO the book which She was read
| ing. And then her eyes. injurious, lack
luster, rowing along the row opposite
| fell on a face.
1t was a face that she had not seen
moro than half a dozen times all told 1t
was face that she had not seen once
In the last two years. But 1t was the
same face about which. nightly, she woye
her waking dreams; And 1t had all its its
put on the glamors Of May. Her heart
began to leap, her head to whirl. her
blood Guckened to racing speed. Pray
| ing that her emotional illumination would
not flare through her skin. she managed
to follow up her recognition with bow
and a smile.
coming toward her. She made place
| at her side. In another instant her hand
was in his This is perfectly charm
ing" she was saying: - ,,.
| seemed to drink her down! 1t seemed
to assure her that there never had been.
| never could be. any other woman. How
| bored he must have been, was her next
| thought.
you're the last person in the world l
| expected to see, she managed 70 say;
| She tried to meet his eyes, but she couid
not sustain his gaze.
But her glance had shown her that he
| was quite as 'ibonny'-that was her WORD
| for him-as she remembered him. Tall.
| 1, civ md
| the glory of the college athlete lingering
about him, he had an array OF charms.
From the crisp, waving hair. through the
straight profile and down to the square
dimpled chin, he was q. man VINO wouio
arrest woman's attention anywhere
| IT'S provdential." he announced; She
eyelashes. i've only been here day or
two and I've had 1t on my mind to look
! you up my first free evening; Ihat
tonight. l may add-unless you're going
20 be cruel and find another engage
| ment' -
There was the old fascination In his
voice-she noted them one by one|wei. Wei
remembered tricks of infection; II was
distinctly a magnetic" voice.
AS for her, all the blood in her body
was surging back In waves into her
heart. and this inner commotlon betrayed
itself in the color coming, In and out OF
her pale cheeks. She tried to hit her
eyelids, she tried 10 speak; both feets
were impossible. She looked straight
|
streanled by like a pennant.
You're not going to have another en-
gagement," he urged; where do you
| llve?"
with a tremendous effort she gave him
her address. Somehow she added desper-
ately, "You know about my work. ! sup
pose?" Her voice was hoarse and her
| throat parched.
you be home tonight?" He was rising,
She tried to stay the CULVER Of her lips
But she had TO hold tho lower one still
with her teeth after she had said' Yes
| I'll be at home
How wonderful he was! How hand
some! 1t made her dizzy TO meet his
eyes In that longing visit to Helen un-
developed silent, awkward as she was
every word that he gave her seemed q
caress. Now 1t was even worse-his very
presence was ration his words were
bliss.
Was she dreaming? Had the skies
| fanen7 She tried to find something &c
hold TO. Everything comes to him who
waits,' came uppermost In her mind In
stupid reiteration. She wondered II thai
| explained Next she was conscious Of be
ing glad that she wore Helen's gray
dress-it was the most becoming thine
she had. Heavens. he must have seer
Helen In 1t again and again: But mel
never remembered. Would Helen really
have married him she wondered. He hac
engaged in u desperate Irritation with hel
cousin during that week that they hat
both met him for the first time. and his
Irritation had actually Tapped over thu
announcement OF Helen's betrothal u
another man. The first thing that hac
occurred to Olive when she heard o
Helen's broken engagement. six months
ago, was that Lawrence Crane would re
new his suit. Perhaps he had. and per
haps Helen had refused him. She would
not speak TO him Of her, she decided
especially now when there was n coolnes
between herself and Helen.
Was life worth living? 1t was JOY L
get up at the uncanny hour in the morn
Ing. 1t was bliss to stand in crowded
foul smelling car. 1t was rapture taking
letters all day long nt the alternate die
tation OF two stodgy, middle aged bust
ness men, 1t was ccstncy TO skimp ol
lunches and dinners for the sake Of
vacation!
She ran from the car to the office. Sh'
raced up the four flights of stairs-n'
elevator could hold her spirits tina
morning. Opening the door with jerk
, she rushed in. precipitatng herself int,
the arms OF six feet OF the other Sc!
about to rush out.
"My hands are up" he said withou
further parley. My moneys in my In
ner coat pocket.
She laughed and drew back, But wha
, the next instant.
I'm Merrlman, the new partner
: You've got me roped thrown down an
5 tied-but don't mind me"
! looked fresh. young. absolutely untamed
and yet he might have been thirty, Hi
skin had been weather beaten until
, was a cheerful mahogany. He had big
{ unabashed gray eyes as clear as
: child's.
S Olive hung up her hat and Jacket, an
her hands played carelessly back an
= forth over her. hair. Her cheeks wer
4 stlll brilliant with excitement.
81 don't suppose you know cowbo
from tax collector" he said, his eye
O following nor fitting hands
|, Her spirits bubbled over him, 'T
q liko to know how anybody can escap
: knowing what cowboy is,'' she sale
: "when the magazines are full of then
/ and I know every one of the fifty-seve
g varieties by heart. I suppose all you
life long you've done nothing but thin
, noble thoughts about the stars. l don
> suppose you ever gave way TO a tcmpta
top in your llfe.'
9 IT could, without straining a muscle,
Il T45E9E5