Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1910-12-08

The W. UltD UOIt lhClboCifCc "Abh
u~nbending %formality. unable as yet to
forget their mutual wrongs. The In
terruption gave Boyd the opportunity
he had not peer brave enough to make.
and he babe them both goodby. for the
tide was at its food. and the hour OF
their departure was at hand.
There were O meaningless exchange
of words and a handshake In the glare
from the cabin light that showed Nil.
dred's pallid lips and frightened eyes.
Then Emerson went over the side, n
the darkness swallowed him up.
The girl clutched at her fathers
arm, standing as If frozen while the
creak of rowlocks grew fainter and
fainter and died away. Then she
turned.
you see, he Gamer she said.
The old man saw the agony that
blanched her cheeks and answered
gently:
Eyes. daughter" He struggled with
himself. And II you wish It he may
come again"
But he won't come again. That Is
what makes II so hard; he will never
come back"
She turned away. but not quickly
enough 10 keep him from seeing that
her eyes were wet. Wayne Wayland
beheld what he would have given half
his mighty fortune to prevent. He
cried out angrily. but she anticipated
his thought.
mo. no. you must never injure him
again. for he was right and we were
wrong You see couldn't under.
stand"
He left her staring into the night
and walked heavily below.
Emerson felt a great sense of relief
and deliverance as he leaned against
his oars His heart sang TO the muir
mur of the waters oversize. For the
FIRST time In many months he felt
young and free. How blind he had
been and how narrow had been his
escape from a life that could lead to
but n result! The girl was sweet
and good and wonderful In many
ways. but three years had altered him
more than he had realized. He had
begun to understand himself that
very afternoon. when Cherry had told
him her own unhappy secret. The
shock of her disclosure had reused him
from his dream. and once he began to
see himself as he really was the rest
had come quickly. He had been
doubtful even when he went out to
the yacht. but what happened there
had destroyed the last trace Of I'M
certainty. He knew that for him
there was but one woman In all the
world. 1t was no easy battle he had
fought with himself. He had been
reared to respect the conventions. and
he knew that Cherry's life had not
been all he could wish. But he front
cd the issue squarely and tried to
throttle his inbred prejudice. AL
though he had felt the truth of Fra
ser's arguments and of Cherry's own
words. he had still refused to yield
until his love for the girl swept over
him In all its power: her he made his
choice.
The one THING he found most diff
cult to accept was her conduct with
billiard. Those other charges against
the girl were vague and shadowy, but
this was concrete. and he was familiar
with every miserable detail Of it. 1t
took all his courage to face 1t, but he
swore savagely that II the conditions
had been reversed Cherry would not
have faltered for an instant. More
over. what she had done had been
done for love OF him. 1t was worse
than vile TO hesitate. Her past was
her own. and all he could rightfully
claim was her future. He shut his
teeth and laid his course resolutely for
her landing. striving to leave behind
this one hideous memory. centering his
mind upon the girl herself and shut
ting out her past. 1t was the bitter
est fight he had ever waged. But
when he reached the shore and tied
his skin he was exalted by the knowI-
edge that he had triumphed; that this
painful episode was locked away with
all the others.
Now that he had conquered he was
flled with a consuming eagerness. As
be stole up through the shadows he
heard her playing. and when he drew
nearer he recognized the notes Of thnt
song that had banished his own black
desolation on the night Of their 6rst
meeting. He paused outside the open
window and saw by the shaded lamp