The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-11-04


saw this evening. Will you let me try
to explain?"
Eyes. If you will tell the plain truth"
Lacking Imagination, can't do any
thing else Nan has had falling-out
with the old scamp of moonshiner
who calls himself her father. She came
to me for help. and broke down In the
midst of telling me about 1t. l can't
stand woman's crying any better than
other men,"
And that was all-absolutely all.
TOMB"
II don't lie-to you." he said. briefly.
She gave him her hand with an I'M
pulsive return to the old comradeship
Il believe you. Tom. In the face or AL
| the-the unlikeliness. But please don't
| try me again. After what has happen
ed" she stopped In Difference to some
thing In his eyes, half anger, half be-
wilderment, or q most skillful simula-
tion Of both.
60 on" he said: tell me what has
happened. I seem to have missed
something"
NO." she said. with sudden gravity.
Il don't want to be your accuser or
your confessor: and IL you should try
to prevaricate. should hate you'll"
There Is nothing for me to confess
to you. Ardea," he said. soberly, still
holding the hand she had given him.
You have known the worst Of me. al
ways and all along, think"
yes, I have known she replied.
freeing the imprisoned hand and turn-
ing from him. And have been sorry,
sorry; not less for you than for poor
Nan Bryerson. You know now what l
thought-what had to think-when
saw you with her this evening"
1t was slowly beating its way into
his brain. Little things. atoms of sug-
gestion. were separating themselves
from the mass of things disregarded to
cluster thickly on this nucleus of re-
vealment: the old story of his COM
panying with Nan on the mountain:
his uncle's and Japheth's accusation at
the time: and now the old moonshin-
er's enmity, Japheth's meaning look
and distrustful silence. Mans appear
ance with a child bearing his own
name. the glances askance In Hargts'
store when he was buying the little
stock Of necessaries for the poor out
cast. 1t was all plain enough.
Tell me-" he said. thickly: you
heard this: you believed 1t. Have I
been misjudging your"
Not more than I misjudged you,
perhaps But that Is all over, now: I
am trusting you again, Tom. Only. as
I said before. you mustn't try me too
hard"
Let me understand" he went on.
still In the same strained tone. know
ing this. or believing 1t, you could still
find place In your heart for me-you
could still forgive me. Ardea %
Il could still be your friend: YES.
she replied. Il believed-others beliey-
ed-that your punishment would be
great enough; there are all the coming
years for you to be sorry in, Tom. But
in the fullness Of time meant to re-
mind you OF your duty. The time has
come: you must play the mans part
now. What have you done with her?"
Wait moment I must know one
other thing he insisted. ''You heard
this before you went to Europe?"
Long before"
and it didn't make any difference IN
the way you felt toward me?"
1T did; 1t made the vastest differ
ence" They were pacing slowly IN
| and down the portico, and she waited
until they had made the turn at the
| Woodla wn end before she went on. Il
| thought knew you when we were bow
and girl together, and. girl-like, sup
| pose had localized you in some WAYS.
| thought 1 knew your wickedness. and
| that they were not weaknesses; $3.50
/ 4 was a miserable shock. But II WAS
| not Tor me to judge you-only as you
| might rise or sink from that desperat e
I starting point. When I came home /
was sure that you had risen; I have
been sure of it ever since until-until
these few wretched hours tonight.
They are past. and now I'm going to
| be sure of 1t some more, Tom.'
What II I should tell you that you
| are mistaken"
Don't" she said. softly. THAT would
only be smashing what Is left Of the
ideal. think couldn't bear that"
And you've been calling this friend
ship! Ardea. girl. It's Lowell"
Ardees shook her head slowly.
mo" she rejoined. gravely. "At one
i time thought was afraid-that It
might be. But now know It isn't
How do you know it7''
because love. a. think Of II, II
4 stronger than the traditions. stronger
than anything else In the world And
the traditions are still with me. adj
nit the existence Of the social pale.
and as long as / live within It have
right to demand certain things Of the
man who marries me"
And love doesn't demand anything
he said, putting the remainder OF the
thought into words for her. You arr
right. II could clear myself with 9
word, should not say IT.
why r.
~Because your loyalty. let Us call Il
IL too precious to be exchanged FOL
anything else you could give me II
place OF it--esteem. respect. and all thu
other well-behaved and virtuous be.
stowals.-
.But the loyalty r. based on the be.
/ lief that you are trying to earn thu
} well-behaved approvals." she contin.
ned.
aNo, It Isn't It exists In spite OF
everything, aud not because or any.
: %hsus The traditions NAV try "a ss.e =.