Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-12-23

was, you Know"
i am bound to believe what see
with my own eyes," she rejoned. Per
haps you can make 1t appear that see
ing Is not believing"
"Of course 1 can't II you take that
attitude" he complained. And then he
said irritably: You talk about friend
ship! You don't know the meaning of
the world"
IF didn't, I should hardly be here
at this moment" she suggested. you
don't seem to apprehend to what de-
grading depths you have sunk"
His sins in the business field rose
before him accuslngly and prompted
his reply.
Yes, l do; but that is another mat
ter. We were speaking of what you
saw this evening. VIII you let me try
to explain?"
Yes, If you will tell the plain truth"
Lacking imagination, can't do any
thing else. Nan has had a falling-out
with the old scamp OF q moonshiner
who calls himself her father. She came
to me for help, and broke down in the
midst of telling me about 1t. / can't
stand womans crying any better than
other men,"
And that was all-absolutely all,
Tom?"
Il 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 of all
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 a most skillful simula-
tion of both.
Go on" he said; tell me what has
| happened. l seem to have missed
something"
NO" she said. with sudden gravity
Il don't want to be your accuser or
your confessor; and If you should try
| to prevaricate, I 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, l 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 I
thought-what l had to think-when
saw you with her this evening""
1t was slowly beating It's 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 child bearing his own
| name. the glances askance in Hargi I,
store when he was buying the little
| STOCK or necessares for the poor out
cast 1t was all plain enough
| Tell me-" he said, thickly; "you
heard this: you believed it. Have
been misjudging your"
Not more than 1 misjudged YOU.
perhaps. But that Is all over now. 7
am trusting you again. Tom. Only. as
l said before you mustn't try me too
hard"
Let me understand" he went on.
still In the same strained tone. "Kpow-
Ing this, or believing it, you could still
find place in your heart for me-you
could still forgive me, Ardea?"
| i 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 herr"
| Walt moment. / must know one
other thing" he insisted. You heard
this before you went to Europe?"
Long before"
And 1t didn't make any difference IN
the way you felt toward me?"
1T did, it made the vastest differ
ence." They were pacing slowly IN
and down the portco, and she waited
until they had made the turn at the
Woodlawn end before she went on. Il
thought l knew you when we were bow
and girl together, and, like, | sun
pose | had idealized you in some wavs.
thought / knew your wickedness. and
that they were not weaknesses; $3.50
1t was a miserable shock. But 1t was
not for me to judge you-only as you
might rise or sink from that desperate
starting point. When came home I
was sure that you had risen; l have
been sure of 1t 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 should tell you that you
are mistaken"
Don't" she said, softly. THAT would
only be smashing what Is left of the
ideal. think l couldn't bear that"
And you've been calling this friend
ship! Ardea, girl, It's love!"
Ardea shook her head slowly.
mo-" she rejoined, gravely. "At one
| time I thought was afraid-that IL