Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-09-28
uHAprER xxY11.-trontinued.l

1t was well beyond the Woodlawn
Ainner-Aour before he could muster ZIP
the courage to Cross the lawns to Deer
Trace. No word had passed between
him and Ardea since the September af-
the church door-counting as nothing
the effort she had make to speak to
him on the night of vengeance.
She was sitting at the piano In the
stherwise deserted mushroom when
he entered: and she broke chord In
the middle to give him both of her
hands, and to say, with eyes shining,
a. II the rescue were a thing OF yes
tsrday:
20 Tom! knew you had 1t in you!
It was fipe!"
Hold ion." he said, bit unsteady.
There must be no more misunder-
standings. What happened that night
three weeks ago, had to happen; anu
dve minutes before 1t happened was
wondering II could aim straight
enough in the light from the slag-pot
to hi. him. And fully meant to do
NJ
IL was afraid" she faltered. Il
knew. you know--Japheth had told me.
INN Justice to you. That was why
ran across the lawn and called to you"
Looking it all over, don't see that
there Is much to choose between me
and the men I've been hunting down.
They went after the things they need
ed. without much compunction for 9TH
er people; and so did l. On the night
OF the-on the night when you called
to me and wouldn't answer, l was
going down to rub 1t in; to tell them
they were in the hole and that had
put them there. met man at the
gate who told me what Japheth told
you. 1t made demon of me. Ardea,
took the mans gun and followed
Vincent around the yard. meant to
kill him"
-The provocation was very great"
she said. evenly. why didn't you do
It. Tom7"
Nov you've cornersd me: 1 don't
know why didn't. had only to walk
away and let him alone when the time
came. The slag-spilling would have
settled him. But couldn't do It"
"of course YOU couldn't" she agreed.
eonvincingly. God wouldn't let you"
HE let's other men commit murder;
enc day, or such q matter"
Not one OF those who have namsd
His name. Tomas you have"
Nov that It's all over. the taste of
It IL like sawdust in the mouth; I'll
admit that much. I'm free; free among
the dead. like the slain that lie In the
grave. as David put 1t when he had
sounded all the depths. Is that being
sorry"
'No-1 don't know" she confessed.
You think ought to go back to
Arst principles: get down or. my knees
and agonize over 1t? Sometimes I
wish could be boy long enough to
DO Just that thing. Ardea. But can't.
The mill won't grind with the water
that has passed"
but the stream isn't dry" she as
serted. taking up his figure. What
will you do now? That 10 the ques-
Xtion: the only one that 10 ever worth
Asking."
They took to the woods. the waste
placex the deserts--those men Of old
who didn't understand Some of them
went blind and crazy and died there:
and some Of them had their eyes open.
Cd and came back to make tho world <
little better for their having liven in
r. I'm minded to try II"
You are, going away7"
Yes; out to the beyond in Northern
Arizona. There 10 new iron f,eld ont
there to be prospected. and Mr.. Clark
son wants mo to go and report on It.
And that brings Us back to business.
May talk business-cold money busi-
ness-to you for minute or two?"
If You like" she permitted. "only
] think the other kind of talk 10 mora
profitable" j
A curious thing has come to pass--
quite a miraculous thing. in fact. Chs
wassee will pay the better part of its
debts and-and redeem its stock: or
como Of It. at least" He rose and
stood beside her. isn't It a thousa nj
pities that Colonel Duxbury couldn.t
have held on to his shares just a lit.lo
Nngerw
Yes; he is an old man and a broken
enc. now" There was a sob In bar
voice, or he thought there was. But n
was only the great heart of commas.
sion that missed no object Of pity.
True; but the next best thing "a IL
have the young woman who marries
into the family bring 1t back with hsr
don't you think? Here is a check far
what Mr.. Farley's stock would have
FOLD for before the troubles began. It,s
made payable to you because-wen ,or
obvious reasons: as have said. he To-,
cut" -o'e
You are still the headlong, impuls,ve
boy. aren't you?" she said, not aito-
gether approvingly. You are paving
this out of your own money"
We'll. what II amp"
If you are, 1t is either a Just res+,.
tuition. or It is not. In either case. I
can not be your go-between."
Nov look here" he argued: ..von.v.
got to be sensible about this. There'll
be four of you, and at least two tncom-
petents; and you've got to have money
to live on made Colonel Duxbury
lose 1t, and
mot another word. If you please. /
can't DO your GRAND In this. and I
wouldn't II I could"
You think / ought to be generous
and give It to him. anyway, do your"
don't presume to say" was the
cool re1oinder. When you have come
fully to your right mind. you will know
what to do. and how to go about IT."
He crumpled the check. thrusting It
INTO his pocket, and made two turns
about the room before he said:
I'll see them both hanged frst!"
Very well; that Is your own AFFAIR"
He fell to walking again, and for a
full minute the silence was broken only
Iy the murmur Of mems voices in the
library adjoining. The Major had COM
pany, 1t seemed.
This is 'good-by.' Ardea; I'm going
Tomorrow. Can't we part friends?" he
said. when the silence had begun to
rankle unbearably.
You've hurt me-" she declared turn
ing again to the window.
You've hurt me, more than once"
ne retorted. raising his voice more than
he meant to; and she faced about
quickly. holding up warning finger.
"Mr. Hennike: and Mr.. Young Dick
son are in the library with grandpa.