Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-08
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prayer-book. but that he couldn't find
anything with 80 many people in the
house. SO Aunt Selma read some re.
ligious poetry out Of the newspapers,
and gave US valuable talk on Decep-
ton versus Honesty, with me as the
illustration
Almost everybody took nap after
luncheon. stayed In the den and
read Ibsen. and felt very mournful.
And after Hedda had shot herself. I
lay down on the divan and cried lit
tle-ever Hedda; she was young and
1t was such . tragic ending-and then
I fell asleep. "'
When I Weakened Mr.. HARRISON was
standing by the table, and he held my
book In his hands. In view of the
armed neutrality between us, ] ex.
pected to see him bow to me CURLY.
turn on his heel and leave the room.
Indeed. considering his state of mind
the night before, I should hardly have
been surprised If he had thrown He'd.
da at my head. (This is not pun.
I detest them.) But instead, when he
heard me move he glanced over At me
and even smiled little.
"She wasn't worth it," he said. in
dicating the book.
Worth WHAT"
your tears. You were crying over
It, weren't you?"
'She was very unhappy" asserted
indifferently- "She was married and
she loved some one else.'
''Do you really think she did," he
asked. "And even so, was that rea-
SOM"
The other man cared for her; he
may not have been able to help IT,"
But he knew that she was mar
ried," he said virtuously, and then he
caught my eye and he saw the analogy
instantly, for he colored holly and put
down the book.
Most men argue that way" I said.
'They argue by the book, and-they
do as they like"
He picked up a Japanese ivory pa
per weight from the table, and stood
balancing it across his finger.
"You are perfectly right" he said
at last Il deserve 1t all. My griev.
ance is at myself. Your-your beauty,
and the fact that I thought you were
unhappy. put me-beside myself. It
10 not an excuse; 1t is a weak en-
PLANTATION. l will not forget myself
again."
He was as abject II any one could
have wished. 1t was my minute OF
triumph, but can not pretend that !
was happy. Evidently it had been
only passing impulse. II. he had
really cared. now that he knew was
free, he would have forgotten him.
self again at once Then a new ex-
PLANTATION occurred to me. Suppose 1t
had been Bella all the time, and the
real shock had been to ind that she
had been married!
1.-The fault of the situation was real
ly mine," 1 said magnanimousiy: II
quite blame myself. Only. you must
nished US any amusement" looked
ut him sidewise. The discovery that
Bella and Jim were once married
must have been a great shock.
1T was a SURPRISE" he replied even
~. His voice and his eyes were In
scrutable. He returned my glance
steadily. It was infur1ating to have
gone hallway to meet him. as had.
and then to ind him intrenched in his
self-su1nciency again. got up.
1T IL unfortunate that our acquain'
lance has begun 80 unfavorably." re-
marked. preparing to pass Kim. I'm
der >other circumstances we might
have been friends
There is only one solace." he said.
"When We do not have friends, we
can not lose them"
He opened the door to let me pass
out. and as our eyes met. all the cold
ness died out of his. He held out his
hand, but was hurt. refused to
see It,
kit" he said unsteadily. Tim
an obstinate pig-hearted brute. am
sorry. Cant We be friends, after
all?"
when We do not have friends We
can not lose them,'" I replied with
cool malice And the next instant the
door closed behind me.
It was that night that the really
serious event of the quarantine oc-
Cured.
We were gathered in the library,
and everybody was deadly dull. Aunt
Selma said she had been reared to a
strict observance OF the Sabbath. and
she refused to 60 to- bed early. The
cards and card-tables were put away
and every one sat around and quar-
relied and was generally nasty. except
Bella and Jim, who had gone into the
den just after dinner and firmly closed
the door.
think 1t was inst after Max pro-
posed to me. Yes. he proposed to me
again that night. He said that Jim's
illness had decided him: that any OF
us might take sick and die, shut in
that contaminated atmosphere. and
that il he did he wanted 1t all settled.
And whether I took him or not he
wanted me to remember him kindly If
anything happened. really hated to
refuse him-he was In such deadly
earnest. But it was quite unnecessary
for him to have blamed his refusal.
q he did. on Mr.. Harbisoa. an
sure had refused him plenty Of times
before I had ever heard Of the man.
Yes, 1t was Just after he proposed TO
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