Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-11-21

The big red car halted directly before
the house. Dede offered 70 receive
him in the parlor, but ne SHOOK his
head and nodded toward her rooms.
I'm there he said. mo other place
would suit"
AS the door closed, his arms went
out and around her. Then he stood
with his hands on her shoulders snd
looking down into her face.
"Dede, IL l tell you, fiat and straight,
that I'm going up to live on that ranch
at Glen Ellen, that amt taking a
cent with me, that I'm going to
scratch for every bite eat, and that
Tain't going to-play airy card at the
business game again, will you come
along With me?"
She gave a glad little cry, and he
nestled her in closely. But che next
moment she had thrust herself out
from him to the old position at arms
length.
"EIow is this possible? How can
you leave your business? Has any
thing happened?"
"No, nothing's happened yet, but it's
going to, blame quick. I've taken
your preaching to heart, and I've
come to the penitent form. I've taken
my last drink. You're marrying
whisky-soak, but your husband won't
be that He's going to grow into an
other man so quick you won't know
him. A couple Of months from now
UP there in Glen Ellen, you'll wake UP
some morning and flnd you've got a
perfect stranger in the house with you,
and you'll have to get introduced 70
him all over again. You'll say, I'm Mrs
Harnish, who are you?' And I'll say.
I'm Elan Harnish's younger brother.
I've just arrived from Alaska to at
tend the funeral What funeral?
you'll say. And I'll say. Why the fu-
neral of that good-for-nothing, gam
bling, whisky-drinking Burning Day
light-the man that died of fatty de-
generation of the heart from sitting
in night and day at the business game
Yes, ma am I'll say he's sure gone
coon, but I've come to take his place
and make you happy. And now
ma'am, if you'll allow me. I'll just me
ander down to the pasture and milk
the cow while you're getting break
fast"
But you haven't answered my ques-
tions," she reproached him, as sne
emerged, rosy and radiant, from the
embrace that had accompanied the
elimination of his narrative.
"Now just what do you want 10
know" he asked.
81 want to know how all this is pos.
sible? How you are able to leave
your business at time like this!
What you meant by saying that some.
thing was going to happen quickly!
Lets go and get married. he urged,
all the whimsicality Of his utterance
duplicated in his eyes. I've been WORK
ing like forty horses ever since TINS
blamed panic set in, and all the time
some of those ideas you'd given me
were getting ready to sprout. Well,
they sprouted this morning, that's all.
| knew | wanted to ride in the hills
with you just about thirty million
times more than wanted to go to the
office. And I knew all the time 1t
was impossible. And why? Because
Of the Office The office wouldn't let
me. And then I made up my mind
that l was to the dividing of the ways.
One way led to the Office. The other
way led to Berkeley. And took the
Berkeley road. I'm never going to
set foot in the Office again. That's all
gone; finished. over and done with,
and I'm letting it slide clean to smash
and then some I'm wiping the slate
clean. I'm letting it all go smash.
When them thirty million dollars
stood up to my face and said l couldn't
go out with you in the hills today,
knew the time had come for me to put
my foot down. And I'm putting 1t
down. I've got you. and my strength
to work for you, and that little ranch
in Sonoma. That's all I want, and
that's all I'm going TO save out, along