The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-10-12

(Copyrisht, lslo. By Tho Bobbs- Merrill Coz
You mean the man you married?'
"Married-goodness gracious, what
made you think that?" She threw
back her pretty head and laughed
laugh with the least possible merri-
ment in It. "Oh, Heavens, marry old
Job Roach! So they say that, do
they? I never heard that. l hear a
lot, but ] never heard that fairy tale"
She put her hands to her cheeks,
which had grown crimson. That's
not true!"
Dan swore at himself for his tact
less stupidity.
Ruggles had heard both sides. She
was adored by the poor, and, as far as
rumor knew, she spent thousands on
the London paupers, and the West
erner, who had never been given to
seveling in scandals and to whom
there was something wicked in speak
ing i'll of woman, no matter whom
she might be, listened with embar-
rassment to tales he had been told
in cnswer to his other questions; and
turned with relief to the stories of
Lefty Lanes charity, and to the
stories of her popularity and her sue
cess. They we're more agreeable, but
they couldn't make him forget the
face across the bouquet of orchids and
ferns, it was with a sinking of heart,
q great pity for her, and still de-
cided enmity. He disapproved of her
down to the ground. He didn't let
himself think how he felt, but it was
for the boy. Ruggles was not man
of the world in any sense; he was
simple and Puritan in his judgments,
and his gentle nature and his big
heart kept him from pharisaical and
strenuous measures. He had been led
In what he was doing tonight by a
diplomacy and common sense that
few men east Of the Mississippi would
have thought out under the circum-
stances.
Tell Mr.. Ruggles," he heard Dan
cay to her, tell him-tell him!"
And she answered:
81 was telling Mr.. Blair that, as he
is SO frightfully rich. want him to
give me some money"
Ruggles gasped, but answered quiet
ly:
We'll, he's a great giver, Miss
Lane"
{ y guess he is If he's like his IA
ther!" she returned. 81 am trying to
get a lot, though, out Of him, and
when you asked me to dine tonight
said to myself, I'll accept, for it will
be good time to ask Mr.. Blair to
help me out in what I want to do"
At Rugg1es face she smiled sweetly
and said graciously:
"Oh, don't think l wouldn't have
come anyway. But I'm awfully tired
these days. and going out to supper IS
just one thing toQ much to Do! i!
want Mr.. Blaif," she said, turning to
Ruggles as If she knew word from
him would make the thing go through,
ITO help me build rest home down
Qp the English coast, for girls who
get discouraged In their art. When
think Of the luck l have had and
how these things have been from the
beginning, and how money has just
poured in, why" she said ardently, lit
Just makes my heart ache to think OF
the girls who try and fail, who go on
tor little while and have to give up.
You can't tell"-she nodded to Rug
giles, as though she were herself
matron of forty-"you can not tell
what their temptations are or what
comes up to make them 60 to pieces"
| Ruggles listened with interest.
Il haven't thought it all out yet, but
so many come to me tired out and
discouraged, and think a nice home
taken care of by good creature like
my Higgins, let us say, would be
perfect blessing to them. They could
go there and rest and study and just
think, and perhaps" she said slowly,
as though while she spoke she saw
vision of tired self, for whom there
had been no rest home and no place
OF retreat, perhaps lot of them
would pull through in different way.
Now today"-she broke her medita-
tive tone short-"I got letter from
hospital where poor thing that
used to sing with me in New York
was dying with consumption-all gone
10 pieces and discouraged, and there
is where your primroses went to-"
Abe nodded to Dan. Higgins took
them. You don't mind?" And Blair,
with warmth in his voice, touched
by her pity more than by her charity,
said:
why, they grew for you, Miss
Lane; don't care what. you do with
them"
Lefty Lane sank her head on her
hands, her elbows leaned on the table.
She seemed suddenly to have lost in.
terest even in her topic. She looked
around the room indifferently. The
orchestra was softly playing ''The
Dove Song" from "Mandalay," and
very softly under her breath the star
hummed it, her eyes vaguely fixed on
some unknown scene. To Dan and to
Ruggles she had grown strange. The
music, her brilliancy, her sudden in