Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-11-29

for her. She should be mans
wife, taking it easy, with silks and
satins and diamonds CHS frontier no
ton Of what beftted a wife beloved),
and dogs and horses, and such things.
But the quarry was doomed to pass
out Of his plans for time, for on the
following Sunday he rode alone. No
Dede on a chestnut sorrel came across
the back-road from Berkeley that day,
nor the day a week later. AS the
third week drew to close and anoth-
er desolate Sunday confronted him,
Daylight resolved to speak, Office or
no Office. And as was his nature, he
went simply and directly to the point.
She had finished her work with him,
and was gathering her note pad
and pencils together to depart, when
he said:
ooh, one more thing, Miss Mason,
and l hope you won't mind my being
frank and straight out. You've struck
me right along as sensible-minded
girl, and I don't think you'll take Of
Tense at what I'm going to say. You
know how long you've been in the Of
fice-it's years, now, several of them,
anyway; and you know I've always
been straight and aboveboard with
you. I've never what you call-pre-
sumed. Because you were in my office
I've tried to be more careful than IL
If you wasn't in my ofice-you un-
derstand. But just the same, it don't
make me any the less human. I'm
lonely sort of a fe1low-don't
take that as a bid for kindness. What
I mean by 1t is to try and tell you
just how much those two rides with
you have meant. And now hope you
| won't mind my just asking why you
haven't been out riding the last two
Sundays?"
She played nervously with a pencil
for time, as IL debating her reply,
while he waited patiently
"This riding" she began; 'it's not
what they calf the right thing.
leave it to you. You know the world.
That's the trouble. It's what the
world would have to say about me
and my employer meeting regularly
and riding in the hills on Sundays.
It's funny, but it's So. 1 could ride
with one of the clerks without re-
mark, but with you-no."
Look here, Miss Mason" said Day
light. II know you don't like this
| talking over of things in the Office.
Neither do I. It's part Of the whole
thing, l guess; man amt supposed
to talk anything but business with his
stenographer. Will you ride with me
next Sunday, and We can talk it over
thoroughly then and reach some sort
of a conclusion. Out in the hills is
the place where you can talk some
thing besides business. I guess you've
seen enough of me to know I'm pretty
square. II do honor and respect
you, and. and all that, and
He was beginning to foun-
der, and the hand that rested on the
desk blotter was visibly trembling.
He strove to pull himself together.
81 just want to harder than anything
ever in my life before. III cant
explain myself, but I do, that's all.
Will you-Just next Sunday? To
morrow"
Nor did he dream that her low ac-
quiescence was due, as much as any
thing else, to the beads Of sweat on
his forehead, his trembling hand and
his all too-evident general distress.
"Of course, there's no way of tell
ing what anybody wants from what
they say" Daylight rubbed Bob's re-
bellious ear with his quirt and pom
dered with dissatisfaction the words
he had Just uttered. They did not
say what he had meant them to say.
What I'm driving at is that you say
flatfooted that you won't meet me
again, and give your reasons, but how
am I to know they are your real rea-
sons? Mebbe you just don't want to
get acquainted with me, and won't say
so for fear of hurting my feelings.
Don't you see? I'm the last man in
the world to shove in where I'm not
wanted And If / thought you didn't
care a whoop to see anything more OF
me, why I'd clear out so blamed quick
you couldn't see me for smoke"
It had been happy day. Daylight
had met her on the back-road from
Berkeley, and they had had hours to-
60LnCIs IL W cb0 OAAJ AOW1 "A1A 49,
day drawing to a close and with them
approaching the gate Of the road to
Berkeley, that he had preached the
important subject.
She began her answer to his last
contention, and he listened gratefully.
But suppose, just suppose, that the
reasons l have given are the only
onoc 9-that there is no question OF
my not wanting to know your"
"Then I'd go on urging like Sam
Scratch" he said quickly. Because,
you see, I've always noticed that folks
that incline to anything are much
more open to hearing the case stated.
But if you did have that other season
up your sleeve, If you didn't want to
know me, tiff, well, If you thought
my feelings oughtn't to be hurt just
Aooo-eo Won bod OOOd joh with me-.