Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-10-10

and my employeHYneetlng regularly
and riding in I 3 hills on Sundays.
It's funny, but It's so. I could ride
with one Of the clerks without re-
mark but 9TH you-no."
Look Aere Miss Mason" said Day
light. Il know you don't like this
talking over of things in the office.
Neither do /. It's part of the whole
thing, l guess; a man amt supposed
to talk anything but business with his
stenographer. Will you ride with me
next Sunday, and we can talk 1t over
thoroughly then and reach some sort
of conclusion. Out In the hills Is
the place where you can talk some
thing besides business. guess you've
seen enough of me to know I'm pretty.
SQUARE. II do honor and respect
you, and. and all that, and |
3" He was beginning to foun-
der, and the hand that rested on the
desk blotter was yisibly trembling.
He strove to pull himself together.
Il just want to harder than anything
ever in my life before. Ill can't
explain myself, but I do, that's all.
viii you--Just next Sunday? To
morrow"
Nor did he dream that Eer 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
fatfooted that you won't meet me
again, and give your reasons, but how
am 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 l 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"
1t had been happy day. Daylight
had met her on the back-road from
Berkeley, and they had had hours to-
gether. It was only now, with the
day drawing to 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 | have given are the only
ones?-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 II you did have that other season
up your sleeve, II you didn't want to
know me, tiff, well, II you thought
my feelings oughtn't to be hurt just
because, you had good Job with me,
!" Here, his calm consideration
of a possibility was swamped by the
fear that 1t was an actually, and he
| lost the thread Of his reasoning
''Well, anyway, all you have to do is
70 say the word una II Giear out
t'And with no hard feelings; 1t would
be Just case of bad luck for me. So
he honest, Miss Mason, please, and
tell me II that's the reason-I almost
got bunch that II Is"
"Oh, but that isn't fair" she cried
"You give me the choice Of lying to
you and hurting you in order to pro
tect myself by getting rid of you, oil
of thewing away my protection by
telling you thetruth. for then you, as
you @id yourself, would stay and
N .ht smiled grimly with salts
'saai D.
III fealt gIsd, Miss Mason, rea
fglad rihoAt Fords,"
"B f|of Won't serve you," she
wer ID hastily. "They can't serve
you. feiuse to let them. This is oul
1 last RIDE. and II. here is the gate.
RahgiHk her mare alongside, sh'
bent. sill the catch, and followed ths
opening ate.
mo; lease, no." she said, as Day
light std lied to-. follow.
Humbly acquiescent, he pulled Bol
back, and the gate swung shut be
tween them. But there was more I,
say, and she did not ride on.
listen, Miss Mason" he said, in |
low voice that shook with sincerity
81 want to assure you OF one thing
I'm not just trying to fool around will
YOU ! like you, want you. and
was never more earnest In my life
There's nothing wrong In my inten
tons or anything like that, What
mean Is strictly honorable"
But the expression of her face mad,
him stop. She was angry, and sh,
was laughing at the same time.
Dede Mason had quick. birdlik,
ways. almost fitting from mood I,
mood; and she was all contrltion oil
the iinstant.
Forgive me for laughing" she sal,
across the gate. ut wasn't reall,
laughter was surprised off m,
guard, and hurt, too, You see, MI
Harnish. I've not been !"
She paused, in sudden fear of CON
pleting the thought into which he
birdlike precipltancy had betraye'
her.
r'what you mean Is that you've no
been used to suah sort Of proposing,
Daylight said; "a sort OF on.the.rur
'Howdy acknowledgements
ance, won't-you.be-mine' proposition.
She nodded and broke into laughter
IN which he Joined, and which serve
TO pass the awkwardness away. H
gathered heart at this, and went o
A.. ,~ooNo~ a1uadouno uttNh ann1a