The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-10
tContinued From Saturday.

Josie. the time has come when you must know the truth he said, sol smn1y. "I am not what you think mo: I am not what your father or any ono in town thinks me. I'm not . Christian; I didn't know anything about . church until I came here; ! smoke and drink and I swear and gamble-And I've cut them all out just to trick you into caring for me
 1T don't believe ft!' she interrupt
 But he buried his face in his hands and pretended to mask his emotion.
 ''Oh, JoAie. it's too true, too true
 In an instant she had her arms around his neck and drew his head down to hers.
 ''Ssve.theiess," she said. q will be
 ':Josie." he yelled. looking up in
 "Nat, my dasiing!" whispered the heireD and she kissed him.
 CHATTER VII,
 Roland, Barnett came rushing into the -drug-store i've minutes after Jo- sic had ded nome with her wonderful news, and while Nat was still trying and that he had promised to make Che heirem . good huSband-although that wnsu't specified in the rules.
 "Say, I want you to let Josie Lock- wood alone" yelled the irate bank clerk You got her to come back hero tonight after took her home from meekfn'. From now on I want you to is( her alone and you'n do it. too if yOu know what's best for yourself. '
 .sWhat do you mean by that line of talk?" demanded Nat.
 ''rn ten you what mean" shouted Ecoland was a-soin with Josle you cama befe and you thought on account ef her money you'd sneak in and cut me ouf-''
 wa 6 on account of her money you were after herr" asked Nat.
 'Vgo. and it ain't no business of yours if lt were" retorted hie rival. -.But this here's what Pm getfin' at. A c0s1hiee s1k1pped out of the New York Nattpna1 Bank about ten months Ago and they ain't got no track o1
 sindssdr. said Duncan. with appar-
 'I've had my suspicious all along, g went oo Barnett, belligerentay. "but tho other day got q description of him and the description just fits
 Hs hs.d out 2 folded paper and Nat
 go you think I'm that bank fellow,
 SYou kss6 away from Josie Lock- xqea q Icu.l l,nd out wnat [, t4in.: ? as: ]. : s4l2t Iiil ldo eor thn evening, T said
 E1Ed sSsstsf ssss Barnsf Ds- Eit peere, he nad outlined his con- tract tho 6rdg- selsed him by the collar and pFcDelled him through the Tho telephone rane-it was Josie want1ng to tell him how her papa had received the news of their engage ment. how dellgfted he was to hear lt-and while Nat sat on the desk and lied cheerfully Into the stelephone. a cl1azming vision in pink and white unexpecfed alad 60 startling that his voice trniled away into silence and he hdn9 0p th4 recefver in the mfdst of . sentsnee.
 Tt was Betty-the bitterly emergsd from the chfysalis that he had sent away te schpul six months before; Betty. eo eager to see him again that sho could not walt until he closed the stors for the 0eht and had come to see her at her fathef's house. He xaGped and stared aWkwardly, just as her father had done. when he first saw the change in her-but somehow sbe had sxpected Nat to know her at elance. And when the first sur priced greetings were over, they sat down to chat
 .sIt;s . change for the better, isn't it. Nat?'' sAe asked a little wistfully.
 Fl should think it wasl'' he exclaim- cd with enthuslasm Tt is certainly mr1xvua.
 She blushsd under his frank gase of admiration. and her voice shook a blt n 6he sa1d:
 Docs t make you little bit proud, Nat. te-to know that you did it .'Rot.- he said. promptly. You did
 They were sitting very close togeth- CT, on the long bench near the soda fountain and, almost unconsciously. sine reached for one of his hands and held 1t while she answered nina lit heart
 "Oh. mo-" she said, very earnestly, 'I didn't do it. Why. Nat, you be- gan 1t the first day I-saw you in the old store bY the things you said to me. Then watched you as you made life . heaven for father and me and I thought, if I were a man I'd try to be as near like you as I could. Inc time you told me you were 20 $nG to send me to school said to my self: I'll follow his example just as near as I possibly can-Tll work ,ever % hard and I'll try to treat people as he treats them; and-oh, Nat, it's worked so wonderfully. It's made all the girls at school like me and now, and what's ten thousand times best of all. you notice an improvement the moment you sec me and never was 50 happy in my life. Nat" she con- ciuded, rapturouSly, you are the very best man in the whole world.''
 Duhcan turned away with a sharp etab fn the region of his heart.
 ''Don't!" he noaned. For heaven's sake, don't.'
 1T know you don't like me to tell YOU this" she went on earnestly. "bu, I'm going to just the same. Why father and both cried tonight when he showed me how you had fixed up the house. Nat, you must let me tell you the truth about yourself-it's so splendid to live the life you do. You are aH unconscious of 1t and want you to realize it. It makes every body love you."
 He vas never more miserable in his life He felt he could not endure she frank gaze of this innocent girl as she heaped encomfums, upon his hypocritical head and he looked at she floor.
 ssBetty, does it make you feel-er- that way toward me?" he asked. after
 why. of course" she began, lev eryouo Who-"