Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-05-16
CH.ApTEIi Y.
JUST AN oHv1,

But 1T was she who gave him an
opening.
Luke" she said. it's all Very we'll,
but the matter does concern you in IL
way far more so, in fact. than il
docs Lord lsadclytfc. Nothing can make
any difference" to Lord RadclyfIe, hui III
What thls young man asserts is all
rue then it will make a world OF dit-
ference to YOU"
know that. That's just the
You We're thinking of yourself?."
No. ] was thinking of you"
"Of me?"
Yes he said. now ,ery abruptly.
quite roughly and crudely, not clloos-
ing his words lest they helped to betray
what he felt. and all that he felt. .'It
this man says is true, then | am
a penniless nonentity whom you are
not going to marry"
"You are talking nonsense, Luke,
and you know it, was all she said.
And she said it Very quietly. very de-
cislvely. He was talking nonsense, of
course, for. whatever happened or
didn't happen. there was one thing in
the world that was absolutely. unde-
niably impossible. and that was that
she should not marry Luke.
Whilst She, Louisa Harris, plain. UNI
interesting, commonplace louisa Har-
ris. was of this world, her marriage
WIN i|Ahc LIllSJ Ue. People. IN inns
present day. matter-of-ract world.
didn't have their hearts wrenched out
or them: they were not made to suffer
impossible and uncomfortable fortunes:
h why should she. Louisa Harris.
be threatened with such a cata-
clysm?
II am not" he was saying rather
tonelessly. talking nonsense. Lou. I
have thought all that over. It's over
eight days since that letter came:
eight. times "a hours since l seemed In
a way to see all my future through
a thick. black cloud and I've had tims
to think. saw you just as you are.
exquisite. beautiful. like a jewel that
should forever remain in Il perfect set
ting. l."
He broke off abruptly. and, mechani-
cally his hand Went up to his fore
head and eyes. Where was he? He
gave a sudden, quaint laugh.
VIVA Il drivelling fool you must
think me, Lou"
She looked straight at him. pure of
soul, simple OF heart, with Il passion
of tenderness INC self abnegation as
yet dormant beneath the outer crust
of a conventional education and of
commonplace surroundings. but with
the passion there nevertheless. And it
was expressed in the sudden. strange
luminosity of her eyes-I would not
have you think that they were tears
as they met and held his own.
They didn't say anything more just
hen. People of their type and class
In England do not say much. you know.
under such circumstances. They have
been drilled not to: drilled and drilled
from childhood upward. from the time
when. after a fall and a cut lip or
broken tooth, the tears have to be held
back. lest the words SWIVEL or ..cry
baby" be mentioned. But auietude
does not necessarily mean freedom
from pain. A cut lip hurts worse when
1t is not wetted with tears.
1t was only the shadow hat was hov-
ering over these two as yet: nothing
really tangible. And the shadow was
not between them. She would not let
1T come between them. If it covered
him. 1t should wrap her too. The COM
monplace woman had no fear Of its
descent. only as far as 1t affected him.
Nothing" she aid after awhile,
could make a difference to our mar
riage. Luke. Except OF course, If you
ceased to care
o you. LOU" he suggested meekly.
DO you think" she retorted. THAI
I should? Just because you had no
money %
Not" he owner, :".becadse of that
But j should be suCh q nOnentity. ]
have no real profession, and there are
the others. Jim in the Blues costs a
ASdIlul lOl d year, ana FRANK In the
diplomatic service must have his prom
Used allowance. I have read for the
bar. but beyond that what am II"
Your uncle's right hand,' she re-
torted firmly, "his agent. his secretary
his factotum. all rolled into one. You
manage his estates,v his charities. his
correspondence. You write his speeches
and control his household. Lord Rad
~clyfe-every n say 1t In London
would not be himself at all without
Luke de Mountford behind him.
That's not what mean. LOU"
What do you mean?'
II mean that"
He paused a moment, then added
with seeming i~rrelevance:
I'VE all know hat Uncle Rad Ia Z
curious kind OF nan. II this story turn,
out to be true, he would still say
nothing, but he would fret and worry
himself into his grave"
1.-THE story" h argued obstinately
will not turn out to be true. It's NOT
like you. Luke. to jump ct conclusion,
Or. to be afraid Of = nightmare"
II am not afraid" he reJotned sim
lply. .But I must look at possibilities
1YeS, dear" he continued moro f0rci61y
M u possible that this story 10 true
4 mo rood aaying that It 10 impossible
ItMplO6eble lf you like. but not tmp0s
4 0lble. Lock 1t e how you like, YOU
must admit that Il u not impossible
i Uncle Arthur may have married Il
Martinique: he wae out there In 1131
he may have had . son; his telling N
one about hls marriage q not % b
and queer a6sut his own affairs. Tht