Bisbee daily review., 1912-12-01

and I-had thought you a gentleman .hough l should have known that nc gentleman would have-hsve-" shs inished lamely.
 Kissed yOu?" questioned the may pr. the friyolity scarcely gone iron lis voice.
 "Certainlyl" she flashed.
 Bedight puffed thoughtfully at hii ,igar, the fragrant pungency of the tobacco waiting to Jackie as sht stood in the moonbeam's path, ths fight giving an ethereal beauty to hel rim, erect figure.
 Tt was wrong. admit" he said mpulsively. "I am willing to admit .hat-but l refuse to believe that nc gentleman could be other than hon pred by such privilege. As one whC has tried to be such, would be will ng to do 1t again if-"
 '"Mr. Bedightr-the voice vas keer aow-and the mayor hesitated. q did not come here to bandy words. never shall cease regretting that ] am in a seEse guilty of a misdemean pr which makes it impossible for me 10 condemn you as l should-but ] warn you not to presume to justify further presumption"
 Miss Vining paused effectively.
 But you have not answered my question. Mir Bedight," she continued Who was the girl that came down the path with you?"
 The man drew closer to her. The fiippancy was gone from his voice. His face was earnest.
 Miss Yining, you have inferred that I am guilty of conduct unbecom. ing gentleman. A few mornings ago you ran after me in a spirit of mischief, and in the same spirit caught you in my arms and kissed you. If I have hurt you am sin. cerely sorry, but I, too, am reaping the fruit of folly. You have chosen to arm yourself with a distant de meanor toward me, you rebufI my it. tempts at entering the circle of your real self, you are judge" both on and off the bench, distant, suspicious, naughty. You pursued me; I took toll sWith your permission I promise 10 forget that you ran, but I cannot forget that l kissed you. l am not boy. l have seen some of the world. l do not know much about love. have been too busy trying to do some thing, 10 fall in love, or else never have happened to meet the woman. Since coming here I don't know ex- actly what sort of an enchantmsnt l have entered-but I do know that I cannot forget the ecstasy of the mo ment when our lips met. You may scorn me and it lies within your pow CT to discipline me-or defeat me but I shall not try to obliterate the thrill of that brief moment"
 Jackie Vining did not meet his eyes In her heart she felt a strange, new feeling of elation, a softening of re- sentiment, but women were theorems long before mathematicisns struggled with right-angle triangles and hypote- nuses, and all their non-understand- able descendants. beautiful and sweet and charming as they are, still per s!st in being mans hardest problem.
 Your frankness in some things" she said without emotion, lis as com mendable as your lack Of 1t in others. Must l repeat my question still anoth- CT time? Who Is the girl?'
 The mayor spoke firmly and with decision.
 As a man who is at least that much of $ gentleman, refuse to an- swer. The girl has done no wrong. She-7
 ."Mr. Bedight, on Tuesday night I saw one of my crowd of young ladies leave the arbor after a ciandestine night meeting with you. Tonight l chance to blunder upon you at mid night, again in the company of a young woman. There are no others here, aside from our party. I feel a responsibility and I must insist on your answering"
 The mayor shrugged hIs shoulders.
 "Who was she?" asked the Judge" for the fourth time.
 "Why don't you ask her yourself?" said the mayor.
 Where is she?"
 The last I saw of her she went through that door," he replied. deg. gedly.
 Miss Vining stepped toward the door and opened it. Tn the farther end of the boathouse a second door stood open and through 1t the moon light streamed.
 T see I have been outwitted," an. grily.
 May I walk to the hote! with you2" asked the mayor humbly.
 T prefer to go alone" she replied in a tone of finality, starting up the path.
 Miss Yining!"
 It was the mayor calling from the dock.
 She stopped.