The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-24

"Neither You Nor Anyone Else Hae
Right to Interfere"
Then you think when a man like
Dominick Ryan, hardly more than a
boy, makes a mistake that ruins his
life, he's got to stay by it?'
res, ne must. He's given solemn
promise. He must keep it. Mistake
or sin doesn't matter"
The old man was silent. He had
presented his case as strongly and per-
suasively as he knew how, and he had
lost it. There was no longer any use
in arguing with that unshakable fem
mime obstinacy, rooted, not in reason
but in something rock-like, off which
the arguments of reason harmlessly
glanced. He had dim, realizing sense
that at the bottom of the woman's IL
logical, whim-driven nature, there was
that indestructible foundation of
blind, governing instincts, and that in
them lay her power.
81 guess that lets me out" he said,
turning to knock off the long ash on
his cigar. Il guess there's no use,
Rosey, for you and me to try to come
to an agreement on this matter"
mo, there isn't And don't let's
talk about it any more" She turned
from the fire and came toward him.
But you must promise me one thing
that that woman is to be let alone,
that no one-you or any one you have
any control over-makes any more of
fers of money to her"
She came to stand beside his
| chair. He wanted to hold out his
hand to her as was his custom when
she stood near him, but he was afraid
that she might not take it.
yes, 1 can promise that" he said.
"I1l not offer her any more money l
don't want to see her again, God
knows"
1t was an easier promise to make
than Rose guessed. The old man, I'M
der an air of mild concurrence in her
demands, experienced a sensation Of
cynical amusement at the thought that
the first move for reopening of nego-
tiations must come from Berry.
"Oh, yes, I'll promise that" he said
amicably. you needn't be afraid that
I'm going to go on offering her a for
tune. The things been done, the
woman's refused it, and there it
stands. I've no desire to open 1t
| again"
She leaned down to take his hand.
He relinquished it to her with an i'm
mense tightening Of his heart, and
peace fell on him as he felt her rub
her cheek against his knuckles.
so you're not mad at the old man,
after all?" he said almost shyly.
NO." she murmured, mot at him
I was angry at what he was doing"
1t was a subtly feminine way of get
ting round the delicate points Of the
situation-that inconsistency feminine
way which separates judgment of the
individual from judgment of his acts
But 1t relieved the Bonanza King OF
the heaviest weight that had lain upon
him for many years, and, for once, he
gave thanks for the irrationalness oil
women.
well, good night, honey" he said
mo matter what crazy notions you've
got, you're the old mans girl al
right"
one KISSED MIN.
And you won't forget your prom
ise?" she murmured.
"Of course not" he said stoutly, no
sure just what she was abiding to
Amy promise / make to you stand!
put till the Day of Judgment GooC
night"
When she left him, he lit anothe
cigar, sank lower in his chair AM
stared at the fire.
1t was a deadlock. In his helpless
ness, the enraged helplessness of tn
man who had ridden triumphant,
over all obstacles that fate had set il
his path, his prevailing thought wa
how much he would like to kill Berry
She had done all this. This viper o
woman. the kind TO tread on if sh
raised her head, had baff1ed and beat
en- them all. He could not murde
her, but he thought with grim lips 0
how he could crush and grind he
down and let her feel how heavy Bill
Cannon's hand could be.
1t seemed for the moment as /
everything were over. They ha
reached a place where a blank wal
stretched across the road. Berny's re
fusing the money had been a seriou
obstacle, but not an unconquerabl
one. Rose tonight had given the Who'll
plot its death blow With Lowering
brows he pulled at his cigar. gropini
in his mind for some way that nigh
yet be tried. He could not brook tn
thought Of defeat. And yet the NOR
he meditated the more impregnabl
and unscalable appeared the wall tina
stretched across the way.
Continued Monday