The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-05-17
CHAPTER XxIV.-continued.

CHAPTER XxlV.-continued.
He wanted to tell her that the girl
Dan married should be the kind of
woman his mother was, but Ruggles
.ue tlnldn't bring himself to say the
ASerf,rds.s Now, as he sat near her, he
NH IRONS growing so complex that his
HElaucelin was turning round. He heard
Aike h murmur:
M TsNI told you I knew your act, Mr.
hW ggles. 1t isn't any use"
H0l This brought him back to his posi-
3YEfion and once more he leaned toward
lEl5her and, in a different tone from the
N one he had intended to use, MUIR
INJURED:
You don't know. You haven't any
idea. l do ask you to let Dan go,
that's a fact. l have got something
else to propose in its place 1t amt
quite the same, but 1t is clear-marry
mel"
She gave a little exclamation. A
slight smile rippled over her face like
the sunset across a pale pool at dawn.
Laugh" he said humbly; don't
keep in. / know am old-fashioned as
the deuce, and me and Dan is quite
a contrast, but | mean just what
say, my dear"
She controlled her amusement, if it
was that 1t almost made her cry
with mirth, and she couldn't help it.
Between laughing breaths she said to
him:
"Oh, is it all for Dams sake, Mr..
Ruggles? Is it?" And then, biting
her lips and looking at him out of
her beautiful eyes, she said: 81 know
1t isl know it isl beg your par
dom"
Il asked a girl once when I was
,poor-too poor. Now this is the sec
ond time in my life. | mean just what
say. I'll make you kind husband
am ffty-ive, hale as a nut. | dare
say you have had many better Of
fers."
"Oh, dear" she breathed; ooh. dear,
please-please stop!"
But l don't expect you to marry me
SNhor anything but my money"
;%MRuggles put his cigar down on the
eSWAge of the table. He looked at his
lASMkir meditatively, he took out his
dsAN handkerchief, polished up his
WITNESSES, readjusted them, put them on
slEbnd then looked at her.
Now" he said, 81 am going to trust
you with something, and l know you
viii keep my secret for me. This
shows you little bit of what | think
about you. Dan Blair hasn't got red
cent. He has nothing but what give
him. There's false title to all that
land on the Bentley claim. The whole
thing came up when | was home and
the original company, of which l own
three-quarters Of the stock, holds the
clear titles to the Blairtown mines. 1t
all belongs now to me, II | choose to
present my documents. Dan knows
nothing about this-not word"
The actress had never come up to
such a dramatic point in any of her
plays. With her hands folded in her
lap she looked at him steadily, and
he could not understand the express
sion that crossed her face. He heard
her exclamation: ooh, gTaciousl"
I've brought the papers back with
me-" said the westerner, "and it is
between you and me how we act. II
Dan marries you | will be bound to
do what old Blair would have done
cut him off-let him feel his feet on
the ground, and the result of his own
~dolly"
He had taken his glasses off while
L. IL III ho
/, Dem on again.
lSWlf you give him up I'll divide with
1 A. boy and be rich enough still to
YNNhHMN over to my wife all she wants
MI END"
WI turned her face away from him
.fNt eaned her head once more upon
- ands. He heard her softly MUIR
ng under her breath, with an abb
fsK look on her face, accompanied
m still more incomprehensible
GThat's how it stands" he conclud-
ed.
She seemed to have forgotten him
entirely, and he caught his breath
"hen she turned about abruptly and
said:
My goodness, how Dan will hate
Seing poor! He will have to sell all
mis- stickpins and his motor cars and
All the things he has given me. 1t
VIII be quite a little to start on, but
ne viii hate it, he is so very smart. :"
Why. you don't mean to say"
Ruggles gasped.
And with charming smile as she