Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-08-16


IealIy."
l accept the responsibility" Some
days later he was going to recall this
assurance.
Sometimes l wonder :" pen.
sively.
Wonder about what?"
What manner of man you are"
Il should have been a great deal
better man had / met you ten years
ago"
What? When l was eleven?" with
a levity intended to steer him away
from this channel.
You know what / mean," be an.
swered, moody and detected.
She opened her purse and dropped
the pendant into it, but did not speak,
Ten years ago." abstractedly.
what lot Of things may happen in
ten years! Deaths, births, marriages,
he went on; "the snufing out of king.
doms and republics; wars, panics,
famine; honor to some and dishonor
to others. 1t kind of makes a fellow
grind his teeth, little girl; it kind Of
makes him shut his fists and long to
run amuck."
why should a strong, intelligent
man, such as you are, think like that?
You are resourceful and unafraid.
Why should you talk like that? You
are young, too. Why?"
He stopped and looked full into her
eyes. DO you really wish to know?
Had better?" with a wisdom BE-
yond her years.
mo. you had better not. I'm not a
good man, Fortune, as criterions 20.
I've slipped here and there; I've gam.
bled and drunk and sQuandered my
time. Why, in my youth ! was as
model a boy as ever was Percival.
Where the divarication took place
can't say. There's always two forks
in the road, Fortune, and many Of US
take the wrong one. It's easier going.
Fine excuse; Ell? Some persons would
call me a scoundrel, a blaek-leg; in
some ways, yes. But in the days to
come / want you always to remember
the two untarnished spots upon my
shield Of honor: have never cheat
ed q man at cards nor run away with
his wife. The devil must give me
these merits, however painful it may
be to him. Ten years ago, only a
decade; good Lord! it's IKE a hun
dred years ago, sometimes"
Fortune breathed with difficulty.
Never before had he taken her into
his confidence to such extent. She
essayed to speak; the old terror
seemed fairly to smother her. 1t was
not what he had told her, but what
she wished to but dared not ask. She
was like Bluebeard's wife, only she
had not the moral courage to open the
door Of the grisly closet. Her
mother, her uncle; what Of them, ah,
what Of them? The crooked street
vanished; the roar dwinaled away;
she was alone, all, all alone.
Il suppose ! ought not to have told
you" he said troubled at the misery
he saw gathered In her eyes and
vaguely conscious Of what had written
1t there. "Your mother and uncle
have been very kind to me. They
know less Of me than you do. have
been to them q kind Of errand-boy; q
happy-golucky fellow. who cheered
them when they had the doldrums.
With forced cheerfslness he again
took her hand and snuggled It undel
his arm, giving 1t a friendly reassur
ing pat I'm not speak to you Of
love, child. but q hair Of your head
Is more precious to me than all Midas
gold. Whenever I've thought Of you
I've tried to be good. Honestly"
And can't you 90 back to the be
ginning and start aneS!". tremulously
Can any one go backi The moving
finger writes. An hour Is a terrible
thing when you look to see what car
happen in 1t. But. come; sermonsl
I'd far rather see you smile Won
your
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