The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-06-07
CHAPTER XXI.
Fooled Yet AGAIN.

Fooled Yet Again.
Mallory had fed from the scene al
the first hum OF the minister's words
His fate was like alkali on his palate
For twelve hundred miles he had ran
sacked the world for minister. When
one dropped on the train like mama
through the roof, even this miracle
had to be checkmated by a perverse
miracle that sent to the train an early
infatuation, a silly affair that he him.
self called puppy-love. And now Mar
jorie would never marry him. He did
not blame her. He blamed fate.
He was In solitude In the smoking
room. The place reeked with drifting
| tobacco smoke and the malodor OF
cigar stubs and cigarette ends. His
plans were as useless and odious as
cigarette ends. He dropped into a
chair, his elbows on his knees and
his head in his hands--Napoleon on
st. Helena.
And then, suddenly he heard Mar
jorie's voice. He turned and saw her
hesitating in the doorway. He rose
to welcome her, but the smile died
on his lips at her chilly speech:
May l have word with you, sir?"
"Of course. The airs rather thick
In here" he apologized.
Just wait!" she said, ominously,
and stalked in like young Zenobia.
He put out an appealing hand: "Now,
Marjorie, listen to reason. or course
l know you won't marry me now.".
"Oh, you know that, do your" she
said, with squared jaw.
'But, eally, you ought to marry
me-not merely because love you
and you're the, only girl I ever" He
stopped short and she almost smiled
as she tainted him: Go OIL dare
you to say It."
He swallowed hard and waived the
point: We'll, anyway, you ought to
marry me--for your own sake
Then she took his breath away by
answering: "Oh. I'm going to marry
you, never fear"
You are" he cried, with a rush OF
returning hope. "Oh, knew you
loved me-"
She pushed his encircling arms
aside: II don't love you, and that's
why I'm going to marry YOU"
But I don't understand"
"Of course not" she sneered, as II
she were a thousand years old, you're
only a man-and a very young man.
you've ceased to love me-" he pro-
tested, ''just because OF little affair
l had before met your"
Marjorie answered with world-old
wisdom: "A woman can forgive
man anything except what he did be-
fore he met her."
He stared at her with masculine dis
may at feminine logic: IF you can't
forgive me, then why do you marry
me?"
For revenge!" she cried. You
brought me on this train all this dis
lance to introduce me to a girl you
used to spoon with. And 1 don't like
her. She's awful"
Eyes, she is awful" Mallory assent
ed. Il don't know how ever"
"Oh, you admit it,"
mo"
well, I'm going to marry YOU
now-this minute-with that preach
er, then I'm going to get Off at Reno
and divorce you.'
Divorce me! Good Lord! On what
grounds?"
ION the grounds of Miss Kitty
Observation-Disclosures - or whatever
her name is."
Mallory was groggy with punish
ment, and the vain effort to foresee
her next blow. But you can't name
a woman that way" he pleaded, "for
just being nice to me before l ever
met you."'
That's the worst kind OF unfaith-
fulness," she reiterated. you should
have known that some day you would
meet me. You should have saved |
your first love for me-"
but last love is BEST" Mallory in
terposed, weakly.
"Oh, no, 1t isn't, and IL 1t is, how do |
know I'm to be your last love? No,
sir, when I've divorced you, you can
go back to your first love and go |
round the world with her till you get |
dizzy"
But / don't want her for a wife,"
Mallory urged, II want YOU"
You'll get me-but not for long. |
And one other thing, want you to
get that bracelet away from that
creature. Do you promise?"
'How can ] get 1t away?"