The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-19
Copyright Log By the Bobbs- Merrill Co.

abaShed by any lack or cOrdlallty. AT |
the best of times, he was not a SEN |
sitive person, and as this had been /
his portion since his early manhood,
he was now used to it. Moreover, to-
night he was in high spirits. In his
year Of exile he had learned to love
the outdoor life for which he was
fitted, and had conceived passionate
desire to own the splendid tract Of
land for which he felt the love and
pride of proprietor.
Always a loquacious person,
stream of talk flowed from him to
which the old man offered no inter-
ruption, and in which even Rose found
1t difficult to insert an occasional, ar
resting question. Gene had a number
Of new plans.
The old man listened without speak
ing, his chin on his collar, his eyes
fixed in a wide, dull stare on his happy
boy. At intervals-Gene almost clam
oring for a responsible emitted one
Of those inarticulate sounds with
which II was his custom to greet in
formation that he did not like or the
exact purport of which he did not
fathom.
The only thing which would have
| sweetened his mood would have been
conversation, peaceful and uninter-
rupted, with his daughter. He had
not seen as much of her as usual dur
ing the last few days, as she had been
confined to her room with cold. This
was the first evening she had been at
dinner for four days, and the old man
| had looked forward to one of their
slow, enjoyable meals together, with
a long, comfortable chat over the
| black coffee, as was their wont.
When dinner was over, and she rose
| from her seat, he asked her to play
on the piano in the sitting-room near
| by.
Neither of the men spoke for a
| space while the music crept in softly
from the sitting room. The old man
gazed for a while maliciously. at his
| son.
"Well, you've got it," said the ia
Their at last, in loud, pugnacious tone.
you've got it, haven't you?"
well, l guess I have" said Gene,
his triumph tempered by an air Of
modesty, land | guess l earned it
fair. l stuck to the bargain and there
were times when can tell you it was
struggle. | never once slipped up.
If you don't believe my word, l can
bring you men from down there that
know me well, and they'll testify that
I speak the truth.
at was Rose who really put me up
to it," he went on. Shed say to me
1 could do it, l only had to try; any
one could do anything they really
made their minds up to. If you said
you couldn't do thing, why, then you
couldn't, but If you said you could, you
got your mind into that attitude, and
1t wasn't hard any more. And she
was right. When got my mind round
to looking at it that way, it came quite
easily. Roses always right"
Then, why the hell" said the old
man, do you go on talking about
yourself and your damned concerns,
bothering the life out Of her when
she's got troubles Of her OWN"
Troubles of her own? What
troubles has she got?"
"She's got a cold" said Cannon.
He spoke sharply and looked at
Gene with a sidelong eye full of OBJ
servant malice. The young man gazed
back at him, confused, for a moment
half inclined to laugh, thinking his ia.
Their, IN a sudden unaccustomed play.
fulness, was joking with him.
well, If it's only cold" he STAN
mered, ft's nothing to tear up the
ground about. l thought 1t was some.
thing serious, that Rose was unhappy
about something. But a cold"
After all, II was a good thing the
boy did not know; he was Of the kind
who could not be trusted with any In
formation of Importance He did not
want Gene or anybody else to inter.
fere. He, Roses father, and he alone
without any outside assistance, would
reach up and pick out for her any star
that sparkled in the heavens, any
moon for which she might choose to
cry. She wanted Dominlck Ryan fol
her husband. She should have him
and It would be her father who would
get him for her. He would give her
Dominick Ryan, as he would a pearl
I necklace or a new automobile to which
| ch no %aI