The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1912-02-13

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somewhat faded cabinet Of the heavy
jowled ponderous bulked man with 9
placent smile lowering on rather
weak mouth. Ruth stood beside him.
"Can you wonder" she asked, with
a nervous little laugh; "that I did not
know you for moment3"
II don't think you know me yet
was the unexpected reply. Lets sit
down and get acquainted"
He looked toward the old horsehail
covered sofa. but she moved toward
rocker by stove. Beneath the beard
the lips parted In half smile and ha
sank into nearby chair. al.
"Got In last night" he rumbled, In
answer to her question. "1'm only here
for q week. Came on to see man
and he won't be back from Europe un
til next Saturday"
II take it then that you live in tn.
west?'' Burton nodded.
southwest would be more nearly
correct" he said. Down in Arizona
and Old Mexico mostly"
"And this is your first visit eas
since" She paused and colored.
my first since you opened your cor
respondence school Of character for
nation" he chuckled.
my whatf" she gasped.
maybe you forget just how cam<
to 60 west," he suggested. She shook
her head. She remembered only toe
we'll. Burton Brooks had given up E
position because he did not like the
work and saw no chance for advance
ment. She had broken her engage
ment in a bitter letter in which sht
had >upbraided him for his lack of con
centration. She had been ready to for
give and forget. the day after, but ii
was too late. Burton had gone on the
midnight train. Whalenville was 6
flag station and none knew his desti
nation. That had been four years ago
Evidently he had not forgotten.
'.Do you think it kind to spoil it al
by referring to my unfortunate let
ter?" she asked patiently.
1T wasn't unfortunate" he insisted
"'You don't know what lot of good
that letter did me. That's what
came to tell you" 49,
From his pocketbook he drew out {
sheet of tracing cloth and held II
toward her. 'There it is," he said
'eIt's been my Bible these last foul
years. =. - =.
''I1l admit that when got it / was
sore. was sore for an hour. Then
I realized two things. You were more
than half true and the rest Of it was
that you had worried yourself sich
over me and most everyone else. You
always did have the trick Of wanting
to manage everyone you came In con
tact with and sometimes the contract
grew too large for you. You were
worried because Jen Stevens rar
away with that actor fellow--and goi
Jen's share too. 81 s,s..e..
$50 just packed up and lit out.
didn't blame you for not wanting tc
marry me and I didn't want to put
temptation In your way-or mine.
well, I got out to Chicago and got
job with construction company
Every morning I read your letter ani
when It began to grow ragged on the
edges I copied it on tracing cloth.
Il simply couldn't talk back to my
boss, remembering what you said, and
50 ! got ahead. Down in Old Mexico
when l was living in a box>car and
bossing a section, took q correspon'
dence course In engineering and after
that ! called your letter the Core
spondence course In character. It did
me lot Of good"
Then I'm glad that I wrote the let.
ter" she said softly. II was afraid
afterward that had spoken toe
strongly
1T was the best thing that ever hap.
pened to me-" he declared. II don't
need the course any more, but I dc
need the teacher, Ruth. May have
her?"
For moment she hesitated. It was
In her mind to hold OF. to punish him
TOR those four years in which he had
given no sign. Then she realized that
he took his punishment very literally.
and that she. too, deserved punish.
ment for her scathing arraignment:
and Brooks, seeing her weakening, an.
ucipated her answer with q kiss.
TITS not oftel that pupils marry
their teachers" |" he laughed. "but there
are exceptions to all rules"
81 ~ - 49, EH=T