The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-15

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WAsehins het X did. tlsese y IS =
hin 4 feeling so9 new. 90 troubling
tsl,l y 4 found himself more anxious 70
protect her than to bring her % Jus:
tee.
There are worse, far worse women
than I am, Mr.. Ruggles. will never
do Dan any harm"
Here her visitor LEANED forward and
put one, OF his big hands lightly over
one Of hers, patted & = moment and
said: 4.
'IHant you 70 a.. q great deal bet.
ter gtba1 that.
She llta picked up a photograph on
The tabl6. a pretty picture ot herself
In Iandalsyt z and turned Il Rery.
ously. between her fingers as she said
With irritation: i
~ iiayeEt been in the theatrical
world not to guess at this Worried
Father act, Mr.. Ruggles. J told you
]: knew Just what you were going 10
say"
"Wrong!" he repeated; The busi-
ness is old enough perhaps, lots Of
good jobs are old, but this is a little
different"
He took the turning picture and
laid Il on the table. and quietly pos.
sesssd himself Of the small cold
hands. Rlair's, solitaire shone UP to
him. Ruggles looked into Lefty Lanes
eyes. HE Is only twenty.tyo: 1t Amt
fhir, It amt fair. He could count the
times he has been on a lark, | guess.
He hasn't even been to an eastern col
lege. He Is no fool, but he's darned
simple
She smiled family. The mans face,
near her own, was very simple indeed.
HYou nave seen so much he urged,
80 many fellows. You have been
such q queen, ! dare say you could get
any man you wanted" He repeated.
Most any man.
y laYe never seen any one Ike
Dan"
@Just. so: he amt your kind. That
is what ] am trying TO tell you"
She Withdrew her hand from his yIo'
lenfiy.
"There you are wrong. He is my
kind. He is what ] Ike, and he is
what | want TO be like"
4 wave OF red dyed her face, and,
in tone more passionate than she
had ever used to her loyer, she said
TO Ruggles; ~
q love him-I love him!" Her
words sent something like sword
through the older mans heart. lie
said gently: Don't say 1t. He don't
know what love means yet"
He, wanted to tell her that the girl
Dan married should be the kind OF
woman his mother was, but Ruggles
couldn't bring himself to say the
words. Now hs,'h9 sat near her, he
was growing so complex that his
brain was turning ropnd.3 He heard
her murmur:
Il told you | knew your act, Mr..
Rugg!es. II isn't any use"
This. brought him back to his posi-.
ton and once more he leaned toward
her and, in a different tone from the
one ahs had intended stospSs} muir
INJURED;
"Yon don't know. You haven't any
idea. ! do ask you to let Dan go,
that's a fact. ! have got something
else 10 propose in It's place. II ain't
quite the same. but 1t is clear--marry
me-" "
She gave q little exclamation. A
slight smile rippled over her face like
the sunset across pale pool at dawn.
laugh" he said humbly; don't
keep III / know !. am old.fashioned as
the deuce, and me and Dan is quite
a contrast, but mean jast what |
say, my dear"
She controlled her amusement, II it
was that. i almost made her cry
with mtrth, and she couldn't help it.
BetSsssn laughing bEsathg she said to
him:
@0l, is it ali for psr's sake. Mr..
Ruggles? Is it," And tnea, biting
her lips and locking at lin oft Of
her beautiful ayes. she sai1; u know
Il isl know II isl beg your par
don"
y asked a girl once When was
poor..-;oo poor. Now this is the sec
oud ,tp.e IN my life, l mean Just what
]. say. III make you kind husband.
/ am fifty.aSe. hale as a. nut. dare
say you have had many better OF,
fers."
"oh, DEAR" she breathed: "oh, dear,
please-please stop"
"Bpt ] don't expect you to marry me
for apything but my money"
REggleA put his cigar down on the
edge Of the table, He looked at his
chair med.;atiyely, he. took out his
sAk handkerchief. polished up his
glasses, readtlsIed them, put them on
and then looked at ller.
NOV" he said, q EN- going to trust l'!
you with something. and know you
Win keep my secret for me. This
shows you little bit OF what | think
about you. Dan Blair hasn't got red
cent. lie las nothing but what | give
him. Tncre's a'fllse title TO all that
land on The isentley claim. The whole