La Junta tribune., 1912-08-03

with Alice Wilson the year before
while Hal Was In t.urolse. Lwt Hal hsd
suddeuiy resuru~d 'hrre us0sths aso
and. With hts customary overi~srns
manner. bad hast,ed hi- csuau u the
aeid and i0m~disieiy laid os,eu siexs
10 Aiice's hexrt. Dick. ssso,i.hsd snd
quite difndent in the presen,v. VI 40
overJsoweeinx love. had SLOWED him.
self to BE- pushed Aside until now be
found II sinI,sst imru..ibie to regain
the srosnd be had lost.
Alice treated him wi,h sweet frieod-
line~s bat wa. u,ssId~ning ~ well -
disbenrd.uinx. All the sweet. gay In
timacy Of their friendship was gone
He seemed to lie numbered smous q
host OF uuimportanf admirers who
worshped Alice from afsr. while the
Intrepid Hal Marcy stepped boldIy
forward aud openly admitted that
there was IN ''understsndins'' between
Alice Wilson and himself. To all hIsts
and innuendoe- the lovely Alice turned
the point Of her WITT to excellent e..
feet.
had ventur~d near Scar>daie. where
Alice lived Al his e'nborui.iy care
less remark that he thought h.. would
drive down that WY his cousin had
been quick 10 sting him with the re.
mark thst IL he wis going down to see
Miss Wilson his .rrsnd would be In
vain
But Dick CorninK's iiIsa were set in
that obstinate curve that few had
ever ss,en and none had understood
because there hsd been - few things
In this world that he had bad to nght
for. Most everything had come 10
him easily. hut now this gr,-atest boon.
the love Of good. fair woman. was to
be denied him. She ~ns TO be Hars,
and Hal was n bounier
Dick was going TO put the question
TO her just the sane His attentions
TO her had been so marked 10 the past
that he felt that he owed Il to beS TO
ask :he all important question. That
she would refuse him he had not the
slightest doubt IL would he done
gently. but convincingly. with perhaps
a hint at some cousinly relationship
IN the future. after she should be mar.
ried To Hal. He routed out a time
table. and. with one hand On the steer.
ing wheel VI the ear. he studied the
trains from town aud mentally com.
pared the running time with the de-
parture OF certain Pacific liners due to
sail from San Francisco In six days
III get down there nt 3. drink tea
al I and. II she Is alone. ask her. Il
viii take her about ten minute, 10 turn
me down. including the cousinly advice
and all that Then can run back to
town by $50 catch the 1:lo for the
west aud connect with the kamkst-
srha at San Francisco on Saturday.
No wedding bells for you. Dicky. my
boy-"
decsious aud with . drab future care
esIiy ossiia~d. Dsck Corning vas some-
what taken sback At Alice wilsoo's
gr~esinH She was q Dresden china
sort Of beauty. all pink and white, with
soft blue eyes and hair the color Of
ripe corn six She wore some little
soft. cllnging gown Of pal. blue with q
pink rose tucked In her breast. aud all
the pretty color faded from her cheeks
AS her hand was lost In Dicks big.
warm grasp
Where IL IIalf"- she asked. AZ she
sat down behind the tea 'nbI.
DICKS face cloud-d slightly. ~ sup.
pose he will b- down later. came by
myself. on my own .rrpnd." he ended
grui'y. II. accepted a cup ~ tea and
dropp-d lump after lump Of sugar into
It's pale de- tbs bcfor. he realized what
he was doing
''ou 50, own errnnif'' repeated
Alice. fussing among the ieacups
Yes. = fools errand.' returned Dick
unhappily
III It Is fools .rrani. why do you
Gomez Alice's voic. shook slightly and
her long ia,h-. wer. laid against the
shell pink 4 her cheek
Il had io-a fool and his errnnd are
soon parted Dick rrinned misersbiy
aud replaced his untastsd tea on the
table. lie leaned across the slender
legged table. menacinx the fragile
china.
ALICE he easped.
"w.iir' Ter eye. werr downcass. and
her anser~ hsd ceased TO duttsr. She
was very still and nov very much
like q sweet. sad little Dresden china
.h~pherdess
I've GOT TO aay Il. and then I'm
going on trip around the world.
lore you. d~r want 90 marry you.
I know 30, won't hare me. but vast
TO ets< you the chance to say so."
STAN nerd and stumbl~d unfortunate
Dick. saytns onss than he 0sest and
meaning more than he sah.
"r~sr murmurv<i ALICE softly.
That's ALL" as.urest Dick.
Yes: I'll marry roe. Dirk. the dear.