The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1912-10-30
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and had thought you gentleman,
though l should have known that no
gentleman would have-have-" she
finished lamely.
kissed your" questioned the may
or. the frivolity scarcely gone from
his voice.
Certainly" she flashed.
Bedight pulled thoughtfully at his
cigar, the fragrant pungency of the
tobacco waiting to Jackie as she
stood In the moonbeam's path, the
light giving an ethereal beauty to her
trim, erect figure.
ut was wrong, admit" he said
impulsively, 81 am willing to admit
that-but refuse to believe that no
! gentleman could be other than hon
) ored by such privilege. AS one who
, has tried to be such. would be will
ing to do it again If"
Mr.. Bedight"-the voice was keen
/ now-and the mayor hesitated. 81 did
not come here to handy words.
never shall cease regretting that l
| am in a sense guilty of misdemean-
/ or which makes it impossible for me
/ to condemn you as l shouldn't
warn you not to presume to justify
| further presumption"
Miss Vining paused effectively.
But you have not answered my
question. Mr.. Bedight," she continued.
Who was the girl that came down
the path with your"
The man drew closer to her. The
flippancy was gone from his voice
His face was earnest.
Miss Vining, you have inferred
that | am guilty of conduct unbecom-
ing a gentleman. few mornings
| ago you ran after me in a spirit of
mischief, and in the same spirit
caught you in my arms and kissed
| you. If | have hurt you | am sim
cerely sorry, but l, too, am reaping
the fruit of folly. You have chosen
| to arm yourself with a distant de-
meanor toward me, you rebuff my at
tempts at entering the circle of your
real self, you are Judge" both on and
off the bench, distant, suspicious.
| naughty. You pursued me; | took
toll. With your permission | promise
| 10 forget that yOn ran, but | cannot
| forget that ! kissed you. | am not
boy. have seen some of the world.
| | do not know much about love.
have been too busy trying to do sone-
thing, to fall in love, or else l never
| have happened to meet the woman.
Since coming here l don't know eX-
actly what sort of an enchantment
| have entered-but / do know that
cannot forget the ecstasy of the mo-
ment when our lips met. You may
scorn me and 1t lies within your pow
er to discipline me-or defeat me-
but / shall not try to obliterate the
thrill Of that brief moment"
Jackie Vining did not meet his eyes.
In her heart she felt a strange, new
feeling of citation. a softening OF re-
sentiment, but women were theorems
long before mathematician struggled
with right-angle triangles and hypote-
muses., and all their non-understand-
and charming as they are, still per-
sist in being mans hardest problem.
Your frankness in some things"
she said without emotion, is as COM
mendable as your lack Of 1t in others.
Must / repeat my question still anoth-
er time? Who is the girl?
The mayor spoke firmly and with
decision.
"As a man who Is at least that
much of a gentleman, | refuse to an
swer. The girl has done no wrong.
| She"
saw one Of my crowd of young ladies
leave the arbor after a clandestine
night meeting with you. Tonight
chance to blunder upon you at mid
! night, again in the company of a
young woman. There are no others
here, aside from our party. l feel a
/ responsibility and l must insist on
your answering"
The mayor shrugged his shoulders.
"Who was she?" asked the Judge"
for the fourth time.
"Why don't you ask her yourself?"
said the mayor.
where is she?"
1.-THE last l saw of her she went
through that door," he replied, dog
gedly.
Miss Vining stepped toward the
door and opened it, In the farther
end of the boathouse a second door
stood open and through 1t the moon
light streamed.
Il see / have been outwitted," an
grily.
May walk to the hotel with you?"
asked the mayor humbly.
Il prefer TO go alone" she replied
in tone Of finality, starting up the
path.
Miss Vining!"
1t was the mayor calling from the
dock.
She stopped.
What is it. Mr.. Bedight?" impa-