River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-02-13

trusts new power of which Bivens
was the symbol-Bivens with his deli
| cate careful little hand, his bullying
forehead, his dark keen eyes. What
chance had his old friend Woodman
| against such forces?
That Bivens should fall hopelessly
and blindly in love with Nan at first
sight was too Supplying to be grasped
at once. She couldn't love such a
man-and yet his millions and that
slippery mother were a sinister COM
bination.
] By evening he had thrown off his
| depression and met Nan with some
| thing of his old gayety, to which she
responded with touch Of coquetry.
"Tell me, JIM" she began with a
smile of mischief in her eyes, why
you called at the remarkable hour of
| II noon today? Am l becoming so
resistless that work no longer has any
charms? You must have something
very important to say?
Eyes. | have, Man," he answered
soberly, taking her hand. II want
| public announcement of our engage
ment In tomorrow mornings papers"
'But why? You know the one con-
cession, the only one have ever made
to my mothers hostility to you, is
that our engagement shall be kept Sc
ere until we are ready to marry. We
must play fair
81 will We are ready now"
Mans voice broke into ripple of
laughter.
"Oh, are we? l didn't know it."
.Yes, that's what / came to tell
you Stuart went on, catching her
spirit of fun and pressing her hand.
1--WE arranged a little trip to the coun-
try tomorrow, and I'm going to con-
vince you before we return. Make
! the announcement tonight, dear! On
my honor | promise to convince you
tomorrow that we are ready. I've an
argument that never fails-an argu-
ment no woman can resist"
"Not tonight, Jim was the laughing
reply
Cant you trust me when l tell you
that I've discovered something today
that makes it necessary? / have seen
Mr.. Bivens."
Nan leaped to her feet, her face
| flushed, her voice ringing with tri-
umph.
"And you did what asked you. Oh,
you're darling! Why did you tease
me so last night? You accepted his
Offer?"
I'm sorry to disappoint you, dear,
but l did not"
The girl dropped into her seat, with
a sigh. while he went on:
"Bivens further confided in me the
fact that he is hopelessly and desper-
ately in love with YOU"
A flash of anger mantled Mans
cheeks.
"That will do, JIM" she said in quiet
| cold tones your joke has gone far
enough"
"Joke! Do you think could joke on
such a subjectY'
A smile began to play about the cor
ners of the full lips.
81 never dreamed he was so easy"
Still smiling dreamily Nan crossed her
hands over her knees and studied the
| pattern in the rug, ignoring the pres
ence of her lover.
Lets not joke. Nan. It's too seri-
GUS"
'Serious fail to see it."
Cant you see that we must at once
announce our engagement"
The girls lips curled with the faint
est suggestion Of sarcasm.
81 don't see it at all. You may be a
good lawyer, but l fail to follow your
logic"
Stuart rose, with a gesture of anger.
| "Come to the point, Nan. Let's not
| beat the devil around the stump any
longer You know as we'll as do that
| you've been trying to flirt with this lit
tie insect You know in your heart of
hearts you despise Bivens."
ION the contrary, | vastly admire
him. The man who can enter with his
handicap this big. heartless city and
successfully smash the giants who op-
| pose him is not an insect. I'd rather
call him hero All women admire
success
Its disgustingY'
Nan fixed her dark eyes on Stuart.
"How dare you use such a word to
me?"
Because it's true, and you know it. !"
True or false, you can't say it"-she
rose deliberately-"yo may go now"
Forgive me, DEAR" Stuart STAN
mered in a queer, muf1ed voice. 81
didn't mean to hurt you. l was mad
with jealousy"
"You may co. was the hard, even
answer.
pleaded. "You must forgive me-you
must! Look at mel"
She turned slowly, stared him full in
the face for a moment without the
culver of an eyelid, her fine figure
tense, erect, cold, as she quietly said:
You are firing me. jim"
For the first time he saw a cold
blooded calculation behind her beauti-
full eyes and felt it in the smile which
showed the white teeth-the smile OF
woman who would pause at nothing to
get what she wanted.
A blush of shame tinged his face as
he tremblingly said:
please. dear, let's not part like this!
I've suffered enough today. You're only
teasing me. And I've acted like fool.
Say that you forgive mer'
i "Our enga cement is at an end Mr..