Las Vegas optic., 1913-08-19

turned MS QT6hIub lHlO ACTUAL pidhp
he would return and humbly ask her to
be his wife.
1T was not until he actually de-
scended from the train at the obscure
little Georgia village that the futility
of his dreams suddenly dawned upon
him. He had heard nothing from her
during ten years. It might be that his
money had never reached her; it
might be that she was already mar
ried. A thousand chances might have
intervened. And she was twenty-six
and he man of forty. He was bent
on the widest and most quixotic er-
rand that had ever befallen a man.
Another thing, too. came to his
mind He had educated her in Paris
and at the best college in the state.
But he himself was crude and ig-
norant man; he had even retrograded
in knowledge and manners, living in
his western town. How could he ask
her to link her life with his?
"And by the time when he saw the
peach orchard looming up in front of
him all his resolutions had shrunk to
this: that he would ask for drink Of
water and inquire after her, learn how
she was and what life had brought her,
and go his way again.
when he heard the harsh voice Of
the mother at the door, he told me af-
terward," continued the evangelist,
''he was conscious of an absurd desire
to run away, just as when he had pass.
ed by the house, a tramp, ten years
before. Bdt The woman, seeing that
he was dressed like man Of means,
invited him in to rest, and she gos-
siped readily about her circumstances.
and was loud in complaint Of her hus-
band. He had acquired a good deal
Of money, she told my friend, and had
squandered it all in speculation. Ten
years before he had been on the verge
Of bankruptcy, and though things had
frightened he was still in the same po
sition. She wished that they could
sell out and move into city-but it
was hard to find purchasers for peach
orchard land in that section Of the
state.
"'How much do you want to sell
for? he inquired.
"The woman hesitated. -Four thou
sand she said at last.
"He had twice that sum. With the
farm he could live among the mem.
ories that had controlled his life; he
wanted nothing better, I will buy it
at that figure, he answered. All this
time he had not found the heart to ask
about the womans daughter, but now
she voluntarily spoke to her.
"'There's one trouble I've got she
grumbled and that's Bessie. She de
clares she won't go to city She
hates city life and says If go she's
going to hire out somewhere.
Hire out2 stammered the visitor
ayes grumbled the woman. She
amt bad girl, but somehow she new
er quite saw her duty toward her ia
ther and me after Jim refused to give
her an education. She wanted to &c
to high school, and Jim hadn't the
money
AT that moment the farmer stamp
ed into the room casting a suspicious
look at the visitor The woman in.
troduced him. This gentleman talks
,of buying the farm she announced.
"The farmers vlsage cleared. May
be you'd like to come and talk it over
outside he said, and my friend fol.
lowed him. He followed him down to
the peach trees and then he turned
about and put his hand on his shoul
der. A wild uncomfortable rage was
seething in his heart. This man had
defrauded two lives, his daughters
and his own He had sQuandered the
money with which the man had hoped
to redeem this young life from ig
norance and servitude; ten years oi
work had gone for nothing, flung
away in foolish speculation or extrav
agance, Of which even his wife was
ignorant
The habits of ten years fell away
from him, and the old devil came
back Ee would murder him as sure
ly as he himself must die for it.
"The farmer, looking into his face
and seeing the wild passion there, ant
being a coward like every thief, trem
bled. He looked right and left fol
some escape, and the strangers clutch
was like steel upon his shoulders.
"And then, coming through tn,
trees, my friend saw the peach-blos
som girl, and his hand fell from the
mans shoulder and the old sense o.
peace came back to him. Except fol
a certain maturity of face and figure
she was the same as when she wa!
sixteen, and the same serene limo
cence looked out Of her eyes, and sht
wore her tattered dress as. a queer
might wear her robes. And In he
arms she carried branches of peach
blossomy boughs."
well" said the psychologist. Il cal
guess the rest They were Marie
and settled down on the farm an
spent life Of idyIlic happiness"
That's obvious" answered the eyar
. geIist sBut now that Won have tn