The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-01-24
By George Barr M'Cutcheon
Copyright 1910 BY Dodd. Mead 4 Coz


tion-far back In the crowd. | wanted
to see, you in that way first. Your
mother and / met there. She did not
tell you. She asked me to come to-
night. but she was careful to give me
no hope. You will never know the
doubts and fears that have beset me
all this long evening. And then you
came In. l was dazed. was all
a-tremble. And then to find that-that
/ had had all my fears for nothing,
Why-why, / could have died for joy.
When you kissed me, Christine, II
1T was as If night had turned to day
in"
I have gone on loving you, David.
from the beginning. There never has
been a moment in which ] have ceased
to do so. All, you had nothing to fear
But |! Oh, my dear one, I was "
free from dopbt-never quite certain.
You were SO far above me that L"
Don't say that"
That | was sure you would not take
Our-our love dream seriously. When
o came to be a man, with all that
manhood mean to you, | felt some
how that you would forget the little
circus girl Who"
He kissed her.
Your mother was telephOning me
today to come" he said after a time.
Did o know that she intended to
do so?"
No. ] only know that she would do
ft-soon. She had promised-both of
us. you know
Have you never asked her to send
me a ~message?"
Never. How could I? would lot
have held you to the compact. nor
would she"
And have you not told her that you
cared for me all these years. Didn't
she know"
Listen. David" she said h~eriously.
My mother has never spoken Of our
compact. She did nothing to influence
me. She was content to let time take
Its course-and nature, too. All. how
wise n Is! But all this time | have
been conscious of a strange feeling
that she was making me over anew
with but one object in view. She
wanted me to be all that we could ex-
pect. demand. exact, IL you we're to
come some day TOTO look me over,
70 see II | was-was worth the effort.
We Won't speak of my father. don't
like to think OF him, David, as we used
TO know him. you and /. There was
q time when he was different-and |
loved him. But that was long before.
Fl think he has gone out of my life
alto gether."
David realized then and there that
n should no be kept in the dark re-
garding bar father, whereabouts and
designs. She was sensible, she was
made o. strong fiber. She could face
the conditions. no matter what they
proved to be. The thought was re-
s4onsible for the remark that follow.
~. i must a a word or two
With Mrs. Braddcck before | leave to-
flght."
: "A word concerning-you and M? ..
ne asked.
Yes"
David" she sejd, II trust you.
~ - cIdESu anu true, Hut
adar, are you considering we'll? Are
o sure that you will rever regret
t0s? ] was a rider. My father was a
10er. Oh, o are going to say that
NY mother was different. But what
EaS that to do with it? What does II
matter that she has brought me here. to
tsis home OF plenty and Of respectable
~ aAd-well. let vs say it, of position.
am Che granddaughter OF Albert PORT.
Nan. That may stand for sometime
-ayet. 1t does stand for a great deal.
Eut d. not forget. David, dear, that I
TN thu daughter CT Tom Braddock. I
sm thu granddaust:ter OF old Stephan
fraddo*k. who war a-a-"
"DoE* say it. dCfrest! Why should
y1u be saying all this to me? You. IN
Angel among"
Il must. David. she went on resp
otety. Your friends. your people. viii
welcome me gladly as the grand.
laughter Of Alber.: Portman. but will
they take me-. can they accept me. az
the granddaughter of Stephen Brad
Aock? As the product of a fashionable
tney may S1JO1ce in me, but as
tae pupil of the saHdust ring-as Lit
tie Starbright, a thing Of s~pangles!
Hhi How abouE that side Of me?
WHO were my cEf%1hood friends and
essociates? DonH misjudge me.
is~sd them ALL 1--we them now. They
vese the best fri~sds and the truest.
Hat could they err be the friends OF
ysny friends?'
Dearest. | want you to be my wife.
xcu are not preserving new conditions
- lEe. sweetheart. They are old ones.
I do n intend that either OF us shall
rail under false c-5ors. When you 70
- Jenison hall - my wife, It shall
a1sO be as the daughter Of Thomas
the Snowman"
But. David. he may have fallen so
lpW-he may have sunk to the very
lowest-oh. o must understand. We
have heard nothing from him. We
don't know where he is. nor what his
life has been"
ssY rrh NJ mo ~ ~3o<now - ..,s