The Red Cloud chief., 1913-05-01


Can | have Miss Mason instead?'
Stanley stared and then laughed
Miss Mason?" His look made the
young man angry, BOY, 1t YOU must
choose someone who Is class SHE
| isn't quality. Miss Fettcrlng, joking
aside. must take these letters. They
are important and she has long head
and n short tongue" Fettering
! thought he knew something about her
tongue What ails. you. Mcfarland
Your face is black"
You are mistaken" Mcfarland said
coldly. ANY stenographer will do. 1t
was simply that Miss lettering dis.
likes me extremely. and"
The older man laughed amusedly. In
credulously.
Clever girl" he commented while
McFarlands wrath mounted high.
Clever girl and sweet, but dislikes
and business don't go together. She
can take her evenings to hate you In.
Now about those letters?" lie went
out with some details of instruction
on his lips.
Miss lettering" he said, passing
her, please so directly to my oiiice
and take some dictation from McFar'
land. Get them out. II you can, today
so | can sign them In the morning
They are important" he added conf.
dentially.
Without word the girl took her
book and marched In to face McFar'
land. Her eye met his coolly. and she
sat down and poised her pen waiting
for him to begin. Something about
her maddened and embarrassed him,
he set his teeth with desire to shake
her. make her cry. lie would have
liked to see her cry. With wish to
be cruel he began dictation at n speed
that would have swamped less rapid
stenographer
He kept her good two hours OF
hard labor. reading back. erasing. al.
tering, till his letters suited him. FL
nally he was SO cross that he begged
pardon and received cool little bow.
But he had the satisfaction OF seeing
her grow pale. aud watching a line
deepen between her level brows. He
noted the fine symmetry of her cheek
ohu Nbih, ShC hSo'y 'hS es'hA
elegant figure. She. at any rate, was
certainly class" And ha noted bit.
terly that when he was through her
exit had the air of a triumphal es
cape. She always got the best OF him.
He was going to call her back and be-
rate her as she had him. but he didn't
she wouldn't care. In that moment
he knew that he wanted her to care
His misery was conscious.
No torture lasts always. 1t fades,
or dies, or changes into another form
or into bliss and peace. The end
of things came suddenly as they had
begun. One late Sunday morning In
April when the sun was hot after a
quick rain, and the buds were burst
ing green, Mcfarland flung into car
and betOok himself to the ends of the
earth in an effort to get away from
himself. A strange heat and weak.
ness was upon him. He kept think
ing that presently his senses would
return, that he would free himself
from this obsession about girl who
despised him. Now he proposed TO
walk it off in the solitude of little
wood where a small stream purred its
way among stones.
There was scant shade as yet, but
birds thrilled about, and the willows
leaned over the brook wrapped in a
tender green mist as delicate as
smoke. 1t seemed strange to McFar
land that no one else haC cared to
come to so pretty place. What II
he had asked her to come with him!
The daring thought overwhelmed him
Why not have done SO? She might
have come. Even kindness from her
would have helped his self.respect.
She needn't love him hut she might
have been kind. He longed for kind
ness from her.
Just there Jerry Mcfarland met his
adventure, Coming sharply around q
high little hill and some great trees
he walked almost into TALL white
clad young girl leaning her dark head
on her arm against a gray trunk She
started In terror.
"Oh. beg your pardon!" he cried,
and stood looking down at Mary Fet.
terling Tears rolled down her :iear
cheeks. and her hands hung helpless
ly at her side. She made no effort to
hide the tears, or to fee. or to send
him away. A great wave Of rose-color
swept her face and neck, but some
how she could not take her gaze from
his eyes and what she read there.
Then he did the most foolish, sweet
est thing that he could have done.
He took her two willing hands In
his, and bent his head over them.
"Oh. Mary! oh. Mary" he breathed
"Oh Mary! II you could only--care"
She gave a queer little sob of sound
In her throat.
III could-only-help caring" she
said.
Mary" he said again.
Yes" she answered. "Yes--yes!"
The tone Of her voice satisfied even
| S,,ax