The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-04-25

he understood those motives perfectly
her reserve WAS thrown off at once
and it seemed to the visitor that he
was on the threshold Of one of The
most delight ful friendships of his Iife
Though he was not conscious of it,
he had really entered ON a love affair
He half smiled haf ShNdderrd. when
he thought OF the business arrange
ment by which he had inside y"' &c
Qunintance of Sigllerina Giruudola
What Il wretchrd business that had
been to- be sure. And now for the first
time. the status between him and 81
gnorina l.itn having changed from Stran-
gers to warm friends the fact that he
had declined To marry her she being
willing. seemed changed too Then he
/ regarded it Il matter OF business: now
he began to wonder how she could
have received his refusal without show
ing some piQue The fact that she had
not shown pque impressed him that
she might be indifferent to him This
troubled him.
The best way to discover her feelings
would be to assume sonnet hing of the
lover. dropping an equal amount of the
! friend. The next time he was with her
he tried to do so. but wnS surprised to
| find 1t difficult The fact that he had
declined to marry her rose us a barrier
between them. He said something low
er-like. and it came back to him like a
mocking echo
! N1,, ,t,rht hny l,It hi l,,4 .l,,
did not. Nor did she discourage or en-.
courage him She remained neutral
1 This led him to make another trial.
/ The result was the same. though he
was conscious that the fault WAS his.
! So tong rs he WAS Friendly he WAS in
/ his element: the moment the undert 0oE
to play the lover that refusal to marry
her came ur again between them. and
every time it did SO it seemed more in
surnlouniahlp. 1t w:iS no longer a
| hedge Il fence but Il stone wall reach
ing to the skies.
He WAS like Il ship at sea- now
rolling far down on one side. then ON
| the other. Signoriua iita was kind
friendly. lppreciative. but while he WAS
| lNNtIlS llItNIs VIZ VI 'VNP SUE TtlIlNIltu
the same. Yet there came II time when
she seemed to change Occasionally
when SHE met his gaze she would drop
her eyes This encouraged him. but No
sooner did he begin to act the part at
II lover than she drew back within
herself and left him to act his role
alone
But why try to follow the mad course
of Il man in love who has not vet won
the race! At times HnItrani would
wonder why ne had changed his views
concerning Si%norina lita from the
time he had declined to marry her
Then he would doubt IT he had changed
them. This craving for her was all
nonsense He would Danish it,
For how long! Sometimes for a few
| hours. sometimes Il few minutes Some.
times he would fam from his lnd,fler
ence into the depths of 'lpSpomdrncy
a man in tins condition Is apt 10 np-
| pear to be looking for The most foolish
thing h" can do and finding one foolish
beyond his tondeSt hopes. BHItrani.
when he discovered that he could NOT
propose rs Il lover concluded to be
Gin over a:sHin rs q matter Of business
He argued that he should place the
young lady in Il position where she
would have an opportunity to treat him
as he had treated her He went to his
broker and instructed him To 30 10 the
young Edy'S father ana make another
proposition for hrl hand
The broker refrHiilrd from comment
on such Il course, He went to Sgnur
Giranaola and made the proposition
The gentleman WAS surprised. but made
no comment except to remark, since
the parties had met. there would he
no need Of an introduction He would
confer with his Wife and return an an.
swer after having done so He said
nothing about his daughter. for 1t was
supposed that Il marriage for her was
i'm the hands Of her parents Never
thcless he knew fun we'll that Signori-
ma I.ita would decide the matter.
Luigi expected an answer within at
least a few days week passed. and
he received none Every day ne called
on his broker and ASKED him if he had
any word for him Every day the bro
kcr shrugged his shoulders and replied,
NO. Signor" At last Luigi could stand
the suspense no longer or thought he
couldn't. and begged the broker to 20
to Signor GirandoIn ana ask for il re
ply The broker did rs desired and re
turned with the answer that Signor
Baltranis proposition was still under
consideration.
The lover now began to suspect that
he WAS on the gridiron ana was being
'broilpd for the delrctHtiou of the lady
he loved Indeed. he had feared from
the first that he would meet with Il re
fuSal. but when one had not been re
turned in due time he had hoped NoW
all hope was gone, and he knew the
worst-no; the worst was not yet come
Every day the fever within him burn
ed fiercer. Every day he suffered more
intensely The only relief that might
come ia him WAS that ne WollII rp