Yellowstone monitor., 1913-05-01

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~ course. 7 wanted dad to come along
but he said no. his interest in politics
was practical, not sentimental, and he
preferred to take his vaudeville
straight. He was in quite a bad
hun1nr because wanted to come. But
i am here
81 wish YOU hadn't come" he said
still in daze.
"That's kind, I'm sure" She tossed
her head (: burlesque hauteur. I'm
stead. you might offer to drive home
with me. Williams can stay here and
drive back when you return"
He shook his head. I'D better not, y
he muttered He still wanted to get
away by himself to think.
"Plcaser She leaned forward and
urged him softly. ITS our last chance
for good chat. We 60 away tOmor-
row morning"
He tried honestly 20 resist. feeling
instnctively she spelled danger and
that every hour with her added to the
danger. But he made the mistake Of
looking at her. Always she was re-
yealing some new charm for him and,
DESPITE his inner warning, now, bred in
him a sort Of recklessness. He called
himself a weakling, a fool that played
with fire And, so styling himself, he
sssented. Soon they had left the town
behind them and were bowling along
the moonlt road.
John, letting the rally and the prob
lem II presented drift into the back
ground. gave himself up to reckless
enjoyment of the hour. The white
splendor Of the moon, undimmed by
smoky torches, the silent majesty OF
the hills with their shadows and silvery
sheen. alone were real. The crowd OF
faces peering intently at him through
the half gloom. the struggle within
him as he stood before them, his ironic
rejection OF the part assigned him.
seemed unreal, creatures of fantastic
dream. And the girl beside him, like
him smitten into silence, was real. very
real.
"It seems" she said, that / must
always take the aggressive. But then
you never hunt me out-so what can
do? ! suppose most people would
call me unwomanly. Do you think me
that?"
Il do not" he answered unsteadily
"You can't expect the beneficiary to be
critical"
"Do you mean that. I wonder? Or
IS 1t only your nice way Of letting me
down easily? But I am not conferring,
I am seeking "A friendship-snch
as ours-means a great deal to me-"
Her voice dwindled away into silence.
He was hard put to it to keep tight
grip on himself, to fight down the long
ing surging within him. Insistently he
tried to think Of her as she was, an
uniformed woman Of essential selfish
ness, Of generous caprices. He had not
yet found the solution to the problem
presented to him by his campaign, but
he felt blindly that it was leading him
into paths whittier she would not fol-
low. into which he, if he yielded 20 his
longing, would not-could not-go
alone. He had sometimes thought ne
felt in her that which would carry her
y great heights; yet he knew she was
now of the earth, earthly. She was
creature of luxury. He thought of his
last years income and laughed un-
Pleasantly
Why this sudden hilarity?' she de.
manded.
It's joke I've just thought of-you
wouldn't appreciate it."
Was it," she pressed him-"was It
about your speech tonight?"
Indirectly, l suppose" he replied.
VIII you tell me about that? 1t was
the reason-one reason-why l wanted
you to come home with me- I'm OF
TWO minds about it. OF course, didn't
understand what it was all about. ex-
cept that you were expected to say far
more and something different. Any
one could see that the men on the
platform were angry. But one had the
feellng that somehow you were finding
and asserting yourself-doing some
thing rather splendid. know it made
Aunt Roberta begin to snuffle-she said
IL was cold in her head. heard one
nan near us-a big. hulking farmer
say, BY Joshua! ! always thought
mere was considerable of man under
mat white skin Of Johnny Dun
meade's.' He didn't mean to be funny,
think. Another, different sort of
man, laughed and said, Now that's
'he cleverest move yet. It's grand
stand play, but it'll make him Il he's
ois enough to follow It up. It'll get
MIN following"
She looked up at him inquiringly.
lie saw again the eager interest 10 her
eyes.
1t was neither splendid nor crafty
~ said erimly. Il was expected 70