Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-01-15

III JCoCL1S, III S0rlOuS enough. In1S:
company ferrets out adventures and
romances and sells them to men of
spirit. | became member. and the
trip to Bagdad is the result. One new
er has to share with the company. The
rewards are all yours. All one has to
do is to pay lump sum down for the
adventure furnished. You work out
the end yourself, unhinderee and I'M
assisted"
Are you really serious?"
Never more so. Now, Percival Al.
gernon has always been wanting an
adventure, but the practical side Of
him has made him hold aloof l told
him about this concern, and he refuses
to believe in 1t. So | am going to un-
dertake to prove it to him. This is
confidential. You will say nothing, /
know"
"He will come to no harm physical
ly?"
lord, no! 1t will be mild and in
nocuous. Of course, if any one told
him that an adventure was toward
for his especial benefit, it would spoil
all. / can rely upon your silence?"
She was silent He witnessed her
indecision with distrust. Perhaps he
! had said too much.
Wont you promise? Haven't I al
ways been kind to you, Fortune, times
when you most needed kindness?"
Il promise to say nothing. But if
any harm comes to that young man,
either in jest or in earnest, l will
never speak to you again"
Il see that, after getting Percival
Algernon into an adventure, I've got
TO cicerone him safely out of it. Well.
l accept the responsibility" Some
days later he was going to recall this
assurance.
Sometimes l wonder ;" pen
sively.
Wonder about what?"
What manner Of man you are
Il should have been a great deal
better man had met you ten years
ago."
What? When I was eleven?" with
| levity intended to steer him away
. from this channel.
You know what l mean," he an
swered, moody and detected.
She opened her purse and dropped
the pendant into it, but did not speak
"Ten years ago." abstractedly.
''What a lot of things may happen in
ten years! Deaths, births, marriages"
he went on; 'the snuf1ng out of king
doms and republics; wars, panics,
famine; honor to some and dishonor
to others It kind OF makes a fellow
grind his teeth, little girl; it kind OF
makes him shut his fists and long to
run amuck."
''Why should a strong, intelligent
man, such as you are, think like that?
You are resourceful and unafraid
Why should you talk like that? You
are young, too. Why?"
He stopped and looked full into her
eyes. DO you really wish to know?'
Had I better?" with a wisdom be-
yond her years.
mo, you had better not. I'm not a
good man, Fortune, as criterions go.
I've slipped here and there; I've gam
bled and drunk and squandered my
time. Why, in my youth l was as
model boy as ever was Perciyal.
Where the divarication took place
can't say. There's always two forks
in the road, Fortune, and many of us
take the wrong one. It's easier going.
Fine excuse; EN-? Some persons would
call me scoundrel, a black-leg; in
some ways, yes. But in the days to
come | want you always to remember
the two untarnished spots upon my
shield Of honor: / have never cheat
ed man at cards nor run away with
his wife. The devil must give me
these merits, however painful it may
be to him. Ten years ago, only
decade; good Lord! it's like a hun
dred years ago, sometimes
Fortune breathed with difficulty.
Never before had he taken her into
his confidence to such extent. She
essayed to speak; the old terror
seemed fairly to smother her. 1t was
nor what he had told her, but what
she wished to but dared not ask She
was like Bluebeard's wife, only she
had not the moral courage to open the
door Of the grisly closet. Her
liz IllS1s mel ullCIS5 WudI Ol Iu0ul, dI,
what of them? The crooked street
vanished; the roar dwindled away,
she was alone, ali, all alone.
II suppose / ought not to have told
you," he said troubled at the misery
he saw gathered in her eyes and
vaguely conscious Of what had written
1t there. Your mother and uncle
have been very kind to me. They
know less Of me than you do. I have
been to them a kind Of errar 1-b0y; a
haDpy-go-lucky fellow, who cheered
them when they had the doldrums.
With forced cheerfulness he again
took her hand and snuggled it under
his arm, giving it a friendly reassur-
ing pat. I'll not speak to you Of
love, child, but hair of your head
f, is more precious to me than ali Midas
gold. Whenever I've thought Of you.
I've tried to be good. Honest3.v.o