Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-10-16
THE CON0UERORs
BY JEAN DOUGLAS.

Never had the distance between
the ranch and the schoolhouse seemed
so great. SO thought Alicia Merrel
as she wiped the beads of perspira-
ton from her brow and turned
the brim of her hat down to ward
off the dazzling glare of the sun. She
spoke gently to the bronco, who re-
sponded with a quickened pace, and
before long the low, unprepossessing
building hove into sight. A few more
minutes and she halted at the door
and, leading the bronco to the shed
in the rear Of the building, she
brushed the fine alkali dust from
her dress of brown linen and removed
/ the broad-brimmed hat, disclosing
wealth of rust-brown hair. Alicia
was not pretty, and the casual OBJ
server would fail to discover the al
Turing charm dwelling in the depths
Of her violet eyes, but having once
discovered it he would strive TO win
her favor as did all the inhabitants
of Centertown. This was her second
year as teacher of the summer term,
and the children, as well as their eld-
ers, dreaded the time when she would
return east to continue her work as
instructor at well-known college.
She unlocked the door, sat down at
her desk and mechanically arranged
the books and papers. Then she be-
gan correcting the examination pa
pers, and became SO absorbed that the
entrance of tall, bronzed man was
unnoticed. He stood silently, with
head uncovered and eyes riveted on
her face, his countenance radiating
devotion which few beings are cap
able of.
She sighed and murmured, softly,
Gust one more week. How quickly
the summer has passed"
The man walked toward her, say
ing: 81 have been thinking the same
thing with a little more added to it.
Just couldn't help dropping in on my
way to the ranch, as l knew you'd be |
here early. l suppose it's no use to
ask you again, not to go back east
for | haven't much besides love to Of
fer you"
''Please, please do not talk like
that; and you promised me only last
night that you would not discuss the
subject again.
81 am truly grateful, David, for
the honor you have given me, but
you must know that anything more
than a good friendship between us
is impossible. 1t is all very well for
me to come out here each summer
and find it enjoyable, but think of
the long winter months that 1 would
have to spend housed in a log cabin,
away from all my friends, and the
advantages an eastern city affords. /
admire you immensely, but l do not
love you enough to make this sacri-
flee possible. Once more, l beg of
you, do not refer to this subject !
again, or l shall avoid you the re-
mainder of my stay here"
A cloud passed over the mans
face, robbing it of its natural fine
ness of expression, and the lines
about his mouth grew drawn and |
hard.
"I'll not mention it again." he said |
huskily, and without further CONVEX
sation passed out of the schoolhouse
and down the road
Alicia drew a sigh of relief as his |
form disappeared from her view.
"Poor fellow, too bad he did not like |
some other girl, he has so many good |
qualities, but / could never stand
him two minutes" AID she shuddered |
at the thought.
David Hoyt was a wonderful ex-
ample of healthy, clean young man
hood; he lacked but one attribute
which the social world deems neces-
sary TO a gentleman, the culture and
polish acquired through constant as
ISOLATION with well-bred people, He
: was a product of nature, with a heart
of gold, and the soul of a poet; but
the girl, reared in the atmosphere of
staid New England home, demand
ed those qualities of which David
knew nothing.
| n, tbo ovonino, v,rovio,,s 10 -. l.