Barton County democrat., 1914-08-07

the furnishings.
Suddenly the fire fickered into life,
and the picture hanging over the fire
place caught her attention. 1t was OBJ
viously snapshot, enlarged but ex-
quisitely finished.
It was a picture Of woman, her
motherhood stamped distinctly on her
beautiful face. She sat before an open
fire, the freight radiating the laugh
ter In her eyes.
At her knee stood small boy, his
bright eyes revealing the love Of his
own little soul as he smiled respons-
O lively.
Suddenly she reused herself; she
had been dreaming. She was not pre-
pairing an answer for the man waiting
outside in the darkness. Denny
Brown had asked her to marry him
and she had promised her answer to-
night.
They had been running swiftly,
smoothly through the exhilarating air
q of the suburbs in Denny's car. Sud-
denly something had gone wrong It
had happened at the very moment
when she should have been answering
Denny.
He had brought her to this bunga-
low, asking permission for her to
wait there.
He had telephoned to a neighboring
o garage for man. They were now re-
pairing the machine. In q few mo-
ments he would return for her.
How strongly at this moment all
Denny could give her appealed to her!
She was so tired-so nervously tired
of her own life.
But the other man! Somehow Denny
had guessed that the other man had
been something to her. For tonight
he had told her, quietly, that the other
man had failed again. Unconsciously,
she had been waiting for "the other
man" to win success.
A mans step sounded on the veran-
da-Denny had come for her and her
answer was not ready. She heard the
click Of the telephone receiver in the
hall. A mans voice-not Denny's-
called Woodstock, N H., on the long
distance.
Q 1t was Phil Berkley-the other man!
She was waiting in his bungalow-to-
night of all nights, but she had to
listen.
Hello. that you Mater?"
49,"
"Oh, T'm-Pm all right.
60"
"Yes-a bit blue tonight, how did
you know"
80
81 hate to tell you, mamsy; but it's
another failure"
g."
mo, I'm going to try again. Third
times trying, you know"
49,"
You're so comforting, Mamsy, yes
I'll succeed-some day"
g."
II wouldn't care so much if It
weren't for you and-that little girl"
g."
"Yes, she's waiting for me-"
g."
"Yes, there's Just the understanding
between US. Yet trust her to wait.
Sometimes / think l must have
dreamed 1t all"
g."
Goodnight, dearest"
49,"
In a moment the man would ring
on. She must either hide or run. By
the light of the fame she saw a door
leading from the room to the We
9. randa.
Rising quickly, she stepped softly
across the room and out onto the We
randa.
e Stumbling over the low steps, she
ran breathlessly across the damp lawn
etoward the lights shining dimly in
the road.
Pausing within the shelter Of the
shrubbery, she called softly, Den
N.Y."
The man left the machine and came
quickly to the lawn.
Denny, won't you take me home
now2 Send the man with the car to
the garage. want to go now."
"What?" he asked perplexedly.
"Tired of waiting, Beth? 1t won't be
more than twenty minutes. It's too
far to walk. There's no other way but
the trolley, and that's so crowded"
yes, yes; that's what / want" she
interrupted; the trolley-the crowds
the lights"
"But, Beth, We want to be alone to-
night, dear; just you and I-your an
swer-you promised me your answer
tonight"
'Hush, Denny! l ought to have
told you. / can't marry you. I'm
waiting for the other man. I've prom
ised. No; it's not an engagement
Therss-there's e's-iust an understand