The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-11-13

caught US over there / want to apol-
os.ze for my part in It, though It
vast. 3 speaking part"
"All right" Gerk lighted his cigar
You've done your duty"
But this Is little murs fhzn duty.
+" Baker hesitated- "Oh, xsag it
all. Some things becons 80 pa1n1z5
only plain speech serves. Era- don't
need to be told Of the stories eG.ag
around. Lately it's occurred to me
that you've been letting us take them
at face, without trying to contradict
them. That's the thing I'd do myself
III ! were in the right. But It can be
carried to extremes. Have your per
mission to say that the stories are
let Va say. oyerdrawn?"
You have not. LAfe's too short 10
enter into a contest with rumor."
But your silence"
is my affair" Mark answered gruT-
ly. rising 'You may say TO your
meticulous friend that I'm about to
resign from this club"
Baker, too. rose. looking at Mark
keenly.
~oh. come. Truitt." he began.
that's"
| But Mark cut him short. AT least
It viii save him and his sort the ne
cessity OF setting a precedent that
| would decimate the club. Good eve
ming"
Henley, who had been out Of the
city when Mark returned, came back
soon after the latter took up his resi-
dence in the hotel Mark approached
him with the inward shrinking that
preceded every new meeting just then
You've picked up physically, Hen
ley remarked after cool handshake-
six months In the woods accounts
for that
I'D think. If it was doing you so
much good. you'd have stayed"
In other words?"
In other words said Henley. why
did you come back now?"
Mark laughed holloway. Il didn't
know I'd become notorious char
acter."
How, in heavens name" Henley
exclaimed. did you let yourself get
caught in divorce court scandal? I'd
have thought that you, OF all men.
IL you had to play the fool, would at
least have used finesses
So even Henley believed the rumorsi
AT any rate. no one but myself Is
hurt
That's not true Every one who
had anything to do with you is more
or less hurt The company is reflected
on. l." Henley concluded with an air
that declared the indictment to be
complete and unanswerable, 4 am be-
smirched, because we're known TO be
in so many things together"
That" Mark returned coldly, -can
be easily cured We can wind up our
affairs And I'm ready to resign from
the company"
You can't cure the fact that we
have been together And you can't
resign Are you going to add to the
scandal By marrying that voman?~
, What voman?" Marks voice was
cool and steady.
The one that turned your head and
] your wife was smart enough to dis
cover
You've heard names. them"
/ NO. growled Henley. She's as
/ mysterious as the rest Of your d.
! does
AS mythical, you mean" Mark an
: swered in q voice that did not betray
) his relief There was no woman"
} What. You mean these stories
i aren't true?''
You'd seen me almost every day for
! years You might have guessed that :"
: But last year-those women"
: An experiment In idiocy-nothins
: worse There were no women. except
: at arms length"
: Henley surveyed him keenly. Then
r how did these stories get out? But
you neednt answer. / can guess. A
2 woman is never clever except when
? she's up TO mischief
: However" he went on. this puts
= q different face on the matter. AS you
say, / might have guessed the truth :
; This. for Henley. was abiect apology.
: Mark shook his head Ny resigna-
ton holds Just the same"
Are you going TO LET little talk
{ drive you out?' Henley demanded.
b 1T isn't that / had decides before
r l knew OF it. I'm tired OF the scramble
vant-peacer Marx laughed dis
{ cordantly. And I'm getting it with .
e vengeance"
: AS much as youu ever get it,
:. Henley returned promptly Il know
a what you want Who doesn't? Some
+ time OF other every man wants. OF
thinks he wants, peace And 10 We
e had it, we'd want TO die. told you
b once before-things are. Accept them
a fit yourself TO them. forget theories
: that lead nowhere. Pick out the thing
; you want most and fight until you gel
T il. Then fight to keep it. Besides. you
d aren't misfit. The trouble with you
is, your strength is your greatest
5 weakness-you'v too much magma
) ton And you're not well man yet
= Go back TO your woods until you n
d cured Then youn feel the itch tc
a get into the scramble again and break