Las Vegas optic., 1914-07-24
By
LOUIS D.
LANCE

The finest schools. the most exclusive
surroundings. the most expensive
clothes-money without stint. music.
art. travel. literature. bright compan-
ions. all we're hers.
And ever was instilled into her ear
that she was growing up to be the
bride of the great and rich Mr.. Will
He saw her but seldom. and always
at his best He lavished nice things
upon her. He surrounded her with
clever people, who sung his praises
and filed her with wonder that 80 rare
web of fate should have been spun
by the gods for any girl.
Finally after school days were over
and the trip abroad had been made.
she was brought to him like a ripe
peach for the eating. And never had
he seen so tempting sight. His cup
OF happiness was overhowing. He was
now forty. sturdy. rugged and In the
very prime of his physical and men
tai manhood.
He had been very careful that Anita
, had met no other men. That had been
the one relentless and uncompromis-
Ing rule OF her educational days. Now
he proposed to clinch matters before
any untoward incident could occur.
, He had his little talk with her, and
she acquiesced to his program with
slight blush on her perfect olive cheek,
but with no strong tumult In her
breast. She had known all about II
| for years. She was not at all opposed
| to the program. In fact, she liked
It immensely. But there was no pas
sion in the equation-on her part.
First and foremost there was to
be a great betrothal reception, at
which Anita was 10 be presented to
, society as the future Mrs. William
Beattie The wedding was to follow
almost Immediately. Beattie proposed
to take no chances.
But fate has strange and unaccount'
able freaks. There drifted into that
betrothal reception one Richard LON
bard. a young mining engineer, only
two years out of college, and those
two years spent in hard work In Mex
leo. A great, towering, splendid fel-
low was Lombard, with the birth and
breeding of a gentleman. and mag
netic presence-possesse of that
something which attracts women ev-
erywhere His two years of outdoor
life had bronzed his skin and given
him that touch of magnificent mascu-
Unity which nothing but the hand-to-
hand conflict with nature can give.
The moment his blue eyes met the
black orbs of Anita both knew that
something was happening within
them. There was opportunity for but
few words, but the eyes spoke the
only language worth listening to, and
| when late in the evening Lombard
came and offered his arm "for a breath
of fresh air on the veranda," she tool
1t as a matter of course, her hear
| humping so hard as to make he
afraid 1t would be heard.
What happened on the veranda, OF
on the moon-lit lawn, nobody knows
Only this Is known; On the following
morning William Beattie found note
on his breakfast table. 1t read;
"Mr Beattie: ! thank you for all
your kindness and your devotion, but
/ have a life to live as well as you.
When you receive this will be the
wife of Richard Lombard and 500
miles away. l would rather be his
wife for one day and live in a tent
with him, than to be mistress of your
mansion and your millions for hun
dred years. Girls may be won, but
not bought Forgive and forget me
Anita"
| Copyright. 1914. by Daily Story Pub CO..