Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-09-19

l can see-and so, of course, you can't
! recognize them as real in others. You
may be an artist on canvas,-but you
are not an artist Of life, and that is
far more Important I suppose you
will go on leading your ordered exist
ence forever i shall stifie if / have
to share it, And / thought you were
a romantic figure. Why, you work as
regularly as any business man. and
as hardi"
"A curious complaint" said he, the
half-smile dying upon his lips. You
know little, dear, of life, or you would
not talk like this. Control is the pass
word to success. 1t is a bitter fact,
perhaps, but one we all have to learn"
THAT is a theory which 1 do not
intend to live by" she said rather
breathlessly.
How am 1 to take that?' said the
man.
las you see fit," she replied 81
mean to live by expression. l used
to think that you did so. You have
changed"
For your sakel" he expostulated.
suddenly angry. IF / have whipped
myself into some semblance of hu-
man being, it has been-I was going
to say, for you: but it is more than
that. 1t has been for the works own
sake. And now you are ready to repu-
date me because of that very accom-
plishment You are unfair, unreason-
able"
ooh, don't be so logical. or 1 shall
go madI" she cried. 81 hate your rea-
sonablenessl'
Very well, them" said he. trying to
smile, I'll be unreasonable"
And don't be facetious! Oh, go
away, can't endure you'll"
Look here, Iris" he said hoarsely,
I'm not Joking. God forbid! This
is getting too serious. Am 1 really to
go?"
"Or let your spirit out of its cage"
she said.
For the third time Hill committed
his greatest mistake.
You are a foolish child" he said
angrily. Very well. then. I'll go. But
1 warn you, if you send me off. I'll not
come back"
For a moment he waited, hoping
that she would speak. but she said
nothing. merely standing there and
trembling a little, though white and
and silent. Suddenly Hill turned on
his heel.
"Confound all womeni" he NUT
tered, and without a single backward
glance flung himself out of the room
in a fury.
For a moment or two longer she
stood motionless, and then throwing
her arms out wildly, she cried his
name aloud.
"Oh. Sami" she called, come back
please come back!"
Running out into the upper hall. she
arrived at the stair-head just in time
to hear the front door close after him,
and was instantly obliged to fee the
mildly inquiring gaze of a footman,
who came in to remove the tea tray.
When he was gone, however, she cast
herself face downward among the gray
cushions Of the sofa and cried bitterly,
cold horror clutching at her heart
as she slowly came to see the reality
of what she had done
For Hill had spoken the truth when
he implied that she was merely child
bored with luxurious surroundings and
striving after she knew not what. Her
father adored her, and gave her abb
solute liberty. The people whom she
knew by Inheritance meant little to
her; she found them retrospective,
self-absorbed. and amateurs at the arts
they affected, many of them simply
hangers-on of her beauty-lovins father,
who with the years had become less
| the man of affairs and more the man
of letters and patron of the arts. AS
| she grew up her discomfort increased,
until finally, within the last two years,
she had stumbled upon a group of
people with whom brains meant aris-
| tocracy. Here she had met Hill, and
after about year he had persuaded
| her to become engaged to him. She
had consented on condition that 1T
remain a secret for the time being
/ There had been no reason for conceal
ment but the girls innate love of ro-
nance and mystifcation- And so no
one had been told OF the engagement,
! although 1t was a well-known and
| widely discussed subject among their
| friends.
And it was all overi Well. possibly
it was for the best
| She buried her face deeper in the
esthetic gray cushions. Her soul must
have expression! It must,
Desperately unhappy, but not with
out a certain enjoyment OF. her own
misery, she arose with the determine
ton to find her father, and extract
what comfort she could from him,
without telling him her trouble. Per
haps he was in his library now. She
would go and see. Slowly she de-
scended the wide stairs. At the street
entrance stood her father. evidently