The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-06-04
Helen Drops Her Handkerchief
Capital Short Story by Guy Courtenay Chapman Which
Readers viii Enjoy

long as he did not choose to speak she
was mpotent. Not for her to ask him
why!
"It's not farl" she told herself
fiercely. 1.-The woman's is always the
heavier lot. They could speak to me,
plead with me, set their fate to the
touch again, and yet again. drift help
less at his mercy"
Her eyes filled with tears, but she
held them back angrily, and when the
mist cleared from them grew conscious
that Adamant was at her side. He
asked no permission, but took her hand
as though it were his right and they
flew onward together. Usually Helen
talked, and he listened and smiled at
her gay fancies, her sparkling wit; but
today her heart was full and she kept
silence, and presently Adamant began
to speak.
His words fell cold upon her heart,
for he spoke Of Africa, and his COM
ing return to the district-twice as
large as England-over which he ruled
| in England s name. He spoke of the
wild grandeur, the sense of regal power,
and yet of being one man pitted against
all the forces of savagery and of Ma
ture. He told her, as he had not told
his audience at the Royal Geographical,
something of his hopes and ambitions
for the future. Splendid golden dreams
to the man who loved England more
than his very soul, arr Helen thrilled
to the glory of the vision.
Yet underneath all her wounded heart
throbbed painfully, and asked, "Why
tell all his to me If he win not let me
have share or lot in his lifeW And
when he had finished and waited for
her to speak, she said only:
"You are very eloquent today, Cap
tain Adamant!" in a naughty voice
that this man had never heard from her
Hips, though other men knew it well.
1t seemed to pass him by, for he Smiled
little and said:
"Don't you think it should make a
man eloquent to have { woman like you
listen to himl Don I you think all these
things get pent up inside one when he
lives, as l must live, alone, without
speaking to a girl of his own race, from
January to Decemberf"
He looked at her, and his eyes
caressed her, but his lips shut in the
way she knew, and Helen s spirits rose
in anger; how dared he play with her
so! She would not brook it--no, not
even from him.
And she spoke slightingly. "You
should find a wife, if you feel the need
of an audience so trying in your back
woods" She noted with satisfied pride
that her tone was perfect-iust the
princess advising her page, the great
lady condescending to be interested in
the domestic tribulations of the country
curate, the tone that stings a man from
any woman, and still more if he has
ever lifted his eyes to her.
But Adamant smiled a little.
"Unfortunately no woman has ever
thrown me the handkerchief" he
said
Helen checked on her skis to stare
at him, in frank amazement.
"Do you mean you are waiting for
some woman to propose to youi" she
asked, and forced herself to laugh her
most tinkling, innocent, heart-whole
laugh but now Adamant looked at her
gravely.
"Not some woman-one woman"
he began slowly.
Helen interrupted.
"Surely the man must do the WOO.
ing7" But though she counterfeited
careless amazement, dimly she began
to understand, and her heart beat.
"When the man has something to
Offer" he answered her curtly, bring
ing out his words with visible effort.
"When he has nothing to give-when
he can only ask sacrifices from tn,
woman he loves-when she stands
above him like a queen then
it is his part to wait in silence, and
see if she will stoop as queens must
do and raise him to her side"
Helen was silent for long moment,