Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-10-29

them. That's the thing I'd do myself
III were In the right. But 1t can be
carried to extremes. Have your per-
mission to say that the stories are
let us say. overdrawn?"
| You have not. Lies too short to
enter into a contest with rumor"
| But your silence"
"Is my affair" Mark answered gruf-
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 will save him and his sort the me-
cessity of setting 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, II It was doing you 30
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 a notorious char
acter."
| How, in heavens name," Henley
exclaimed, did you let, yourself get
caught In q divorce court scandal? I'd
have thought that you. of all men.
II you had to play the fool. would at
least have used finesse."
So even Henley believed the rumors!
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. H." Henley concluded with an air
that declared the indictment to be
complete and unanswerable. II 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 Pm 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 woman?"
What woman?" 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"
las mythical, you mean." Mark an
| swered In a voice that did not betray
his relief. There was no woman"
What! You mean these stories
aren't true?"
You'd seen me almost every day for
years. You might have guessed that"
IAN experiment in idiocy-nothing
worse. There were no women. except
at arms length"
Henley surveyed him keenly. Then
how did these stories get out? But
you needn't answer. / can guess. A
woman is never clever except when
she's up to mischief.
l. tc
a different face on the matter AS you
say, might have guessed the truth. "
This, for Henley. was abject apology.
Mark shook his head MY resigna-
tion holds just the same"
Are you going to let little talk
drive you out?" Henley demanded.
1T isn't that had decided before
knew of it. I'm tired OF the scramble.
/, want-peace." Mark laughed dis.
cordantly. And I'm getting it with a
| vengeance"
las much as you'll ever get it.
Henley returned promptly. II know
what you want Who doesn't? Some
time or other every man wants. or
thinks he wants. peace. And II we
had it, we'd want to die. told you
once before-things are. Accept them
fit yourself to them. forget theories
that lead nowhere. Pick out the thing
you want most and fight until you gel
It, Then fight to keep 1t. Besides, you
aren't misfit. The trouble with you
is. your strength is your creates,
weakness--you'v too much magma
ton And you're not well man yet
Go back to your woods until you're
cured. Then you'll feel the itch tc
get into the scramble again and breal
few heads"
But Henley the philosopher had
done. He resumed his usual crisI
manner.
Moreover, you can't resign. The
new agreement with the men comes
up next year and the Quinby company
faces the fight of its existence. Wei
need every good head we've got. AND
IL that isn't enough, your Withdrawal
would leave me to fight Quinby alone
And-I made you, don't forget that
You've got what you wanted out O
the company and me. You can't droI
out easily now and shirk the respon
sibilities."
You say. can'ty"
II say, can't. You've got a sens,
of obligation, haven't YOU"
If ! have" said Mark grimly. lit,
the last proof that am a misft."
|