The Ely miner., 1914-06-19


board. I'm-I'm d-d!"
He dropped heavily into chair
at the end of the table and looked at
her with glazed eyes. As she stared
back at him she had the curious feel
ing that he had shrunk perceptibly,
that his clothes hung rather Imply
on him. His face seemed to have lost
all of its smart symmetry; there was
a looseness about the mouth and chin
that had never been there before. The
saucy, arrogant mustache sloped de-
1ectedly.
Il fancy you must have gone about
1t very badly" she said, pursing her
lips.
"Badly?" he gasped. "Why-why,
good heavens, Sara, / actually plead
ed with her." he went on. quite pa
thetically. "All but got down on my
knees to her. D-n me, II l can
understand myself doing it either. 1
must have lost my head completely.
Begged like q love-sick schoolboy!
And she kept on saying noTno-no!
And /, like blithering ass, kept on
telling her couldn't live without her.
that I'd make her happy, that she
didn't know what she was saying,
and But, good Lord, she kept on
saying no! Nothing but no! Do-do
you think she meant to say no? Could
it have been hysteria? She said it SO
often, over and over again, that 1t
might have been hysteria. l never
thought of that. I"
mo, Leslie, it wasn't hysteria, you
may be sure of that" she said de-
liberately. "She meant it, old fel-
low"
He sagged deeper in the chair.
IL can't get it through my head"
he muttered.
"As 1 said before, you did it badly"
she said. You took too much for
granted Isn't that true?"
God knows / didn't expect her to
refuse me-" he exclaimed, glaring at
her. would have been such fool
as to ask her If l thought there was
the remotest chance of being" The
very thought of the word caused it to
stick in his throat He swallowed
hard.
You really love herr" she demand,
ed
Love herr" There was a sob in
his voice. II adore her, Sara.
can't live without her. And the worst
of it is, / love her now more than
l did before. Oh, it's appalling! It's
horrible! What am l to do, Sara?
What am to do?"
"Be a man for a little while, that's
ALL" she said coolly.
Don't joke with me-" he groaned.
go to bed, and when you see her
in the morning tell her that you un-
derstand. Thank her for what she
has done for you. Be
Thank herr" he almost shouted.
"Yes; for destroying all that is de-
testable in you, Leslie-your self-con-
ceit, your arrogance, your false no
tions concerning yourself-in a word,
your egotism."
He blinked incredulously. do you
know what you're saying?" he gasped.
She went on as If she hadn't heard
him.
Assure her that she is to feel no
compunction for what she has done,
that you are content to be her loyal,
devoted friend to the end of your
days"
But, hang it, Sara, l love her!"
Don't let her suspect that you are
humiliated. On the contrary, give her
to understand that you are cleansed
and glorified."
What utter tommy"
wait! Believe me, it is your only
chance. You will have to learn some
time that you can't ride roughshod
among angels. Think it over, old fell
low. You have had a good lesson.
Profit by. It,"
"You mean I'm to sit down and
twirl my thumbs and let some other
chap snap her up under my very nose
Well, l guess not!"
mot necessarily. If you take it
manfully she may discover new in
terest in you. Don't breathe a word
Of love to her. Go on as If nothing
had happened Don't forget that l
told you in the beginning not to take
no for an answer"
He dropped once more. biting his
lip. 81 don't see how l can ever tell
mother that she refused"
"Why tell herr" she inquired, rising.
His eyes frightened by Jove, l
shan't," he exclaimed.
Il am going up to the poor child
now" she went on. Il dare say you
have frightened her almost to death.
Naturally she is in great distress. I
shall try to convince her that her de-
cision does not alter her position in
this house. / depend on you to do
your part. Leslie. Make it easy for
her to stay on with me-"
He mellowed to the verge Of tears.
Il can't keep on coming out here
after this. as I've been doing, Sara"
Don't be silly! OF course you can.
This will blow over"
BLOW over?" he almost gasped.
Il mean the first effects. Try being
a martyr for a while, Leslie. It isn't
a bad plan, can assure you. 1t may
interest you to know that Challis pro-
posed to me three times before l
accepted him, and yet IL loved him
from the beginning"
by Jove!" he exclaimed, coming
to his feet with new light in his
eyes. The hollows In his cheeks
seemed to fill out perceptbly.
Good night"
Il say, Sara, dear, youll-youn help
me bit, won't you? / mean you'll talk
II over with her and"