The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-08
COHQUERIMG TEMPTATION
BY GERTRUDE A. PEARSON.

oeuson lay upon the rOckS, staring
at letter beside him. In front Of
him the blue waves rippled in the sun.
shine. The air was warm and balmy.
| 1t would have been difficult for any.
one not acquainted with the country.
and the temperature of July, to real.
ize that this was Alaska.
Dear Mr. Benson" ran the letter.
we beg to inform you that. in accord
! ance with the terms of your late faith
ers will all the property except the
limited estate entailed. goes to YOUR
younger brother. You are, however,
Baron lintield, and. as such are now
the owner of Lint!eld Manor Kindly
wire US instructions as to your plans
we wish to add that. inasmuch AS
the upkeep OF the estate far exceeds
the reht-roil, 1t would be To your in.
terest to sell this to your Younger
brother. There is, however. a codieil
to the Will, made by your father in
his last illness should YOU decide to
leave the Woman with whom YOU are
living, an annual sum of five thousand
pounds is TO be paid You, to enable
YOU to keep up Your title respectfully.
Faithfully yours.
bench q Dench."
The woman With whom he was liy.
ing. Benson saw the words Storing
at him out OF the typewriter page
His father had known. He had mar.
ried hali-breed
Natusha had been educated at a
mission school, and save for the let
plack hair and rather high cheek
bones she might have passed for a
white woman. But in the eyes of his
acquaintances she was squaw, and
he a squaw-man. He had married her
when he was desperately lonely in the
remote North. and half-crazed with
drink besides.
Natusha had redeemed him. She
had thrown the whisky bottles away.
She had made him home She had
loved him. and he had loved her, too.
"A violent revulsion of feeling came !,
over Benson. He seemed to smell the
Sussex air, to see the beautiful coun.
try OF his birth. He had friends, many.
in England.
Benson resolved to run away. He
could walk to the nearest port and
catch the morrow's boat He would
leave everything to Natusha. She
would doubtless go back to her own
people.
He saw her watching him silently
that night. Like a faithful hound she
knew his moods-her lords moods.
Natusha watched him with a dumb,
aching at her heart. She had seen
the change in him.
At midnight, when he thought Natu.
sha was sleeping, Benson arose noise.
lessly from his couch. He had his
mackinaw and overshoes ready, for
the nights were cold.
When he had disappeared Natusha
kneeled at the bedside a moment in
prayer. She prayed to the God of
whom the missionaries had told her,
as she had never prayed before. Then
she slipped out after him.
AS Benson strobe along the trail all
memory of Natnsha seemed to slip
from him. He was boy once more.
IN the Sussex lanes, heartfree.
He remembered the final angry
scene with his father, the old mans
futile wrath at the son who had dis.
honored his name.
1t had been the act of goaded man,
desperate for money. but Benson could ,
only hang his head before the old
mans scathing words
III ever temptation comes to you
again. sir. remember what you have
done and try with all your might to
conquer it." he had said.
Suddenly he stopped dead. Why.
this was the temptation of which his
father had spoken. He was doing now
thing still more dishonorable than ,
that which he had done before. What ,
was the use of being Baron Linfield
II he was scoundrel to boot?
Benson sat down and fought his
battle out And, with her woman's in.
tuition one who watched him from a
near hiding place knew that the God
Of the mission people was wrestling
with his adversary for Benson's soul.
The agony on the mans face was
stronger than the suffering on hers. {
Forgetting all, daring his wrath. !.
Natusha glided up to him. She kneeled
It his side and put her arms around
him. I
And, in this position, she whispered {
something to him, woman's secret :
hat made his heart leap as hers was
,eating then.
Benson rose to his feet. The bag.
was gone from his face. He Z
Jaw his duty. He saw the years of (
'ase and dishonor stretching before
nm, on the one hand, and, on the 9TH =
r. years OF honor. He could make
lmself respected. II he could not win !:
ecognition for Natusha, he could for X
is daughter-or his son. And the Z,
cir would be Baron Linfield, il it was x
boy If girl-weil 9
Natusha drew his arm through hers. .
nd together they went back in ST. Z,
ence toward the cabin. They entered, s,
nd Benson, taking out the letter. de-
berately tore it to pieces He would .
OF answer Bench & Dench. He Z,
'ould not even take the money from .,
he estate. Let the dead past go. 2
Benson put his arms about Natusha. ?
he was pretty and girl-like, this lit <
e wife of his He knew now, too. 9
lat the heart Of woman beats the Z
ame, and always true. whether be- c
OF h zsw.lr IL 4.