Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-11-18
and laugh in his face. Are you glad

and laugh in his face. Are you glad
or sorry?"
His answer was the answer OF the
mar who was, for the time being, mel
ther the moralist o the criminal,
With a swift %outreaching he drew her
to him, crushed her In his arms, GOV
cred her face with kisses.
81 am glad-glad that ! am your
lover" he whispered, passionately.
God, girl! but you are a woman to die
for! No, na -et"-when she would
have slipped out OF lis s:sas-believe'
me, Margery; there has never been
anyone else-not for a moment. But
l thought it was Raymer, and for your
sake and his ! could have stepped
aside. That Is the n decent thing
have done in all this devilish busi-
ness. Are you listening?"
She had stopped struggling, and was
hiding her face on his shoulder. He
felt her quick little nod and went on
since you know the one decent
thing. you must know all the horrible
things, too. A dozen times ! have been
a murderer in heart"
She looked up quickly.
mo, boy. I'll never believe that
~never!"
Wait" he said. 1T was there this
evening-just a little while ago. Miss
Farnham and Galbraith were not the
only ones l had to fear; there was an
other; the teller who got here from
New Orleans on the seven-forty-five
train. You didn't know about him. did
you? He came, and an old newspaper
friend Of mine was with him.
stumbled upon them on the sidewalk
in front of the Winnebago house; and
Broffin was there, too. We were intro
duced, the teller and I, and Broffin was
so sure he had me that he got his
handouts out and vas opening them"
Margery shuddered and hid her face
again. And II didn't know!" she
gasped.
Luck was with me again." he con.
tinued. johnson didn't remember
me; refused to do Sc even when
Brofin stopped him and tried to tell
him who l was. | had a pistol in
my pocket, and it was aimed at Broffin.
If he had made a move to take me-,
| should certainly have killed him"
She sat up suddenly.
Give me that pistol, Kenneth-give
it to me now!"
II can't" he confessed. shamefaced'
ly. when it was all over, l smashed
the pistol with a stone and threw 1t
away"
She drew a long breath. as that
all?" she asked.
"All but one thing; the worst of
them all that day in the bank
vault"
The daughter Of men buried her face
on his shoulder again at that. DON'T"
she begged. "You couldn't help 1t.
boy; | made you do it-meaning to.
There! and I said that wild horses
should never drag 1t out Of mel"
Again he said, Wait" and covered
the shining head on his shoulder with
a caressing hand. ut wasn't love.
then, little girl: that's what it breaks
my heart to tell you-it was just mad.
ness. And it wasn't clean; you've
got to know that, too"
She nodded her head violently. 81
know" she murmured; 81 knew 1t at
the time, and that was what made
me cry. But now it's-it's different,
isn't it, boy? o you-are-"
you have heard it all, Margery.
You know what | thought / was, and
what | have turned out to be. I'm
afraid | am just a common crook, after
all; there doesn't seem to be stand
ing room anywhere else for me. But
every living fiber of me, the good and
the bad, loves you-loves you'll"
What do l care for anything else?"
she flashed back. You are you, Ken.
meth, dear; that is all know. and all
| care for. If you had stolen all the
money in the world, and had killed a
dozen men to make your getaway. 1t
would be Just the same. Only"
"Only what?" he demanded jealousy.
1T would be just the same to me;
but-but. . Oh, boy. dear! 1t
will never, never be the same to you'll
Il don't understand" he STAN
mered.
Some day you will. You call your
self a crook-man. man! there isn't
a crooked drop of blood in you! Don't
| know? You persuaded yourself that
you had a right to take this money;
perhaps you did have; | don't say
you didn't. When see anything ]
want, | reach out and take it, If l can
and | guess most people would. II they
dared. But you are different; you are
good. Some day all these dreadful
things that have come tagging along
after the fact will rise up and gnash
their teeth at you and tell you that 1t
was a sin, a crime And then-oh.
boy, dear! then I shall lose you'll"
Very gently he took her in his arms
and for a time all things SEN
sible and tangible, the deserted drive
way, and the FLASHING Of the little
waves on the sands. the staring moon
light and the stenciled shadows Of the
oaks, we're forgotten in the great soul
healing silence that wrapped them
about and enveloped them.
CTo BE CoNTINUED)