The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-08-05

- = - = nLLN IT,
Hrtc journeyed to New York by the
6 o'clock express that evening, In a
fever OF anxiety not unmixed with de-
spair. He a had a long afternoon In
which to think over the situation. The
fear had taken possession of him that
Mary would not be as tractable as he
had fondly hoped. He found himself.
unwilllngly, IL Is true, considering the
manly charm, the attractive masculine
ity OF JOIN Payson. It was not diff
ficult, now that he was able to picture
Mary as something more than the slim.
brown eyed girl he had condemned, in
his brotherly Ignorance, to a state OF
eternal immaturity,-it was not diff
ficult. I repeat, for him to understand
how she might nave fallen in love with
the fellow. 1t was hard to believe, OF
course, that h was a woman and a
ona with a mind of her own. She
had always been a little girl to him..
Somehow he had felt that she always
would be. There was a distinct shock
at the awakening. Why, she was I'll
His little sister vas 81!
Joan Bright was nearing %, and he
had thought OF her as a woman for
five years or more. She had been his
sweetheart--his real sweetheart for
ages. Ii seemed to him. She had known
what IL was to love n be loved since
the days when her frocks came down
to her shoe tops. And she had known,
instinctively, from the first, how to
meet his love, his passion half way.
1t was the woman In her, just as 1t
had been the man in him. Then, why
not Mary7
But Jack Payson. Why had fate
led him across his sisters path? Why
should he have been the one?
Gu of all this, however. grew the
sober reflection that he had not dis
credited Payson until his uncle's let
ter appraised him of the fact that he
was interested in Mary. In fact, he
had looked upon the ex-teller as q
much abused hero In whose footsteps
ii were a credit and an honor to tread.
Secretly, with all Corinth, In those 9TH
er days, he had rejoiced In the vindi-
cation of Jack Payson.
But that was before his uncle's
vague Indictment had been sustained
by personal observation. With his own
eyes he had discovered the bar sim
lister. The man was marked. He could
not change his spots. There was no
question in Eric's mind as to the real
truth. He had been born in sin and
Adam Carr was father to him
No small amount of bitterness was
added to his cup before ne left Corinth.
His uncle, with more cruelty than he
intended, a compared Eric In his
present position to himself under sim
liar conditions many years before.
1T Is working around In a circle,
Eric" he said, while they were dis
GUESSING the best means OF inducing
Mary to return to the house on the
hill. You stand just where / did 20
years ago. The situation Is identical.
Then IL vas I who suffered the loss OF
a sister, now 1t Is you. Mary will have
her way. Just as her mother did be-
fore her. She will not be turned back.
II I failed in my day, what chance
have you in yours? All, my boy, we are
Blagdons, o and /. Time is prov
ing US to be alike in every respect,
even to our heartaches and disappoint-
ments."
On the other hand, Adam Carr, down
In the gate keepers cottage, had grim
ly said, In reply to the young mans
bitter lament: You can't regulate tho
heart beats of q young woman, Eric.
They either beat for you or against
you, and they'll beat In spite OF you.
That's why men sometimes have such
a hard time getting rid Of women
they're tired of. Can you honestly
blame your sister for falling in love
with Jack? Now, take your Aunt
Rena's case. She had brothers, q cou-
pie of EN-. Fine chaps and good
sportsmen. What do you suppose they
said when they heard she was going
like Horace Blagden? Why, they sim
ply roared like q couple Of wounded
lions. But did 1t do them any good?
No, sir. She had set her heart on mar
rying him, and that settled 1t. I've
often wondered what kind Of a m
she might have been IL she'd married
one OF those scamps of New Workers
your uncle holds so cheaply. She
might have been ~hobnobbing with the
Astors and Vanderbilts at this very
minute. But she was bound to have
Horace. No, my boy, there's no &C.
counting for taste when a woman's
heart Is concerned. especially IL It's
set"
Payson went to New York with Eric,
but they saw nothing Of each other
after a single, unfriendly glance at the
Corinth depot.
The next morning Eric presented
himself at Mrs. Hendricks. He knew
the lady by reputation, az one knows
OF people whose names are to be seen
in the society columns OF the great
newspapers and periodicals. He could
not help wondering how Jack Payson.
a sailing masters son, came to know
the rather exclusive Mrs. Kendrick.
Mary's first words, after their mu-
tuaI embraces and her own hysterio
sniffles of Joy, were these:
"Now, Eric, you are not to scold me.
u can't bear IT," y
Whereupon h proceeded to cry
very heartily to his sad undoing.