The evening world., 1915-01-09
BENNET

bSttAp boaA.s
Hsssr = shs was 70 look svss into
the country beyond. the giri dropped
into second plaoe. and made no com.
plant about the wary sl0wnsso Of
her compAnion's advance.
'wouidn't u b TERRIBLE" she said
at last, III no chance Of escape shoAd
ever conner
"wsu, I don't know. Il q wasn't
for the fever that's bound 70 come
with the rains. I. for one. would Just
~ leave stick to this camp right
.saa s,ons. 2. Dro''dins the company don't
She turned upon him with FASH
ing eyes, ~ thought Of caution lost
IN her anger. How dare you eay
swhy not, Hasn't everything
been running smooIn the last few
days7 Haven't we been good.
comradesf OF couras you've
got the worst Of the deal. know
I'm not much on fancy talk; but
like to hear II when I've . chance.
I'm trying to give you an idea
what II means to q fellow to be with
a lady like you. Maybe 1t isn't
polite to tell you all this. but It's
Just what 1 feel. and I never did
amount to shucks as q liar"
II believe 1 understand you, Mr..
Blake. and I really feel highly com-
pltmented."
"No. you don't. any such thing.
Miss Jenny. Own up. nowl II I met
step, you'd cut me cold"
II should II you continued 70 be 20
rude. Have you no regard for my
feelings7 But here we are, talking
nonsense. whom We should be 60
ing
"Is u nonsense?" he broke In.
"What does life mean. anyway? Here
We can be true friends and comrades,
real. free. living people. It can't be
that you want to 90 back to all those
society shams, after you've seen real
hfe! As for mo, what have ! to gain
by going back to the everlasting
grind? l don't mind work; but when
a man has nothing ahead to work for
but a bank account, when It's grind,
grind. grind till your head goes stale
there's no choice but throw up your
Job and go on q drunk, II you want
to keep from q gun accident. Maybe
you don't understand It. But that's
what I've had to 90 through, time
and again. Do you wonder I like to
fancy an everlasting picnic here. with
q httle partner who wouldn't let mo
como within shouting distance Of her
in the land Of lavender trousers and
peek-A-boos?"
"Mr. Blake. really you are most un-
Just! could not be 500 ungrate-
ful. after all your kindness. 1--we
should certainly be glad to number
you among our friends."
Drink and all. chr
"A man Of your will power has no
habit"
Course not. II he's got anything in
sight worth while. Guess. though. my
folks must have been poor white
trash. ! never could 60 after money
Just for the fun Of the game. No
family, no friends, CALL
it?-culture-- What's the use?
have q fair head for figures, but all
the mathematics that I know I've had
to catch hot OF the bat. It's true
grubbed my c. e. out of a corres-
have an au-round, crack-up educa-
ton to put him where its worth
WHILE"
"You still have time to work up.
You are not much over thirty
''Twenty-seven."
"Twenty-seven! I should have
Thought What hard life you
must have had!"
Hard work2 Well. I suppose Pan.
anna did do for me some. But 1t
wasn't 80 much that. Few fellows
could hit up the pace I've set and come
out at ALL"
"T do not understand"
"Just what you might expect OF a
fellow in my fx-all kinds Of gamble
and drink and--the rest OF It."
Miss Leslie looked away. visibly
distressed. She had not been reared
after the French method. Young as
she was, she had huttered at will
about the borders Of the garden or
vice, knowing we'll that the gaudy
blossoms were lures to entice one
into the pitfali. Yet never before had
she caught 10 clear q glimpse or the
That's i'll" growlsd Blake. Throw
mo down cold, Just because I'm square
enough to tell you straight out. You
mako me tired! I'm not one OF the
work-ox sort, that can chew the cud
all the year round and cork the blood
out Of their brains. I've got to cut
loose from the Internal grind once In
a while, and barring chance now
and then at opera, there's never been
anything but a spree
"Oh, but that's so dreadfully shock
Ing, Mr.. Blake!"
"And then. like all other little hyp-
ocrites, you'll go and marry one OF
those swell dudes who's made that
sort Of thing his business. and every
body knows II. but It's all politely un-
derstood to we been done sub rosa,
so its all right. because he knows
how to part his name In the middle
and
please. please stop. Mr.. Blake!
You don't know how cruel you are!"
Cruel? Suppose I told you about
the millionaire cur that Oh. now.
don't go and cry! Please don't cry.
Miss Jenny! I wouldn't hurt your
feelings for the world! didn't mean
anything out of the way. really
didn't! It's only that when get TO
thinking of--of things. 1t sets me
half crazy. And now. can't you see
how it's going TO be ten times worse
for me after-with you so altogether
beyond me- He stopped short.
flushed, and stammered lamely, Il
didn't mean to say that"
She looked down. no less embar-
rassed.
please let us talk Of something