The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-08-13

oSSA
stood Norma, in her sunbonnet
She greeted him. won't you come
in and take some tea?" she asked.
81 hear you are going East, Mr..
Thorpe"
He dismounted, and now he saw
that her lips were trembling. How
had she known he was going East?
Did news fly as fast in this settlement
as in the great world? And what did
it matter to her?
Yes, I am going East, Norma" he
answered, taking her hands in his.
II congratulate you," she an
swered quietly. But he saw the tears
in her eyes.
"You have meant so much to me, y
he said impulsively. Il hate the
thought of going. And yeti is my
duty, 1 suppose
Then you must 60" said the girl
softly. She was smiling very bravely
at him. Wont you come in?"
Mo- can't now" he said crudely.
Norma, shall shall see you again
before CO."
She nodded, and he knew the mean
ing of her silence. The girl cared for
him, and in her unsophisticated way
was incapable of concealment. He
saw her walk back quickly into the
cab'n.
Marion's train was to arrive the fol-
lowing morning. Will rode down to
the depot with a heavy heart. The
old and the new were Juggling at it,
and he did not know which pulled him
the harder. There we're so many
memories here-yet the thought of
Marion came to him like a flood of
sunlight How he had loved Marion!
She had tacitly released him by her
silence, and yet doubtless she would
explain that. He would follow he1
soon. He saw the old life wildly.
their marriage, the quiet home in Bos
The train was pulling in. He had
stood on the platform in sort of
daze. Now he awakened suddenly,
and he felt his heart beating hard in
anticipation. The men about the plat
form were watching him curiously. He
looked into the carriages of the train
as 1t came to a halt. He walked it's
length. Marion was not there. Had
she missed her train?
"Still dreaming, WHIP" asked hard
voice over his shoulder.
He started round, to see Marion,
with a party of girl friends, dressed in
the height of fashion, looking at him
with a smile.
Dear me, I must be very hard to
find," she said. well! When are
you coming home?"
The hardness Of her tones struck
him like blow. Surely he had
changed out of all recognition If he
had ever thought Marion's voice beau
tiful. The girl whom he had loved
to the point of infatuation stood re-
vealed to him as an artificial, hard
young woman, without the slightest
charm.
Il think it was very wrong of you
not to write to me for so long" she
continued. But l forgive you, Will.
We can forgive man with millions
anything, can't we, Dora?"
The girl addressed as Dora MUIR
INJURED something. The whole party
was taken aback, not to say shocked,
at the sight of this man in the cowboy
clothes. And he was a millionaire!
He was Will Thorpe of Harvard and
Boston!
Perhaps Marion shrewdly OWNED
for she drew him aside.
'WilI, l know l ought to have been
more serious" she said, But you
can't think how startling and ridicu-
lous you look, dressed like one of
these natives. Listen, VIII, and let
me explain. I have always cared for
you just as much, but I couldn't be
engaged to beggar. You see that
for youself. don't you? And every
body understood that your father was
going to cut you out of his will, in
stead Of leaving you the sole heir.
am just as fond of you, Will"
Will Thorpe looked at her with SLOW
ly rising anger. She did not realize
what she was saying. Had he ever
been like that? Was that the kind of
man that he had been, that she so con-
fidently imagined he was still?
$50 when are you coming home,
WIFI" she continued. when are you
coming home to me?" she added
softly.
The train conductor blew his wills
tie. Will looked her full in the face.
Never" he answered roughly.
The party was moving toward the
train, Will saw the look of amazed
indignation upon Marion's face. He
broke from her He mounted the
horse that was tethered to post out
side the depot. The train was start
ing. But Will was riding for the
mountain slopes, and his never" rang
in his ears like the sound of a chanted
chorus.
He flung himself from his horse at
the cabin door which hid at that mo-
ment all that life held most precious
for him.
Normal" he shouted, hammering
with his knuckles.
He heard her footsteps; he saw her
stand before him. he caught her in
his arms.
Norma, I have come home-to
you," he cried.
Only Remedy for seIfishness.
What is most pitiful and at the
same time amusing about the people
who give themselves up to selfishness
is their habit of referring the whole
universe to themselves. 1t is as If
they Mero at the center with all life