The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-01-30
q Rights Reservedl By Dcvtd Belasco.

dressed little woman, whose diffidence
in strange surroundings had always
fretted him. She governors wife?
Impossible! He rose and stood be.
side the woman whom he proposed to
use as another living stepping stone.
Miss Strickland" his mind fully
made up. you've done a lot for me
in the last few weeks while you've
been making that bust. l think I un-
derstand you in way. The more |
see OF you the more l think I'D
like to make a-well, a bargain with
you. That doesn't seem to be quite
the word" he hesitated as the girl
averted her eyes. Yet think that's
what we call it,
"A bargain?" echoed Katherine.
Yes, bargain" he repeated. 81
never knew but one woman well-that
was Mrs. Slade. She's a good woman
"a mighty good woman, but we can't
i never had a home-not a home
like Strickland's. When have another
house-thatll be what I'll want, I'll
want my friends, my acquaintances.
to come there. want-well-head-
quarters. And I want a woman at
the head of my house that l can be
proud of-like Strickland"
Katherine was not surprised. She
had anticipated some such move as
this on his part, but now that she
was face to face with the unvarnished
suggestion, she found herself more
shocked than she would have be-
lieved.
I'm a couple of months I'll stand
Free" he went on. Perhaps sooner.
l don't expect any woman's going to
love me-she isn't. Got to do that
when you're young. But I'd do all /
could for the woman: She'd have ev-
erything- and-the power that
goes with 1t. l want to say right
here that wouldn' tsspeak If l thought
young Hayes had chance. l saw
he didn't"
At the mention of Hayes name
Katherine had an instant's vision OF
Bob's tender face-his eyes burning
with love looking into hers-of his
youth-his strength-his fine honor.
and her heart cried out desperately,
pitifully. for the shelter of his arms
In another moment the old recur-
rent vision Of life in the old town,
dull. cheap, uninteresting, and the
lure of what Slade was Offering. the
money, the clothes, the servants, the
power to reign supreme, swept her
off her feet. The thought of divorce
did not terrify her. Mrs. Slade, whom
she had never seen, was only name.
As Slade watched her standing
straight and white, he feared he had
been too brutally blunt.
you needn't think 1t over now"
he fastened to add. Perhaps you
will later. and perhaps you won't.
That's for you to decide. l guess I've
said all l can say"
But Katherine was not a woman to
shrink from a situation because of
its unpleasant features. She knew
that she couldn't have all the things
she wanted without some suffering.
some pain. Her fathers world had
taught her that love was thing of
small consideration where marriage
was concerned, unless it went with
the advancement of ones ambitions.
Love was not of the world. Place,
power, wealth-these were of the
world and this man offered them to
her.
This isn't a matter of sentiment"
she agreed with him calmly. IN be
perfectly frank with you. l don't say
l won't think it over. l know just
what you want of a woman. When
you can go to my father free there
won't be any barrier in the way"
She offered her hand as If to bind
the bargain. He held it for brief
instant and with hurried thank
you" left the room.