The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-06-22
The Edge
OF Fate
And Two Men and One
Woman
By LUCY r. MALVOIN

hand.
Il intend to see you safely home
tonight, whether you are willing or
not. It is not safe for you to be
alone on the street at night, especi-
ally on pay night"
Bob Alexander's firm mouth and
chin acame even more resolute,
and here was an imperiousness
abe his manner, tinged with So
licitude, which few. women could
have resisted. But Helen Wardlaw,
gentle though she looked, had a
strong will and shook her head.
"Thank you, but | will go alone.
am not afraid of being molested,"
she said quietly.
''You positively refuse me the
privilege of protecting you from
possible annoyance? You know that
is all 1 ask since you have forbidden
me to hope for more. Surely it is
not asking too much to be allowed
to walk by your side through the
crowded streets"
The pain in his voice moved the
woman more than she dared to let
him see. She put out her hands in
imploring protest. 'Don'tp she said
impetuously. "You are making it
very hard for me"
''But must. I did not intend to
tell you, but it is dangerous tonight
for. you. | have noticed disrepu-
table looking fellow evidently fol-
lowing you lately. Now you under
stand why I still insist upon thrust
ing my company upon you"
Her face turned pale, and she
gave a little gasp.
GLOW do you know?" she asked
quickly.
ooh, own up. I've followed,
too, at a respectable distance
since I'm forbidden nearer ap-
proach."
She grew pale again and leaned
against the door as if needing sup
port. sa
'You must never do it again"
she almost whispered. Something
might happen to you. Oh, it's dan
gerous. l cannot explain. For your
own sake, for my sake, do not fol-
low me any more, please"
In a moment she was gone. He
moved rapidly and imperiously
through the crowd until he caught
sight of the girls graceful figure
threading its way through the
throng Of Saturday shoppers.
'1 will follow her JUS the same"
he muttered. ''This one night at
least I will see her safe"
Robert Alexander, rolling stone,
but always favored by fortune, long
ed for a chance to try his hard,
stonelike muscles, tested in many
trial on plains and seas, on some as
sailant Of Helen Wardlaw's.
eff I could just grip that fellow
who followed her." thought he saw
agely-"grip and smash him!" And
his great arms and shoulders swell
ed and grew tense.
Then he thought of a talk he had
once had at the side of an Austria
liam campfire with a rover of the
world, a university graduate like
himself, but one cursed with the
wanderlust that would give him no
rest.
"There are some of us mortals,"
the rover had said, "who can find no
abiding place. Something Will drive
us on. We live forever on the edge
of fate"
"The edge of fate" repeated Rob
ert Alexander to himself. 81 am
on it now. If I cannot win that
girl, and it's clear that I can't, |
shall move on myself and wander"
His chin was firmly set in mo-
ment. He knew what he was giving
up-assured position won by earnest
work, the certainty Of fortune, lux
uries that be loved. But he did not
doubt that be would-no, must-let
these go. There was no rest for
him if this prize were not his.
'sThe edge of fate," he muttered
again, when suddenly he became
aware that the man against whom
he had warned Helen Wardlaw was
logging her footsteps.
At that moment she stopped and
looked back. The man stepped up
to her and as Bob started wrath
fully forward a movement in the
dense crowd stopped him. He press
ed through as best he could, but
Helen had disappeared.
Then his progress was again i'm
peded by a throng of people gather
ed about a man who had been run
over by heavy carriage and terri
bly, injured.
In the excitement no one but Bob
noticed an envelope which had evi-
IDENTIFY slipped from the mans
grasp. He picked it up and put it
in his pocket, intending to turn It
over to the proper authorities. A
slip of paper fell out, and with it
ten dollar bill. Opening the paper
to see if it contained any clew to
the mans identity Bob read these
words:
If you will cease trying to modest me /
will give you this amount every month
IL Il.