Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-12-13

linen Il sharp whistle Ounded ana a
farmers boy. with a new rake and Il
sack of corn on his shoulder. came
salntering briskly down the road to
the bridge. Instantly they drew apart.
and Celia felt hat she had been on the
verge of disioyaity to her true self.
They walked silently back to the sta
ton. each busy with his own thoughts.
each conscious of thai. one moment
when the other had come so near.
CHAPTER XI.
There were u lot OF people at the
station. They had been to "a family
gathering of some sort from their re-
marks. and they talked loudly and
much, so that the two stood apart
had no opportunity for conversation.
save "a quiet smiling now and
then upon the chatter about them, or
the odd rernar they card.
There had come "a constraint upon
them. a withdrawing OF each into his
shell. each conscious of something that
separated. Gordon struggled to pre-
vent 1t. but he seemed helpless. Celia
would smile in answer to his quiet re-
marks, but it was a smile of distance,
such as h had worn early in the
morning. She had quite found her for
mer standing ground, with its fence OF
prejudice, and she was repairing the
breaks through which she had gone
Ov0T 70 tUe enemy CURING the O0y. 0nO
was bracing herself with dire remind
0rs. and s%natches from those terrible
letters which were written in charac-
ters of fire in her heart. Never.
never. could she care for a
had done. She had forgotten for
q little while those terrible things
he had said Of her dear dead father.
How could she rave forgotten for an
Instant! How could she have let her
Nnvna IT, I A1<rrN an Ia lr~ Ah- l-<l
defled itself by writing such things!
BY the time they were seated In the
train, she was freezing in her attitude.
n poor Gordon sat m%iserably beside
her and tried to hin what he had
done to offend her. 1t was not his
fault that her hand had lain near his
on the rail. She had put 1t there her
self. Perhaps h expected him to put
his over 1t. to show her that he cared
as a bridegroom should care-as he
did care. in reality. If he only had the
right. And perhaps she was hurt that
he had stood coolly and said or done
nothing. But he could not help 1t.
Much to Gordon's relief. the train
carried Il parlor car, and it happened
on this particular day to be almost de-
serted save for a deaf old man with
q f1orid complexion and a gold knobbed
cane who slumbered audibly at the
further end from the two chairs Cor
don selected. He established his COM
RdIllOn Comfortably, OlSpOSeO OF the
baggage, and sat down., but the girl
paid no heed to him. With a sad, set
face. she stared out of the window. her
" seeming to see nothing. For two
hours She sat SO, he making remarks
occasionally. TO which she made little
or no reply, until he lapsed into silence,
looking at her with troubled eyes. Fin
ally. Just as they neared the outskirts
OF Pittsburgh. he leaned softly toward
and touched her coat-sleeve, to attract
her attention.
"Have 1 Observation-Disclosures in any
way he asked gently. She turned to-
ward him. and her eyes were Drumming
full OF tears.
No" she said. and her lips were
trembling. No. you have been-most
aetters!" She ended with a sob and put
up her handkerchief quickly to stife it.
Letters 2" he asked helplessly. What
letters? Z"
THE letters 0 wrote me- All the
letters OF the last Ave months. I can
mot forget them. I can never forget
them! Ho could you think I could? %
He O at her anxiously, not
knowing what to say. and yet he must
q something. The time had come
when some kim OF an understanding.
some clearing up OF facts. must take
place. He U go cautiously, but he
must and u hat was the matter. He
0uld not see her suffer %. There must
be some way to let her know thai SO
Tar ~ he was concerned she need suffer
nothing further and that he would do
Al: in his power to set her right with
her world.
Hut letters. His face lighted up
With swift certainty OF one thing
slro. She still thought him the man
che had intended to marry. She was
n0tsth2refor0 troubled about that phase
0fSthe question. It was strange. almost