The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-09-21

out being In love with you because you
did believe I had tried 10 marry your
brother, and"
MARY, | only knew-for the arst
time--that you--that you were"
Were desperately poor" she said.
"You can't even say thatl Bibbs. II
was true: did try to make Jim want |
TO marry me. did, And she sank |
down into the chair, weeping bitterly |
| again. Blbbs was agonized.
MARY" he groaned. ~ didn't know
you could cry%
| Listen" she said. Listen TIL get
through want you TO understand.
We were poor. and we weren't fitted to
be. We never had been, and we didn't
know what to do We'd been almost
rich; there was plenty, but my father
wanted TO take advantage OF the
growth OF the town; he wanted to be
richer, but instead--well just about
the time your father finished building
next door we found we hadn't any.
thing People say that. sometimes,
meaning that they haven't anything In
comparison with other people OF their
own kind. but we really hadn't any
thing-we hadn't anything at all.
Blbhs, And we couldn't do anything.
You might wonder why | didn't try to
be a stenographer'--and wonder my
self why, when family loses It's
money. people always say the daugh'
ters ought to go and be stenographers,
It's curiousl---as II wave OF the hand
made you into stenographer. No, I'd
been raised to be either married com
tortably or well-to-do old maid, II J
chose not to marry. The poverty came
on slowly. Bibbs. but at last II was al
there-and | didn't know how TO be q
stenographer | didn't know how to
be anything except n well-to-do old
maid or somebody's wife-and
couldn't be well-to-do old maid.
Then, Bibbs, did what I'd been raised
to know how TO do. ! went out 10 be
| fascinating and be married. ! did II
| openly. at least, and with kind or de-
| cent honesty. told your brother
| had meant to fascinate him and that
| was not I'm love with him. but let him
think that perhaps | meant TO marry
l
had never cared for anybody, ana
\ Thought il might be there really wasn't
] anything more than a kind OF excited
| fondness | can't be sure. but | thlnb
that though did mean to marry hin
never should have done II, because
| that sort of marriage is-its sacri
| lege-somethlng would have stoppe,
me- Something did stop me; 1t wa
your slster-in-law, Sibyl. She mean
no harm--but she was horrible, an'
she put what was doing into sucl
horrible words-and they were tn
4, truth-ohl l saw myself! She wa
d proposing miserable compact witt
Y. me-and I couldn't breathe the air o
T. the same room with her. though I'd 81
l. cheapened myself she had right Z
d assume that | would But ! couldn't
ID / left her, and wrote TO your brothe
1t just quick scrawl. | told him jus
lt what I'd done; asked his pardon, an
- | said I would not .narry him. pos
ID ed the letter, but he never got II. Tha
| was the afternoon he was killed. That
II all, Bibbs. Now you know what di
| and you know-me" She presse
as her clenched hands tightly against he
e, eyes. leaning far forward, her hea
Mt bowed before him.
'u Blbbs had forgotten himself lon
40 ago; his heart broke for her. "Couldn
! YOU Isn't there Won't you" b
ke stammered. MARY, I'm going with Il
ther. Isn't there some way you coul
*. use the money wlthout-without-"
ON She gave a choked little laugh.
ny "You gave me something to I've for
he said. "You kept me alive. l think
". and I've hurt you like thisW
!. mot you-oh no!'
"You could forgive me, Mary"
on "Oh, n thousand times" Her rigl
IL hand went out In faltering gestur
III and Just touched his own for an 1
al stant. "But there's nothing to 70
: ! give"
'ut "And you can't-you can't"
ne, Cant what, Blbbs"
tic "You couldn't-"
OF Marry your" she said for him.
iat YES"
ex- "No, no, moi" She sprang up, facll
an him, and, without knowing what 81
no did, she. set her hands upon his breai
DO pushing him back from her little.
led can't, | can't! Don't you seeT
'he MARY"
lrd "No. mol Add you must go no
Bibbs; can't bear any more
rry please"
y, MARY"
we "Never, never, never!' she cried.
red passion of tears. You mustn't COZ
any more. can't see you. dearl Ney'
be- never. never"
me Somehow, In helpless, stumbling OF
I'D dience to her beseeching gesture,
sly got himself to the door and out of I
1t house.
ex- CHAPTER XXX,