The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-09-02

out being in love with you because you
did believe l had tried to marry your /
brother, and"
MARY, only knev-for the first
time-that you-that you were"
Were desperately poor she said
you can't even say that! Bibbs- it
was true: l did try TO make Jim want
to marry me- didr' And she sank
down into the chair, weeping bitterly
again. Bibbs was agonized.
MARY" he groaned. 81 didn't know
you could cryr'
Listen" she said. Listen till get
through want you to understand
We we're 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.
BibbsI And we couldn't do anything
You might wonder why l didn't try to
be a stenographer'-and 1 wonder my
self why, when a family loses its
money. people always say the daugh-
tiers ought to go and be stenographers.
It's curious-as if a wave Of the hand
made you into a stenographer. No, I'd
been raised to be either married COM
fortably or a weil-to-do old maid. if
chose not to marry. The poverty came
on slowly, Bibbs. but at last it was al
there-and l didn't know how to be
stenographer 1 didn't know how to
be anything except a well-to-dO old
maid or somebody's wife-and /
couldn't be a well-to-do old maid
Then, Bibbs. 1 did what I'd been raised
to know how to do l went out TO be
fascinating and be married l did II
openly, at least, and with kind OF de-
cent honesty. l told your brother
had meant to fascinate him and that
was not in love with him, but let him
think that perhaps | meant to marry
him. ! think l did mean to marry him.
l had never cared for anybody, and
thought it might be there really wasn't
anything more than a kind OF excited
fondness. l can't be sure, but / think
that though 1 did mean to marry him
1 never should have done 1t. because
that sort of a marriage is-its sacri
lege-something would have stopped
me- Something did stop me; it was
your sister-in-law, Sibyi. She meant
no harm-but she was horrible. and
she put what l was doing into such
horrible words-and they were the
truth-oh! 1 saw myself! She was
proposing a miserable compact with
me-and I couldn't breathe the air OF
the same room with her. though I'd so
cheapened myself she had a right to
assume that 1 would But l couldn't!
left her, and 1 wrote TO your brother
just a quick scrawL l told him just
what I'd done; l asked his pardon, and
1 said l would not marry him. post
ed the letter, but he never got it. That
was the afternoon he was killed That's
all, Bfbbs Now you know what l did
and you know-mer' She pressed
her clencbed hands tightly against her
eyes. leaning far forward, her head
bowed before-him.
Bibbs had forgotten himself long
! ago; his heart broke for her Couldn't
| you Isn't there Won't you" he
! stammered. MARY. I'm going with ia
Their. Isn't there some way you could
use the money without-without-"
She gave a choked little laugh
you gave me something to live for >
he said. You kept me alive. 1 think
and I've hurt you like this?'
mot you-oh nor
You could forgive me. MaTy?"
"Oh. a thousand timesr' Her right
hand went out in faltering gesture,
and just touched his own for an in
slant But there's nothing to for
give"
land you ean't-you can't"
Cant what, Bibbs?'
You couldn't"
Marry you?" she said for him.
YES"
mo. no, nor She sprang up, facing
him. and. without knowing what she
did. she set her hands upon his breast
pushing him back from her little. Il
can't. 1 can't! Don't you seer
Mary"
mo. mol And you must go now.
Bibbs: can't bear any more
please"
MARY"
Never, never, neverr' she cried, In
| a passion Of tears. You mustn't come
any more. 1 can't see you, deari Never.
never. neverI'
Somehow. in helpless. stumbling ODE
dienee to her beseechiug gesture, he
,,+ tirosoIf 70 tho door and ont Of the
house
CHAPTER XXX