Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-12
wa CHAPTER VII &
A Turn in the Trail

QObL uAtuIOl tuiu6 III LILO WI AZ ~ AssAA
under the spell Of enchantment. He
knew next to nothing OF the young
woman's life story; he had not cared
to know. 1t had not occurred to him
to wonder how the daughter Of a man
who drilled and shot the holes in his
own mine should have the gifts and
belongings-when she chose to display
them-of a woman OF much wider
world. It was enough for him that she
was piquantly attractive in any char
acter and that he found her marvel
ously stimulating and uplifting. On
the days when the devil Of moroseness
and frritabiiity possessed and mad
dened him he could climb to the cabin
on high Chigringo and find sanity. 1t
was keen Joy to be with her. and up
to the present this had sunced.
"Egoism is merely another name for
the expression of vital need" he
said after the divagating pause. de-
filming the word more for his own sat-
isfaction than in self-defense.
You may put 1t in that way II you
please" she returned gravely. What
is your need?"
He stated 1t concisely. Money
lot of it."
How singular!" she laughed. She
got OUT OF the hammock and came to
lean, with her hands behind her.
against the opposite porch post. But
tell me, what would you do with your
pot Of rainbow gold-n you should
find 1t
Brouillard rose and Strengthened
himself with his arms over his head
like an athlete testing his muscles for
the record-breaking event.
What would / do? A number OF
things But first OF an think. I'd
buy the privilege Of telling some WON.
an that love her"
She was silent for 90 long . time
that he looked 1t his watch and
thought Of going. But at the deciding
instant she held him with . low-spo-
ken question.
Does it date back to the handicap
You needn't tell me II you don't want
to-"
1T does And there il no reason,
why shouldn't tell you the simple,
fact. When my father died no left me
deht--s debt Of honor; and It must
be paid. Until it is paid-but am
sure you understand"
Quite fully" she responded quickly.
and now there. was no trace Of levityi
in the sweetly serious tone. rs it
much?--so much that you can't"
He nodded and sat down again on
the porch step "Yes. It IL big enough
to go in a class by itself-in round
numbers. hundred thousand dollars. =,
'Horrors!" she gasped. And you
are carrying that milestone? Must you |;
carry it,"
III. you knew the circumstances you
would be the first to say that must
carry 1t. and 60 on carrying 1t to the
end Of the chapter"
"But-but you'll never be fres!"
Not on government salary" he,
admitted f.As q matter Of fact, I'll
takes more than half Of the salary to
pay the premiums on--pshaw! Let's
drop It."
She was looking beyond him and her
voice was quick with womanly sympa-
thy when she said: IF you could drop
it-but you can't. And it changes ev-
erything for you, distorts everything.
colors your entire life. It's heart
breaking" 9UF
This was dangerous ground for him
and he knewit. In the ardor Of young
manhood he had taken up the vicari-
Gus burden dutifully. and at that time
his remuneration Of the things that
other men strove for seemed the light
est OF the many fetterings. But now
love for . woman was threatening to
make the renunciation too grievous to
be borne.
How did you know" he queried Gu
riously. at does change things. I'd
sell anything I've got, save one. for a
chance at the freedom that other men
have-and don't value"
What is the one thing you wouldn't
self" she questioned. and Brouillard
chose to discover . gently quickened
interest in the clear-seeing eyes.
my love for the-for some woman.
I'm saving that, you know. It 10 the
only capital I'll have when the big
debt Is paid"