The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-12-15

when Captain Redmond had to fight
hard to dispel the Celtic melancholy
that WAS his natural heritage. But
there. there-tell me about YOURSELF"
he begged.
But Ethel was not ready to do that.
She shrank from discussing herself
with him.
80 you've become a great globe
trotter-you who'd never been out Of
England!' she said, hastily.
"Ah! That was different. l was poor
then" he reminded her.
e. "Oh-and now?'
I'm the idle rich" he informed her
humorously. An uncle in India fell
off lis horse. hunting-not very roman.
tic, was it? And they cabled me l
was the sole heir to his vast estates"
81 didn't know you had an uncle in
India" Ethel commented with some
surprise.
mo more did I! But-God bless
him. the captain said with mock rev.
erence.
And why-why have you come
o"Nh SAY A1lNiAlASu SAo" ~.
For the same reason that l went
away" he said promptly.
what was that?'
"A woman!'
His soft reply. his serious eyes,
thrilled her. But at the same time she
knew that she must no longer let him
remain in a lovers mood-she who
would have given anything to hear
that one short month ago.
You, Larry She forced a gay
laugh. How exciting! Tell me, who
was she?"
'The woman loved" was his quiet
reply.
She could not mistake his meaning.
Il never thought you We're in love
with anybody" she rejoined.
But | was and she was a darlin'-
the loveliest thing in the whole world
watched over by some guardian anye
that brought her the best IN life"
"And yet she refused you?" Ethe
said with a smile. She wished thai
Larry Redmond had not stayed to talk
with her. But the man fascinated her
He always had. And though she knew
Il had no right to listen to sucl
things as he was telling her, some ir
resistible force seemed to hold llcr
helpless until he should have told le1
that he loved her.
"Ah. She hadn't the chance to re
fuse me- he was saying, for | never
told her-because how could l? was
just a captain in the army; how coulG
[ hope to take care of her the way a
man should take care of the IN he
loves!'
Ethel's heart was heavy with the
thought Of what might have been.
How selfish you men are. Perhaps
she cared, too" she suggested.
Captain Redmond shook his head de
spondently.
No, | think not" he replied. -
don't think she even guessed how ]
felt. | don't think she gucsses now.
Yon see, she was rich. she was beauti-
full. There We're always a dozen men
dancing attendance on hcr-bully
chaps, some Of them. And one day
when they told me she was engaged
to the bulliest Of them all, l went
away"
"Without saying goodbye" Even he
caught the suspicion of reproach in her
voice.
Il couldn't do that" he explained. II
wanted her to be happy; but l couldn't
quite bear to sec her happiness with
my own eyes. And so I've tossed
away the last twelve months-no good
to anyone!"
"Yet now you've come back" she
said sadly. to herself more than to
aim. She could not help remembering
what he had Just said about the Irish
being too late.
He turned to her eagerly.
"'Twas only the other day In Pana-
ma l picked up a copy of an old Times
and l read there a paragraph about
ner. She was still Miss-Miss-and SO
I'm here" he said pointedly, though he
had mentioned no name to identify the
girl of whom he spoke.
Here" she asked, as If perplexed.
He went to her then.
ethel! Ethel. want you to marry
mev he besought her. He kneeled up
On the settce beside her. 'Please God,
say you will"!'
"Oh. Larry. Larry She was both
happy and sad-hoppy to know that he
really loved her. but desolatc when
she realized that what he asked could
never be.
"Oh, Ethel: l love you'll love you!"
"And l never ven dreamed it" The
irony Of it all swept over her like some
engulfing flood.
"You care for me. too. don't you'll
Oh. say you do" he begged.
She rose, as if she would shake OF
the cruel chains that kept her away
from him.
1--WE always cared" she told him
brokenly.
His heart leaned at that. And step.