The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-12-07
hORE THAN 4 HCNE
BY EDITH KENYON.

tonight, ne pronounced meditatively.
A faint flush warmed her cheeks.
ut is your hair" he said again. "You
haven't a crimp or curl. And that dark
gown, plain around the neck-you look
five years older. 1 don't Ike it Ell
ther."
She spoke her answer firmly, al
though her redness %deepened. Il think
Mr.. Halden likes it," she said.
"Haldeng' he echoed. 'Lordl 1t is
for Halden?7
Il think" she answered, Il ought to
dress to please MIR. Halden if l can.
He would not like-his wife to look
so much younger than himself.'
"His-wifeT'
"He has asked me to marry him, and
l have made up my mind that l Will"
DO you care for him?' They had
scoffed humorously at love; they had
yer proved to their own satisfaction
that there was in reality no such thing.
NO." she answered him, 81 am not
afraid to tell. you, nay friend-no, nor
ashamed. 1 am going to marry Mr..
AA1AAIAk VE10uoC - WuhI u lAOllCs A
don't want this always The room
was agreeable, but it was ~conspicu-
ously a clearinghouse parlor.
Mrs. DentOn-you met her, you
knOw-has sent for me to come to Bos-
ton and take a position her husband
has waiting for me. 1t is a better one.
and l should have gone, but-Mr. Hal
den," she hesitated. had spoken"
"You mentioned that" he remarked
tartly.
He felt bafied. He suffered from an
unreasonable but burning spleen
But" he cried with energy, "Halden
If there must be a victim, why of al
men Halden?"
Because he wants to be the vic
tim," she returned.
probably he thinks he does. Mos
men have spasms of mental alteration
and this is Halden's. Julia, you wouls
never take advantage of it? Julia, yot
couldn't.
"Oh, you might not make him mucl
more miserable than any other womaI
would. But, Julia, do you know how
Halden puts in his time? Why, loune
ing around the club and absorbing the
news and refreshing liquids; going t.
an occasional stag dinner, and getting
new cures for his gout-or neuralgia, is
It? That" Perry said, lis what Hal
den does, and he's done 1t till it is d
habit with him. like eating and breath
- TL---.VI - - - -
ing to throw a steam engine off its
track than to shunt Halden off his.
Aud what would it result for Halden?
Misery"
She threw back her head and
laughed.
Don't laugh, 1 mean it," he said
sharply, and for a space his eyes looked
into hers. The long look burned its
way through the something that had
interpOsed ever between them-the
himsy barrier which their ignorance
and their heedlessness had reared.
Julia" he faltered. The door bell
rang.
1T is Mr.. Halden,'' she said, with
trembling lips. "Must you go?'
Nine days later, sitting in his office
in the heavy gloom and the dullness
which for the past week had held him,
Perry received a letter. 1t was from
Julia Lamont, and it was brief.
81 am going to Boston this after
noon. Good-by."
"Good-byl" he muttered, fercely
gaoxnFlfnrF DtrT all hFC anaThu had HaH
on the instant. She was going to Bos-
ton. What did that mean? He sprang
to his feet. She was going that af-
ternoon "She1l take the boat" he
hazarded. 1t was already past five. He
seized. his hat and called a taxi which
drove him.to West Warren street swift,
ly. She was there.
II told you good-by in my note"
she remarked.
He saw with Joy that her hair was
wavy. where is Halden?" he demand
ed.
HE is cruising around the lake with
Mr.. Crane" she answered. Il
thought over what you said, and ]
saw she affirmed, not in humility,
but in a rigor of pride, that it is true.
1t would have been a mistake: from
the first feared ii. And-I almost think
he agreed with me, in his heart. So,
after all, l am not going to have a
home. | am going to Boston" She
smiled bravely.
Those are misstatements," he an
swered. 'both.'
"What do you mean?"
you will have a home, and you will
not go to Boston" he returned though
he spoke to the back of her head,
abruptly averted. CAS- l reckon it, we
have been fools for four years, and
that is long enough, julia"
She faced him with valiant resist
ance. Il won't consider it," she de
elared. at is mental alteration.
should be cruel to take advantage OF
it-inhuman."
"No, no; you are inhuman to confuse