El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-03-04

| CHAPTER XIV.
4 Reeves asked his question.
| ~ Mary Baird recoiIed as if he had
struck her She did not replv.
and he repeated his query in a differ
ent form.
And how do you know 7 am not en-
gaged?" he insisted.
"Because-because." she faltered. ct
never thought that you would-that
you would-ever care"
She stopped, arrested by the look on
[ his face
Well-you see how mistaken you
! We're" he returned
1ou mean-yOu mean?" she STAN
mered, that it's really true?"
OF course it is" he asserted. and
! why not2 Just because a mans FORTY
five and been lonely for years dom
mean that he's never to have things
, the way he wants them, does it2 am
going to marry Miss Hardy" he added
matestioally
1T, The woman, woman drew a step nearer. her
ed him. What about me-"
On You can go on living here" he
said easily, as he walked into the din
ing room.
But she followed him. closing the
ing to the kitchen porch would not
oVerhear what she had to say.
Wait a minute, she commanded
DO you mean that I'm to stay here
as neutrality-suspicious. like have al
ways?'
The man flushed well. yes. no
said awkwardly, you can stay on and
make yourself useful. You've ALWAYS
had an easy time here, Mary. On some
farms the size of this there'd be the
men TO feed. But any men that work
mere &c home nights and bring their
dinner pals with them mornings. So
tnere's been only mo to work for. AT
housecleaning time ] always let Won
hire extra help. Then there's always
woman every week to do the wash
Mary"
And when thereIl be another per-
son to work for" she demanded, what
about that?"
MARY Baird Defines Intentions.
So you're afraid Of the work of
one other person, are your" he sneered.
It's not the work I'm afraid of,
Iustus Reeves, and you know iti' she
declared But you're not going to
put mistress over me to boss me-
90 you hear? I'm not going to have
a chit of a girl rule me after all these
years! And I'll tell her so. tool Tn
derstand?"
Augustus Reeves came close to her,
ms race crimson with rage his lower
Jaw thrust forward He drew down |
mis- brows until they projected above |
mis- small gray eyes. His red hair |
seemed to bristle.
You'll do as I tell youl" he ex- |
CANNED Remember thatt You'll stay
right here, tust where you are, and |
you'll work like you've always done |
OF III know the reason why"
she clenched her fists. "And II I |
won what them" she asked de-
family.
He showed his teeth in an ugly snarl |
Then" he threatened. you'll starve-
that's AN If 1 tell folks what you are. |
who'll take you in-you and your idiot |
"Godr the exclamation was so shrrl |
that even the angry man was startled. |
on wouldn't do THAR she burst /
Iortn. You wouldn't stop support 1
ing hin--your own flesh and blood |
=. Shut up! he reared. Who'd be- /
heVe any tale of yours when I'd said |
my say and told that / was sorry for /
you in your trouble and had taken i
care OF you both for years? Who'd be-
lieve you. say?"
"Gustusi Gustusr' she pleaded, SELF
ing MN by the arm Don't talk sol /
DON'T! You always promised that some !
1ay perhaps you'd marry me. and I've
always hoped you would-even when
you refused again and again 1 hoped |
you would. Haven't / been everything 4