The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-10
c,on.tinusa,

CContinnodo
 Whatever the bit of news was Garry passed it on rsligiously. a little guiltily bsometimes, because of his own great Happiness Once he had failed signally ! to read behind his friends moody si- Fences. His surmise concerning the rrehson for Steve's changed bearing .Waa not so wide of the mark this time. i Often within himself Garry's wrath 1 loeethed hot, but he was no longer as I.rsady as he had once been with verbal, jHynica1 criticism. Only to Fat Joe 1 41id he dare pour out his soul with that bwfv1d incisfveness which ulways held ! Joe spsalbound
 | ssHe's eating his heart out over her," fh6'd explode. lover a girl who is prov { inG every day that she isn't worth q {; minutes heartache of a man like him! Z \ used to think she had brains If any { # them did used to think that ! Barbara Allison was something be- { Gldcs fluffy little fool! Why can't he !; oeo for himself that she's just as
 worthless as most of the rest of themy' % And from there. without knowing ! hoW truly funny such argument sound Sdf coming from bis lips, he would soar lfo wonderful heights of profanity. But ! Skve for the pleasure which he took in th6 pyrotechnics his cutbursts made lit { tle impression upon Fnt Joe. The lat tor maintained sort Of placid supcri- 6rity, perhaps because he had learned early that this attitude aggravated Garry's rages, perhaps because he was Q very certain of bis man. < .rI wouldn't go to getting all stirred ID like this 30 early in the game,' he'd reply with unvarsed calm. ''Shucks ;{k;pt too early to begin counting either M6n's pile of chips' either man to Z bo<h minds meaning Staee and Wicker ehnm without the naming of names Ton are too liable to premature en- 4 thusiasms or discouragements, Garry. { Th1t's why I mostly manage to bent 5gn as easy as he beats me whenever He throw hand or two Amt you hever eosng to learn that man must yannble bit on the cards still waiting tO be dealt?''
 z And again, confidently:
 'sHe's worried-cf course he is! He a1n't enjoyin' his meditations a little bit theae days, but he's enjoyin' lem 7 more all by himself that he would be if we were up there with him, forcin' him to look everlastingly like four aces N when it's deuces at present he's hold ing. He's worrled, and that's why I don't grow nervous myself, because 1t I 1G only the man who 1s too sure who 1s awful likely to hnish brolts. Don't { you waste any pity on him yet, and < wouldn't let him hear me passing un- seomplimentary words concerning his G1d either if was you Lightning ain't particular where 1t strikes, when ttss been a long time cooped up. Every man to his own taste in such matters, { says L And shucks. man, can't you l ten just from seein, lem together that z they was made for each other? If a nan quit every time woman began to put him over the jumps we'd have . dangerous decfease in marriage H. censes staring us in the face. He's 5uBt leaxning to care more for her, thGtss all, and caring lot about any booy never was comfortable state to be in. It's entirely too uncertain and {, uhsettling. But you wouldn't enjoy not caring about anybody at all your pelf, would youT'
 Gary admitted that he wouldn't.
 Well, then, don't waste your time ' plying him" A cold gleam fickered l1n thos6 blsached blue eyes. "Don't you suppose I'd have taken apart long
 go this animated Ice chest who ia EMaking all the trouble just to see what
 makes him 10 cold if I didn't know
 lA be spoiling the big show? Couldn'i
 ycu eee without my tellin' you that I'd
 rIse up some day and leave him look { ing like premature blast after all
 I've learned he's plannin' to slip us
 if I wasn't sureItbat he's going to gel k1t wcrDe than could ever give it tt
 htn from that girl herself? We'll, would. He mAkau me ahfver, 'that
 1an; makss.me crawl and ftch to tnlke
 his head fn enc hand and Ais-throat fr
 tho ether and exsrt | little strength
 in opposite dlrections. Give our entrJ
 fine! The gaAee k running dead
 against him at present, I'll admit, bui
 he's husDanding his chips He ain't
 1rawing wild and squandsr1ng ht1
 eAAnces. And he's only begun to play. 2 s Before snow came that fall Stove
 had recovered his outward corlidenct
 1t least. He had begun to hope again tWh1e he waited and labored prodi
 sieusly against the coming of spring z Dut in his heart he was no longer sure q Ho could not summon back that serene self surety which toward the end had shaken even the girls certainty in her self He could no longer argue con
 vincinSly with vision of her, as hl
 had often argued with Barbara hersen
 that his way would be her way in the
 cd. Tor hs had begun to realize shs
 W94th Of that gulf which he knew .nnsi
 seem to sxjst between tAem, if not tt
 hsr thcn t0 the eyes of others of he1
 Wegsd.
 It was his memories which gave hin
 censsaatisn those long nights, but they
 a1so gave him doubt. RememSerina
 tho daintiness of her as she had conc Ito him the night of her party, recalling
 the things to which she had been ac
 curtsmed since che had opened he, lsUss or the first nght Of day, he begaz N