The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-11-30

worse" he said, his anger or her ac-
ton. She-couldn't do such a thing,
sis: she just couldn't"
"Shc probably didn't realize. She
hasn't much sense, you know. But,
afteralI he's suffered, to think that we
should injure him, | could cry"
The door opened before a rough
hand. and O'Ncil strobe into the room,
huge. shaggy in his coonskin coat
They rose, startled, but he came TO
them swiftly, a look OF mingled shame
and Cladness in his face.
eve come back to APOLOGIZE" he
cried. ~ couldn't wait. I've learned
what you children did while was
gone. and I'VE come TO beg forgive
ness. It's all right-it's all right"
II don't know what you mean Dan
gaspcd.
doe told me how you paid those
men. That was real friendship; It was
splendid. 1t touched me, and II
want TO apologiZe. You see, ! hurried
right back"
They saw that his eyes were moist,
ana Mt the sight Eliza gave a CULVER
Ing cry, then turned swiftly to hide
her face. She felt O'Neips fur clad
nrm about her shoulder. His hand
was patting her, and he vas saying
gently: "You are a dear child. 1t was
tremendously good Of you both, and l
ought to be shot for acting rs | did. l
wonder If you can accept a wretched
apology as bravcly as you accepted a
wrong accusation"
at wasn't wrong; it was right" she
sobbed. "Dan told her. and she told
Gordon"
There, there! | was to blame, after
all, for letting any n know, and If
Dan made a mistake he has more than
offset 1t by his unselfshness-hls sac
riices. 1t seems | forgot how much /
really owe him"
That affair with the shift bosses
wasn't anything" said Dan hastily.
"and 1t was Eliza's idea. I refused at
first, but when she started to pay them
herself I weakened" He suffered
awkwsrdly, for his sister was motion
ing him desperately to be silent. But
he ran on: "Oh, he ought to know the
whole truth and how miserably | acted,
sis. l deserve to be discharged"
please don't make this any harder
for me than 1t is" Murray smiled.
I'm terribly embarrassed, for I'm not
used to apologies. ! can't afford to be
unjust. ! have so few friends that l
want to cherish them. I'm sorry you
saw me in such a temper. Anger Is a
tr%eacherous thing, and it always be-
trays me-. Let's forget that | vas
here before and pretend that l just
came to thank you for what you did"
He drew Dan into the shelter Of his
other arm and pressed the two young
people to him. 81 didn't realize how
deeply you kids care for each other
and for me-"
The same ship which had brought
the OminOus news to O'Neil also
brought Curtis Gordon north. He had
remained in Seattle only long enough
to see the His story in print, and then
had FASTENED back TO the 'front.'. But
his satisfaction over the mischief he
had done received Il rude jolt when at
his first moment of leisure he looked
owe the late magazines which he had
bought before taking leave. In n
which had appeared on the newsstands
that very day he found to his amaZe-
ment an article by Miss Eliza Apple
ION, Il, ,rhi,l, III, ,yr,, i,t,,r, ,nol
He pounced upon it eagerly, and then
as he read his eyes narrowed and his
jaw stiffened. There, spread out to
the public gaZe, was his own record in
full, including his initial venture into
the kyak coal fields, his abandonment
Of that project in favor Of Hope Con
solidated and an account of his con
nection with the latter enterprise.
Eliza had not hesitated to call the mine
worthless, and she showed how he.
knowing its worthlessness from the
first, had used it as a lure to investors.
Then followed the story Of his efforts
to gain n foothold in the railroad strug-
gle, his defeat at the Salmon river can
yon, his rout at the delta crossing and
his final d%eathblow at Kyak. His ca
reer stood out boldly in all it's fraudu-
lent colors; failure was written across
every one of his undertakings. The
naked facts showed him visionary. in
competent. INSCRIPTIONS.
Thus far he had succeeded in keeping
Il large part Of his stockholders in ig-
norance of the true condition Of Hope
Consolidated, but he Quailed 1t the in
evitable result Of this article, which
had been flung far and wide into every
city and village in the land. He dared
not think OF its effect upon his present
enterprise, now so auspiciously launch
ed. He had made a ringing appeal to
the public, and its support would hinge
upon its confidence in him as a man of
affairs. Once that trust was destroyed
the Cortez Home railway would crum-
BILE as swiftly as had all his other
schemes.
The worst of it was hat he knew
himself shut off from the world for five
days as effectually as If he were locked
In a dungeon. There was no wireless
EQUIPMENT on the shin. he cOuld not