The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1917-06-21

worrying
"You need say nothing mora Miss
Illingworth. I know all about the Stu
alton. Rodney wrote me and"
swell, then. you understand my anx-
iety, my reason for asking1'
II do"
"And you will tell usf"
II wish to heaven I could"
"Can't you tell us anythingr
"Well, yes, I can"
"What"
ut may be q breach Of conndence.>
ard take the risk" said the girl, her
bosom heaving. Was she at last about
to hear from her loverf
"Know where he is, old manT asked
Rodney.
II think so-not sure. but"
"Where?"-from the woman. breath.
lessly.
II didn't agree to tell you mat"
"What thenf"
"All 1 can say Is that after the death
of his father he turned up at my ranch
one day some five months ago and told
me his story"
l
he tell you he was innocent"
mot at first. He tolc .ae he was
guilty"
but you didn't believe him. did
you" asked the woman impulsively.
II certainly did not"
"Why not2"
swell, I don't know why. I Just
didn't, that's all. know lfeade. I
know him well. know his makeup.
We get accustomed to sizing up
mans actions out West here, and 1t
didn't take me longer than it took
him to tell the story to know that 1t
wasn't true"
"oh. thank you for that" said the
woman.
but our beliefs are not evidence.
Dick" interposed Rodney.
1--WE can't prove 1t and that's the
point. I told him." continued Winters,
shat it was a da-darned lie[ beg
your pardon, Miss Illingworth. I mean
I told him that 1t was not true and that
he was fool for sticking to 1t, and
er-he-admItted- foundered
Winters. suddenly realizing that he
was on the eve Of a breach Of conf
dence and checking himself just in
time. "In fact. the subject was painful
to him. and let him alone, which 10
what we generally do to q man who
doesn't want his affairs inquired into
too closely" Winters ended lamely,
realizing how near he had come to
betraying his friends confidence and
telling of Meade's own admission that
he had said what he had to save the
fame and honor Of the father.
swell, what nextr' asked Rodney,
understanding as did Helen Hing.
worth herself the ranchman's hesita-
ton. and respecting II, although the
unavoidable inference gave her great
Joy.
"He hung around the ranch for q
month or six weeks to get his balance.
He was pretty badly broken up. I'm
q bachelor myself and don't know
much about those things, but can
say that he loved you, Miss Ilinsworth,
more than life ITSELF"
'But not more than the reputation Of
his father" she said with little tings
Of bitterness.
"Well. I take 1t he looked at that a
a matter Of honor. You know a men's
got to keep his ideals Of honor"
"Even at the expense Of q woman's
hearth" said the girl.
1T sounds hard, but guess we've
got to admit that. But that's neither
here nor there" he continued, gliding
over the subject, "the point Is I found
that he had to fight 1t out himself, and
l mainly let him alone. I give MIN a
horse and gun and turned him loose In
the wilds. Best place on earth for
man In his condition, Miss Illlngworth
You cnn 90 out into the wilderness and
get nearer to God there than any
place know Of. He came back finally,
turned In his gun. borrowed the horse,
bade me good.by, and said he was 60
Ing out to mako new start"
"Where did he GOT Which wayi"
HE was headed south when I saw
him last, and all this lay In his WY"
you mean-?" cried the woman.
"He mny be herer said Rodney,
Winters nodded.
Il have thought 30. It's only .
guess. Of course. and probably q Door
one. But when read In the papers
that Colonel Illingworth was coming
here. and that you were along, apc
Miss 1llingworth. I thought I'd Just
take a run down here and So what
could be DONE"
"Oh. I'm 10 glad you have come"
Hes not working on the BRIDGE
said Rodney.
How do you know, Rodr'
Il examined oil the 3ay rolls, ane
none OF them bears his name"
He wouldn't work under his own
name In the Martlet Bridge company"
said the woman.
Certainly not. That was ,n!y my
first step. I went around among the
workmen. too and got look at every
one Of them. TIN sure he's not there