Tombstone epitaph., 1917-07-29
ney, and so devoted to Bert, that / am

ney, and so devoted to Bert, that am
worrying"
you need say nothing more. Miss
Illlngworth. know all about the Stu
alton. Rodney wrote me and"
swell. then. you understand my .nx-
iety, my reason for asking?"
81 do"
"And you will tell us?"
81 wish to heaven I could"
Cant you tell US anythingr
swell. yes. can"
"whatr'
at may be a breach Of confidence
I'D take the risk" said the girl. ner
bosom heaving. Was she at last about
to hear from her lover?
"Know where he is, old mani" asked
Rodney.
II think so-not sure, but"
"Wherer'-from. the woman. breath
lessly.
II didn't lgree to tell you nat"
"What thenl"
"All 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"
what" exclaimed Rodney. Did
he tell you he was innocent"
mot at first. He told me he was
guilty"
But you didn't believe him. did
your" asked the woman impulsively.
II certainly did not"
"why not?"
swell. don't know why. I Just
didn't, that's all. I know Meade.
know him well. 1 know his makeup.
We get accustomed to sizing up a
mans actions out West here, and II
didn't take me longer than 1t 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 It and that's the
point. told him." continued Winters,
that 1t was a da-darned lie-I beg
your pardon, Miss nlingworth. mean
I told him that II was not true and that
he was a fool for sticking to 1t, and
er-he-admitted-I fioundered
Winters, suddenly realizing that he
was on the eve Of breach Of conf
dence and checking himself just In
time. "In fact the subject was painful
to him, and let him alone, which Is
what we generally do to a 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 next" asked Rodney,
understanding as did Helen Hing
worth herself the ranchman's hesita-
ton. and respecting It, 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
bachelor myself and don't know
much about those things. but can
say that he loved you. Miss Illingworth,
more than life ITSELF"
But not more than the reputation Of
his father" she said with a little tinge
Of bitterness.
"Well, take 1t he looked at that az
a matter Of honor. You know q msn's
got to keep his ideals Of honor"
Even at the expense of a woman's
heart" said the girl.
ut 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 l found
that he had to fight 1t out himself, and
I mainly let him alone. I gave MIN a
horse and gun and turned him loose in
the wilds. Best place on earth for q
man In his condition, Miss nlingworth.
You can go out into the wilderness and
get nearer to God there than any
place know of. He came back hually,
turned in his gun. borrowed the horse.
babe me good-by, and said he was 60
ing out to make a new start"
"Where did he go? Which way?"
"He was headed south when / saw
him last, and all this lay in his way"
"You mean-Y cried the woman
"He may be here?" snid Rodney.
Winters nodded.
81 have thought so. It's only .
guess, Of course, and probably q poor
one. But when J read In the papers
that Colonel nlingworth was coming
here, and that you were along. anc
Miss nlingworth. thought I'd just
take q run down here and see what
could be DONE"
"Oh. I'm 50 glad you have come"
Hes not working on the bridae,'
said Rodney.
How do you know, RodT
81 examined all the pay 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 my my
first step. I went around among the
workmen. too and got look at every
one of them. I'm sure he's not there.