The Mena weekly star., 1917-10-25

No, you don't" he returned quietly.
 You hate what I say because it's the truth, and it's humiliating to be help- less You think l don't sabe? Rut m putting a weapon into your hand Let's put it differently leave out the sentiment for minute. Wen say that want housekeeper, preferably an ornamental one, because I like beauti- rul things. You want to get awU from this drudgery. That's what it is simple drudgery. You crave lots Of things you can't get by yourself, but that you could help me get for yoa. There's things lacking in your life, and so are there in mine Why shouldn't we go partners? You think about it."
 T don't need to-" she answered coel- ly "lt wouldn't work. You don't ap- pear to have any idea what it means for woman to give herself up body and soul to a man she doesn't care for. For me it would be plain selling mg- self. I haven't the least affection fer you l might even detest you"
 You wouldn't" he said positively.
 
 What makes you so sure of thatY' she demanded.
 Tt would sound conceited if I told you why" he drawled Listen. We're not gods and goddesses, we human be- ings. We're not, after all, in our real impulses. so much different from the age when man took his club and n a Ia Ahnt to him. They mated and raised thebr young and very likely faced on an average fewer problems than arise in modern marriages supposedly ordain. ed in heaven. You'd have the one big problem solyed-the lack of means to live decently, which wrecks more homes than anything else, far more than lack of love Affection doesn't thrive on poverty What Is loye2"
 His voice took on challenging note
 'I don't know" she answered absent ly, turning over strips of bacon with the long handled fork
 "There you are,' he said. T don't know, either We'd start even. then, for the sake of argument. No, I guess we wouldn't, either, because you're the only woman I've run across so far with whom l could calmly contemplate spend ing the rest of my life in close contact That's fact. To me it's highly i'm portant fact. You don't happen to have any such feeling about me, eh2"
 "No. I hadn't even thought of you fin that way" Stella answered truthfully.
 You want to think about me-" be said calmly. You want to think about me from every possible angle, because I'm going to come back and ask you this same question every once in awhile so long as you're In reach and doing this dirty work for q thankless boss You want to think of me as a possible refuge from lot of disagreeable things. I'd like to have you to chum with, and I'd like to have some incentive to put big white bungalow on that old foun- dation for us two" he smiled. "Pn never do it for myself alone Go on. Take gambling chance and marry me, Stella. Say yes and say it now" But she shook her head resolutely, and as Katy John came in just then | Fyfe took his foot off the stove and went cut of the kitchen He threw a glance over his shoulder at Stella, a broad smile, as if to say that he har- bored no grudge and nursed no wound fin his vanity because she would have none Of him.
 Katy rang the breakfast gong. Five minutes later the tattoo of knives and forks and spoons told of appetites in process of appeasement. Charlie came into the kitchen in the midst of this, bearing certain unmistakable signs. His eyes were infiamed, his cheeks still bearing the flush of liquor Ills de meanor was that of a man suffering an intolerabie headache and correspond ingly short tempered. Stella barely spoke to him. It was bad enough for q man to make beast of himself with whisky, but far worse was his gam 1 bling streak.
 Stella watched him bathe his head copiously in cold water and then seat himself at the long table trying to force food upon an aggrieved and rebellious stomach. Gradually flood of reckless ness welled up in her breast
 For two pins I would marry Jack Fyfe," she told herself savagely. Any thing would be better than this" tContinued Next Week)