Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-05-04


His thin voice took on a certain quail
ity of courage. 1t even rang little.
His courage was mainly moral, but
there was some accompanying physical
hardihood. that was undoubted. 'You
can beat me, you can even kill me, If
you wish, but you can't make me say
word 1 don't want to say of my
own free will" he cried out at last, his
voice strangely rising.
Gentlemen; gentlemen" said Helen
Illingworth, rising and swiftly inter-
posing between the secretary and the
two angry men. She realized that the
affair had gone far enough and that
she must intervene. They had certain
ly failed lamentably, almost ludicrous-
ly. "You are wrong to threaten Mr.
Shurtliff. He is old enough to be the
fnther of either of you. Drop your
arm, Mr.. Rodney. Put up that pistol,
Mr.. Winters. Mr.. Shurtliff," said the
girl quickly, "as am in certain sense
your hostess, and as you are in a GER
tain sense my guest here, l apologize
to you for the improper and impuisive
love Bertram Meade dearly, as ] do.
Let that be their excuse. Meanwhile,
they will apologize to you here and
now, l am sure"
There was moment of silence. Rod
ney and Winters stared at each other,
and both looked at the girl, confront
ing them so confidently in her superb
and beautiful way. Winters smiled
little shamefacedly as he showed his
gun back into it's holster. His had in
deed been the greater offense.
"Mr. Winters, Mr.. Rodney" said the
girl insistenty.
"Oh, 1 apologize. l suppose it was
wrong to threaten him." said Rodney
disgustedly.
Slang it," said Winters, now utterly
forgetful of conventions, "it wasn't the
thing to do,to draw gun on little
old man, and TN sorry did it."
"And now that we've apologized
you'll tell us the truth, won't your"
asked Rodney swiftly, with no appre-
ciable change of manner.
'Yes, we beg it now, humbly,"
chimed in Winters, with anything but
an humble air or voice.
II won't have Mr.. Shurtliff even ap-
pealed to now," said Miss Illingworth.
"You have threatened him and you
have apologized. Whether he forgives
you or not Is for him to decide, but he
shall not be worried, or questioned, or
,lRsulted any more"
| Thank you, Miss Illingworth.
came for that book on the desk; your
father wants it," said Shurtliff grimly,
bowling slightly to her.
He stepped a little tremblingly-the
scene had been unnerving-past the
! young men, picked up the book, bowed
again formally and Enthusiastically to
Miss Illingworth alone, and went out
of tie car. The honors of the encoun-
ter were certainly his.
swell. Miss Illingworth," said Win
ters, Il don't know whether you made
q mistake or not. think I could have
scared it out of him with this little
lpersuader of mine. He tapped the
butt of the pistol.
"You couldn't have done it if you
had killed him." said the woman, who
had read the old secretary correctly.
HE isn't what 1 call a daring man,
but he has courage that would take
him to the stake rather than make
him give way, the courage Of endur-
ance rather than Of action. When he
| l-C hn mil hea "a
his own free WILL"
"Or because you may persuade him, y
said Rodney. "By jove, when I think
it over, it was the finest thing you ever
did"
''Bert Meade's a lucky fellow" said
Winters. you're the kind of a girl
that ought to marry out West, where
we try to breed men that will match
up"
Helen nlingworth. laughed a little
although she felt no inclination tt
merriment.
THAT'S q fine compliment" she said
"Well, this has rather shaken me, ant
I'm going to ask you gentlemen to ex
cuse me-"
"We'l see If he is working on thu
J dam tomorrow"
"You will stay all night, Mr.. Win
ters?"
. "Your father invited me to take
, bunk in his car, and, to be perfect,
frank with you, I'd sleep out In tn
! open rain rather than miss chanc
of being in on the end of a game lik
| this" .
: The girl bowed and left them.
e "Dick," said Rodney slowly at last
: as the two sat smoking together in tn
3 silence of complete understanding an
v good comradeship, which requires n
e expression in talk, you're not the onl
n man who thinks that girl would be
o good wife to q man."
$ "Ah," said Winters, "sits the win
+ in that quarter. Rod?"
q "Yes," answered the other, but II
p fighting this thing through for Meade.
g "Well. by George" said the bi
: ranchman, you're as good a man q
Meade any day. fine fellow as he 4
/ wish ] had some chance to get /
= = this game and make myself worthy
= the two of you, let alone the lady"
~ 1t was rare confidence that Rodne
- !, had vouchsafed to his friend, and Lib
- every other Anglo-Saxon, having sal
y his say, he did not wish to discuss
further.
j. 'Do you know" he began, changir
= the subject abruptly, 81 think thini
- have turned out pretty well in spi
- of our foolishness b while ago. b
=. lieve If there's a spark of human graz
~ tude in Shurtliff's heart, the girls
W terposition when you and were thres
ening him, and her refusal to allo
- him to be questioned later, will fan
- into flame. And l have an idea til
when he thinks it over he'll be abo
- ready to tell"
az "Are you sure he has anything
80 tellT
ho Certain"
,st "Well, guess you're right. 1t 81
tn of consoles me for having drawn l
gun, without using it, too. And if
,d. tells in the morning and we find Mea'