Mexico Missouri message., 1917-10-18
The Real Man
BY FRANCIS LYNDE
...5~
ScODyhshi by chas Seminars sOns
By FRANCIS LYNDE

question of love involved in our rela-
tons past and gone. We might have
married, but in that case neither of us
would have got or exacted any
thing more than the conventional de-
cencies and amenities. We mustn't
try to make believe at this late day.
You had no illusions about me when
was Watrous Dunham's hired man /;
you haven't any illusions about me
now"
perhaps not" was the calm rejoin-
der. "And yet today have lied to
save you from those who are trying
to crush you"
II told you not to do that" he re-
Joined quickly.
II know you did; and yet, when you
went away this morning you knew
perfectly well that l was going to do
1t If should get the opportunity.
Didn't you, Montague2"
He nodded slowly; common honesty
demanded that much.
every well; you accepted the serv-
ice, and 1 gave 1t freely. Mr.. Kinzie
believes now that you are another
Smith-not the one who ran away
from Lawrenceville last May. Tell
me: would the other woman have done
as much If the chance had fallen to
herT
1t was on the tip of his tongue to
say, 81 hope not" but he did not say.
it. Instead, he said: "But you don't
really care, Verda in the way you are
trying to make me believe you do"
POSSIBLY not; possibly am wholly
selfish in the matter and am only look
ing for some loophole of escape"
Escape? From whom?"
She looked away and shook her
head. 'FrOm Watrous Dunham, let
us say. You didn't suspect that, did
you? 1t is so, nevertheless. My IA
ther desires 1t; and suppose Watrous
Durham would like to have my money
you know / have something in my
own right. Perhaps this may help to
account for some other things-for
your trouble, for one. You were in
his way, you see. But never mind
that: there are other matters to be
| considered now. Though Mr.. Kinzie
has been put off the track, Mr.. STAN
ton hasn't. I have earned Mr.. STAN
tons ill-will because wouldn't tell
him about you, and this evening, at
table, he took it out on me-"
"In what way"
"He gave me to understand, very
plainly, that he had done something;
that there was n sensation in prospect
for all Brewster. He was so exult-
antly triumphant that it fairly fright
ened me. The fact that he wasn't
afraid to show some part of his hand
to me-knowing that would be sure
to tell you-makes me afraid that the
trap has already been set for you"
'In other words, you think he has
gone over Kinzie's head and has tele-
graphed to LawrencevilleP"
Montague, I'm almost certain of
itw
Smith stood up and put his hands
behind him.
(Which means that have only few
hours, at the longest" he said quietly.
And then: "There is a good bit to
be done, turning over the business of
the office, and all that: I've been put
ting it off from day to day, saying that
there would be time enough to set my
house in order after the trap had
been sprung. Now 1 am like the man
who puts off the making of his will
until 1t is too late. viii you let me
thank you very heartily and vanlsh?"
"What shall you do~ she asked.
"Set my house in order, as l say
as well as 1 can in the time that re-
mains. There are others to be con-
sidered, you know"
"Oh; the plain-faced little ranch
girl among them, suppose"
"No; thank God, she is out of it
entirely-in the way you mean," he
broke out fervently.
"You mean that you haven't spoken
| to her-yetT
"Of course haven't. Do you sup
pose / would ask any woman to marry
me with the shadow Of the peniten-
tiary hanging over meT
"But you are not really guilty"
"That doesn't make any difference:
Watrous Dunham will see to 1t that
get what he has planned to give me-"
She was tapping an impatient tat
too on the carpet with one shapely
| foot.
"Why don't you turn this new leaf
of yours back and go home and fight
1t out with Watrous Dunham, once
for all?" she suggested.
II shall probably go, fast enough,
when Macauley or one of his deputies
gets here with the extradltion papers,"
he returned. "But as to fighting
Dunham, without money"
She looked up quickly, and this time
there was no mistaking the meaning
of the glow in the magnificent brown
eyes.
"Your friends have money, Monta-
gue-plenty of 1t. All you have to