Williams news., 1917-03-22

He sought to embrace her. But again she wrenched herself free from him. She could no longer feign haul teur. Her face was rosy with blusheS {; her bosom heaved; her eyes, behind their yelling lashes, glowed with ten der passion. Yet she kept her head despite the intoxicating ardor of his look. Unlike Oinna, she was not so unsophisticated as he persisted in thinking her.
 "You take a good deal for granted, Mir. Vandervyn," she attempted moclling tone. q am not yet your be-"
 He came nearer to her, his eyes the color of violets and sparkling with tiny golden gleams. He held out his arms. His voice was low and enticing: "Sweetheart-swee
 She swayed toward him, checked herself in the act of yielding, and eluded his grasp.
 "No!' she cried. "You're a bit too sure. I've no mother, halfbreed or otherwise, to advise me, my dear Reg gie. I must be my own chaperon. You charge Captain Hardy with trying to play me. Yet when he spoke to me of his love he also spoke of marriage"
 Vandervyn's eyes narrowed and as quickly widened in their most child like stare.
 'How can you, Marie?" he re- preached. "You say that as if you think I have been trifling with you all these months, when you know as well as T. But of course, if you do not trust me, I have no show against him. He is free. I am, as you know, tied down by the uncertainty of my posi- tion.'
 ''That is quite sad, is it not?' she mocked. "I am rather more fortu- nate. Whether or not there is any uncertainty about my position, I am not bound to anyone, nor am I bound to bind myself to anyone"
 "Why are you so hard to mel" he pleaded. "You know that if my uncle got even hint that am interested in girl out here it would be all off with me. He doesn't know what you are like, and it would be impossible in writing to convince him how charming you are"
 "What a misfortune! Only, as it happens, I have no wish to marry Sen ator Clemmer. He already has a wife"
 'That's just it-a wife and half a dozen daughters. It's all cut and dried that am to marry Ella, the oldest uI- married one."
 "Ah-so that Is why" faltered Marie, the rich color ebbing from her cheeks. But she was only momentar- fly overcome. Her spirit rallied al- most as soon as it dropped. "It is most kind of you, MT. Vandervyn, tn tell me the delightful secret. Permit me to congratulate you"
 His brows peaked in a doleful frown. "You are cruel to take it that way. 1 don't love the girl. You ought to know that-you do know it! Can't you see the hole I'm in? Even if it wasn't for Ella, they'd all think of you as a-an agency girl. I wouldn't stand ghost of a show of being appointed agent when Hardy qultS.
 'Does he intend to quit?"
 of you turn him down, he'll leave just as soon as he finds the tribe still against him. Then-dOn't you see, sweetheart?-I shall get the appoint ment as agent. Your father and can rip into the little old mine as fast as We please. It's a real mine, sweet heart. In a few months we'll have enough ore shipped to the shelter for me to cut loose from my uncle and do as please. You know what that means"
 Again he came toward her, his eyes softly glowing, his arms open to em- brace her. And again she eluded him, this time with no hesitancy or waver- ing. Her smile showed she was once more in control of her emotions.
 "Aren't you rather previous, Reg gie?" she asked, from the other side of the tea table. "We are not yet en- gagged"
 You coquette '" he cried. "You know I can't formally propose to you until have got rid of Ella"
 IlOW uOuOIdDle Sou dlS! SAC praised him, and he could detect no irony in her voice or look.
 Vandervyn stiAed an oath. By I'll have you yet! You shan't get away from mep'
 "Indeed?" she mocked, though she quivered from the passionate ardor in his voice. To cover her emotion she shrugged as only a woman of French blood can shrug. ''That is to be seen, MT. Vandervyn. And now, if you'll kindly excuse me, I must give a fair share of my time to my other devoted Suitor.''
 She slipped out onto the porch be- fore Vandervyn could interfere. He muttered a curse and went into the dining room to get one of Dupont's whisky bottles out of the dainty little