The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-11-06
THE COWARD.

q, EARL REED sILvERs.

dream about. The late afternoon sun
cast streamers Of gold on the simmer
ing river: from the porch Of the mas
sive hotel drfted the sound Of soft
music. Myrtle Thorpe. her chin cupped
iu her hands, looked with unseeing
eyes across the water.
'T can never marry you now" she
said ~hstlessly.
The rather ~good-looking man sitting
beside her opened his eyes with I'M
affected surprise. The C q IN his left
cheek grew livid-
"WhyT" he asked
Because you're q coward"
The girl spoke evenly. as II she were
commenting on the weather, but there
was a fnality TO her words which
brooked no argument. There was
something about the set Of her mouth
and the smooth curve Of her chin
which told Ned Randolph that further
words would be useless. Nevertheless,
he refused to accept dismissal without
an attempt TO justify himself.
"why am / a cowardY' be per
sisted.
you know the answer a. well a. j
/ do" she said shortly.
But I can't swim"
THAT doesn't make any Differences.
You might have tried 10 do something
But there wasn't anything ! could
do"
The girl dropped her hands In her
lap and turned searching eyes toward
the man beside her.
HDo you think that II / had been O
man and someone was drowning not
twenty-five yards away. I would have
run to the dock and would have tried
10 get In a boatf No, / would have
Jumped into the water and swan out
TO him."
Myrtle, you're unreasonable. I
couldn't have done any good In the
water"
1T was the most h~umiliating ex-
perience I've ever known" the girl
continued. 'sThere you stood on the
beach, with half the hotel looking on.
yelling for help as II you were a child.
Why didn't you do something's
81 did the only thing possible. 1
called for help and then wen to the
rescue in a boat"
"Yes, and before you got half the
way, Jim Turner ran down from the
porch and swan out to the man who
was drowning. Now everybody says
he's a hero and you're a coward"
"And do you think so. tool"
"Yes." There was a hopeless fnal
fly to her answer.
Bravery doesn't always consist In
doing something that is rash and fool
fish," he said.
"You don't know how much II would
have meant to me II you had proved
yourself a hero" she said. MY family
have always counted heroism as the
one best thing In life. Five Of my an
cestors were In the Revolutionary war.
and my two brothers are down ut Fort
Myer."
"And you think that I ought to 70
listT"
"Yes."
at wouldn't do any good"
"Whyf"
Because I'm physically UNIT
You're surely big enough" She
rose suddenly 10 her feet. at won't
do any good to talk about IL" she con-
tinued. I'll couldn't help wondering
why haven't you done something
about the war, and now I know.
You're afraid"
I'm sorry you should think that"
he answered. Maybe sometime youu
find that you are wrong"
"Tm glad that I found out about you
before IL was too LATE" the girl vent
on, ignoring his words. II was fool
ish to consent to marry you. anyway.
We've only known each other for O
few weeks, and you haven't told me q
single thing about yourself except that
you've been to Europe for two years
and have come back to rest from busi-
ness. You didn't even tell me what
kind of business II was"
'Is It all over. thenT'
Eyes, it's all over"
For a moment Ned Randolph stood
undecided, as IL debating further ex-
PLANTATION. Then. without a word. he
turned and made his way to the porch
of the hotel. After he had gone Myr-
tie sank down upon the sand. her head
in her hands. For a long time she lay
quiet, and then she discovered a small
ornament lying In the sand where Ned
had been standing. She picked IL up
and examined 1t c~uriously. It was q
Victoria Cross, and on its back was In.
scribed the name of Theodore Ran
dolph. She found Ned sitting In the
far corner of the veranda. Her face
crimson. she went to him directly
holding out the insignia Of honor.
"I-I found this on the sand" shs
said softly. "Is 1t yoursT
"Yes," he answered. Its NINE"
"Why didn't you tell mer
II was going to this morning. Blu
when you called me a coward, / decid
ed to let you Judge for yourself, al
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