Connecticut western news., 1918-01-17

of. I've got nothing to conceal"
 Don't conceal it, then" Barrow muttered sulkily. eve got a right to know whatever there is to know if Pm going to marry you. You don't seem to have any idea what this sort of talk that's going around means to a man."
 Hazel stopped short and faced him. Her heart pounded sickeningly, and hurt pride and rising anger choked her for an instant. But she managed to speak calmly, perhaps with added calmness by reason of the struggle she was compelled to make for self control
 ''If you are going to marry me-" she repeated, ''you have got a right to know all there is to know. Have refused to explain? I haven't had much chance to explain yet. Have refused to tell you anything? Would any reasonable explanation make an impression on you in your present frame of mind. I don't want to marry you if you can't trust me. Why, I couldn't wouldn't-marry you any time, or any place, under those con- ditions, no matter how much I may foolishly care for you"
 There's just one thing, Hazel" Bar row persisted stubbornly. "There must have been something between you and Bush. You're not helping yourself by getting on your dignity and talking about my not trusting you, instead of explaining these things"
 'A short time ago." Hazel told him quietly, "Mr. Bush asked me to marry him. I refused, of course. He"
 ''You refused" Barrow interrupted cynically. "Most girls would have jumped at the chance"
 "Jac1 r' she protested.
 "Well," Barrow defended, "ke was almost millionaire and I've got noth- ing but my hands and my brain. But suppose you did refuse him. How does that account for the five thousand dol lars"
 q think" Hazel flung back passion ately, "I'll let you find that out for yourself. You've said enough now to make me hate you almost. Your very manners an insult"
 'If you don't like my manner" Barrow retorted stormily. Then he cut his sentence in two, and glared at her. The twin devils of jealousy and distrust were riding him hard, and it flashed over Hazel that in his mind she was prejudged, and that her ex- p'anation, if she made 1t, would only add fuel to the flame.
 She turned abruptly and left him. What did it matter, anyway? She was too proud to plead, and it was worse than useless to explain.
 Even so, womanlike, she listened, ex- pecting to hear Jacks step ,hurrying up behind. She could not imagine him letting her. go like that. But he did not come. and when, at a distance of two blocks, she stole a backward glance, he had disappeared. ~
 She returned to the boarding house. The parlor door stood wide, and the curious, quickly averted glance of a girl she knew sent her quivering up to her room. There was only one cheer. ful gleam. She loved Jack Barrow. She believed that he loved her, and she could not believe-she could not conceive-him capable of keeping aloof, obdurate and unforgiving, once he got out of the black mood he was in.
 She was still sitting by the window, watching the yellow crimson of the sunset, when someone rapped at her door. A uniformed messenger boy greeted her when she opened it:
 Package for Miss Hazel Weir"
 She signed the delivery sheet. The address on the package was in Jacks handwriting. A box of chocolates, or Some little peace offering maybe. That was like Jack when he was sorry for anything. They had quarreled be- fore-over trfffes, too.
 She opened it hastily. A swift heart sinking followed. In the small card board box rested folded scarf, and thrust in it a small gold stickpin- the only thing she had ever given Jack Barrow. There was no message. She needed none to understand.
 The sparkle of the small diamond on her finger drew her gaze. She worked his ring over the knuckle, and dropped it on the dresser, where the face in the silver frame smiled up at her. She stared at the picture for one long minute fixedly, with unchangfng expression, and suddenly she swept it from the dresser with savage sweep of her hand, dashed 1t on the floor, and stamped 1t shapeless with her slippered heel.
 ooh, oh !'' she gasped. "I hate you I hate you! I despise youp
 And then she flung herself across the bed and sobbed hysterically into pillow.
 Through the night Hazel dozed fit fully, waking out of uneasy sleep to lie Stn1.ino yuide-eYed intn the dark.