Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-05-03
CHAPTER XII.
Sheba Says "Perhaps."

den with the excuse that he had blue
prints to work over. Presently Dian,
said she thought she heard one of tn,
children crying and left to investigate
| The Scotsman strobe to the fireplac,
and stood looking down into the glow
Ing Goals. He seemed in no hurry t.
break the silence and Sheba glanced
at his strong brooding face a little ap
prehensively. She knew of only one
subject that would call for so formal
private talk between her and Mac
donald, and any discussion Of this she
would very much have liked to post
pOne.
He turned from the fire to Sheba. II
was characteristic of him that he
plunged straight at what he wanted
to say.
1--we asked to see you alone, Miss
O'Neill, because 1 want to make a con-
fessiOn and restitutiOn-tO begin
WITH" he told her abruptly.
She had a sense of suddenly stilled
pulses. THAT sounds very serious "
The young woman smiled family.
His face of chiseled granite masked
all emotion. 1t kept under lock and
key the insurgent impulses that moved
him when he looked into the slOe eyes
charged with reserve. Back of them,
he felt. was the mystery of purity, of
maidenhOOd. He lOnged to know her
better. to find out and to appropriate
for himself the woman that lay behind
the fine veil Of flesh. She seemed to
him delicate as a flame and as vivid.
There would come day when her in
nOcent, passiOnal nature would re-
spOnd to the love of man as a wait
ing harp does to skillful fingers.
my story goes away back to the
Klondike days. l told you that
knew your father on Frenchman creek.
but / didn't say much about knowing
him on Bonanza"
'Mr. Strong has told me something
about the days on Bonanza, and knew
you would tell me more some day
when you wanted to speak about it."
"YOur father was among the first of
those who stampeded to Bonanza. He
and Strong took a claim together.
bought out the interest of your ia
ther"
you told me that"
His masterful eyes fastened to hers.
II didn't tell you that l took advan-
tage of him. He was-nOt well. I
used that against him in the bargain
ing. He wanted ready money, and l
tempted him."
"Do you mean that you-wronged
him?"
"Yes. / cheated him." He resolved
to gloss over nothing. to offer no ex-
cuses. II didn't know there was gold
in the claim. but / had what we call
bunch. l took the claim without
giving value received"
Butt don't understand" Her
brave, steady eyes looked directly into
those of Macdonald. IF he felt YOU
had-dOne him a wrong-why did he
come to you when he was ill?"
HE was coming to demand Justice
of me. On the way he suffered ex-
posture and caught pneumonia. The
word reached us. and Strong and I
brought him to our cabin"
you faced a blizzard to bring him
In. Mr.. Strong told me how YOU
risked your life by carrying him
through the storm-hOw you wouldn't
give up and leave him. though YOU
were weak and staggering yourself.
He says 1t was a miracle you ever got
through"
I'm not heartless," said Macdonald
"Of course 1 did that. I
had to do 1t. 1 couldn't do less"
Nor more" she suggested. "You
may have made hard bargain with |
him. but you wiped that out later"
That's just what didn't do. Don't |
hink my conscience is troubling me.
I'm not such a mush-brained fool. II |
{ had not been for you / would never
nave thought Of It again. But you are
his daughter. What l cheated him out
# belongs to yOu-and you are my
riend.'
Don't use that word about what you
lid. please. He wasn't a child. If
'ou got the best Of him in n bargain.
don't think father would think of il
hat way"
The difficulty was that he could not
ell her the truth about her fathers
weakness for drink and how he had
'layed upon 1t. He bridged all expla-
atiOns and passed to the thing he
meant to do in reparation.
'The money l cleaned up from that
lain belongs to you. Miss O'Neill. You
viii Oblige me by taking it,"
From his pocket he took a folded
aper and handed it to her. Sheba
pened 1t doubtfully. The paper con-
aimed a typewriter statement and to
was attached check by means of a
lip. The check was made out to her
nd signed by Colby Macdonald. The
mount it called for was S1S3.431.
"Oh, / couldn't take this. Mr.. Mac
onald-I couldn't. 1t doesn't belong
, me-" she cried.
ut belongs to yOu-and you're going
, take it."
II wouldn't know what to do with
, much" ,
1.-THE hank will take caro NJ Il 10.