Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-06-27

'rYou're Almost Stranger" Hazel Re.
marked, After the First Greetings.
vet I've heard tongues wagging.
hope there's nothing in it. warned
Mr.. Wagstaff against Paul."
warned him? Why?" Hazel neg
lected the question entirely. The blunt
ness of it took her by surprise. Frank
speech was not a characteristic of
Vesta Lorimer's set.
The girl shrugged her shoulders.
"He is my brother, but that doesn't
veil my eyes," she said coolly. paul
is too crooked to lie straight in bed.
I'm glad Mr.. Wagstaff brought the lot
Of them up with a round turn-which
he seems to have done. II he had used
a club instead of his fists 1t would have
been only their deserts. suppose the
fuss quite upset your"
at did," Hazel admitted grudgingly.
1T did more than upset me-"
II thought as much" Vesta said
slowly. at made you inflict an indie
served hurt on man who should have
had better treatment at your hands
not only because he loves you, but be-
cause he is one of the few men who
deserve the best that you or any wom-
an can give"
you've said quite enough. Hazel
cried. eff you have any more insults,
please get rid Of them elsewhere. /
think you are"
'Oh, don't care what you think of
me-" the girl interrupted recklessly.
IF I did I wouldn't be here. I'd hide
behind the conventional rules of the
game and let you blunder along. But
I can't. I'm not gifted with your blind
egotism. Whatever you are, that Bill
of yours loves you, and if you care
anything for him, you should be with
him. 1 would, if 1 were lucky enough
to stand in your shoes. I'd go with
him down into hell itself gladly if he
wanted me tot"
"OhI" Hazel gasped. "Are you
clean mad?"
Shocked to DEATH, aren't your
Vesta f1eered. you can't understand.
can you? 1 love him-yes. I'm not
ashamed to own it. I'm no sentiment
tai prude to throw up my hands in hor-
ror at a perfectly natural emotion
But he is not for me. 1 dare say
couldn't give him an added heartbeat
if tried. And have little too much
pride-strange as it may seem to you
to try, so long as he is chained hand
and foot to your chariot. But you're
making him suffer. And I care enough
to want him to live all his days hap
PLY. He is q man, and there are so
few of them, real men. If you can
make him happy, I'd compel you-to do
SO, If had the power. You couldn't
understand that kind of a love. oh,
1 could choke you for your stupid dis
loyalty. I could do almost anything
that would spur you to action. 1 can't
rid myself of the hopeless, reckless
mood he is in. There are so few of his
kind, the patient. strong, loyal. square
dealing men, with a woman's tender
ness and lions courage. Any woman
should be proud and glad to be his
mate, to mother his children. And
you"
She threw out her hands with sud-
den, despairing gesture. The blue
eyes grew misty, and she hid her face
in her palms. Before that passionate
outburst Hazel sat dumbly amazed.
staring, uncertain In a second Vesta
lifted her head defiantly.
81 had no notion of breaking out like
this when came up she said quiet
~. II was going to be very adroit. I
intended to give you friendly boost
along the right road, If / could But
1t has all been bubbling inside me for
a long time. You perhaps think 1t very
unwomanly-but I don't care much
what you think. My little heartache
Is incidental. one Of the things HE