Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-02-13

voice.
"You mean-whether you love mop
She nodded. "I-admire you more
than any man I ever met. You are
a great man, strong and powerful
and I am so insignificant beside you
lam drawn to you-so much. But
I am not sure"
'I'm going away for two days. Per-
haps when L come back you will know,
Sheba. Take your time. Marriage Is
serious business. I want you tG re-
member that my life has been very
different from yours. You'll hear all
sorts of things about me. Some of
them are true. There Is this differ
ence between man and good wom-
an. He fights and falls and fights again
and wins. But good woman is finer.
She has never known the failure that
drags one through slime and mud. Her
goodness is born in her; she doesn't
have to fight for it,
The girl smiled little TREMENDOUSLY.
Doesn't she? We're not all angels,
you know"
II hope you're not There will need
to be lot Of the human in you to
make allowances for Colby Macdon-
ald," he replied with an answering
smile.
When he said good-by it was with a
warm, strong handshake.
''I'll be back in two days. Perhaps
you'll have good news for me then"
he suggested.
The dark, silken lashes Of her eyes
lifted shyly to meet his. -
"Perhaps," she said.
During the absence Of Macdonald
the field agent saw less of Sheba than
he had expected, and when he did see
her she had an distracted manner he
did not quite understand. She kept to
her own room a good deal, except when
she took long walks into the hills back
of the town. Diane had shrewd idea
that the Alaskan had put his fortune
to the test, and she not only let her
cousin alone herself, but Tended Cor
don from her adroitly.
The third day after the dinner FL
hot dropped around to the Pagets with
intent to get Sheba into set OF ten
mis-. Diane sat on the porch darning
socks. ...r.-
"Sheba is out walking with Mr.. Mac
donald" she explained in answer to a
question as to the whereabouts Of her
guest.
"Oh, he's back, is he?" remarked
Gordon modify. ....
'He came back this morning. Sheba
has gone up with him to see the Lucky
Strike"
"You're going to marry her to that
man II you can, aren't you" he
charged.
IT can, Gordon" She slipped
darning ball into one Of little Peters
stockings and placidly trimmed the
hole. -
tits what I call Conspiracy"
'Is it?' Diane smiled.
Gordon understood her smile to
mean he was jealous.
maybe am. That's not the point"
he answered, just as If she had made
her accusation in wOrdS.l
Suppose you tell me what the point
u.s." she suggested.
'He isn't good enough for her. You
know that perfectly well.'
"Good enoughv' She shrugged her
shoulders. "What man is good enough
for nice girl, if you come to that?
There are other things besides sugary
goodness. Any man who is strong can
make himself good enough for the
woman he loves"
Generally speaking, yes. But Colby
Macdonald Is different"
'"Thank heaven he IT," she retorted
impatiently. Then added after q mo-
ment: Gle isn't a Sunday-school su-
perlntendent If that's what you mean"
"That isn't what I mean at all. But
there's such thing as a difference
between right and wrong, isn't there?"
"Oh, yes. For instance, Mr.. Mac
donald is right about the need Of de-
veloping Alaska and the way to do 1t,
and you are wrong"
I'm not talking about essential
right and wrong. Miss O'Neill is ideal
izing Macdonald. I don't suppose
you've told her, for instance, that he
made his first money in the North
running a dance hail."
mo, I haven't told her any such
thing, because it isn't true" she re-
piled scOrnfully. "He owned an opera
house and brought In a company Of
players. I dare say they danced.
That's very different, as you'd know If
you didn't have astigmatism Of the
mind"
'Not the way the story was told me.
But let that pass. Does she know that |
beat her father out of one
Of the best claims on Bonanza and was
Indirectly responsible for his death?"
whats the use Of talking nonsense,
Gordon. You know you can't prove
that" his friend told him sharply.
II think can-if it is necessary"
Diane looked across at him with an
lmpudent little tilt Of the chin. IT
don't think I like you as we'll as I |
used to-"
Sorry, because I'd like you just as
we'll, Diane, if you would stop trying
70 manage your cousin into marriage
hat will spoil her life" he answered
1.-THE happiness Of Miss
O'Neill is of very great Importance to