The Mena weekly star., 1918-02-14
Home Again.
CHAPTER i'S' XIX

vantage Fyfe went on. There was the kid, and there was you. l wanted to put brake on you to make you go slow. You're q complex mdi- vidual, Stella. Along with certain fixed. fundamental principles, you've got d streak of divine madness in you. a capacity for reckless undertakines. You'd never have married me 1T you hadn't I trusted you absolutely, but was afraid in spite of my faith. You had draped such an idealistlc mantle around Monohan, l wanted to reaa that before 1t came to final sepafa- tion between us. It worked out, be- cause he couldn't resist trying to take a crack at me when the notion seized him.
 "So,'' he continued after pause. you aren't responsible. and I've never considered you responsible, for any of this It's between him and me, and it's been shaping for years Whenever our trails crossed there was bound to be a clash There's 8ys been q nat ural personal antagoi sm between us. 1t began to show when we were kids, you might say Monohans nature is such that he can't acknowledge defeat. He can't deny himself a qualification He's a supreme cgotist. He's always had plenty of money, he's always had whatever he wanted. and it never mat tered to him how he gratiied his de- sires.
 The first time we locked horns was in my last year at high school Mono- han was . star athlete. beat him in pole vault That irked him so that he sulked and sneered and generally made himself so insulting that l slap ped him. We fought, and I whipped him. had temper that l hadn't learned to keep in hand those days, and I nearly killed him. I had nothing but contempt for him, anyway. be- cause even then. when he wasn't quite twenty, he was q woman hunter, prey ing on silly girls. don't know what his magic with women is, but it works until they find him out.
 Well, from that time on he hated me, always laid for a chance to sting me. We went to Princeton the same year. We collided there, so hard that when word of it got to my fathers ears he called me home and read the riot act so strong that aared up and left Then came to the coast here and got a Job in the woods, got to be a logging boss aud went into business on my own hook eventually. I'd just got nicely started when l ran into Mono han again He'd got into timber him. self. 1 was hand logging up the coast. and I'd hate to tell you the tricks he tried. He kept fl up until 1 got too big to be harassed in petty way. Then he left me alone. But he never forgot his grudge. The stage was all set for this act long before you gave him his cue, Stella. You weren't to blame for that or If you were in part 1t doesn't matter now. I'm satisfied. Paradoxically feel rich, even though It's a long shot that I'm broke fiat. I've got something money doesn't buy And he has overreached himself at last. All his money and pull won't help him out of this jack pot Arson and attempted murder is serious bust. ness"
 They caught him." Stella said. "The constables took him down the lake to- night l saw him on their launch as they passed the Waterbug." "YesF' Fyfe said. "Quick work. I didn't even know about the shooting i'll I came in here tonight about dark. Well.' he snapped his fingers. exit Aonohan. He's dead issue so far as we're concerned. Wouldn't you like something to eat, Stella? I'm hungry, and was dog tired when I landed here. Say, you can't guess what was thinking about. lady. standing there when you came in.''
 T Sine shook her head.
 T had crazy notion of touching a match to the house." he said soberiy. letting 1t go up in smoke with the rest. Yes, that's what I was thinking would do. Then I'd take the Panther and what gear 1 have on the seows Pand pull or Roaring lake. It didn't seem as if could stay. I'd laid the foundation of fortune here and tried 10 make home and lost it all, every fhing that was worth having. And then all at once there you were, like a vision fin the door. Miracles do hap penl'
 Her arms frightened inyoluntarily about him.
 \ Oh she cried breathlessly, tour little white houseI''
 Without you" he replied softly, fit was just an empty shell of boards and piaster, something to make me ache with loneliness"
 But not now she murmured. 'It's Rome now"
 Yes" he agreed. smiling.
 'Ah, but it isn't quite" She choked down lump in her throat, mot when i think of those little feet that used 70 batter on the floor Oh, Jack. when think of my baby boy! My dear, my Gear. why did all this have to be, l wonder7n
 Fyfe stToked iier glossy coils of hair.
 We get nothing of value without price" he ssid quietly. Except by rare accident nothing that's worth hay Ing comes cheap bnd easy. We've paid The price, and we're square with the world and with each other. That's Everything"