Courier Democrat., 1918-10-17
ayNoPsls.

Haxel Weir is employed as a stenographer
IN the office Of Harrington and Bush. She
estate agent, and | the 1aSdl wedding day Is set.
While walking with him one Sunday they
meet Mr.. Bush, Hazers employer, who for
the first time to noce at hsE s
rapher. After three. months Mr.. Bush
proposes marriage. which Hazel declines,
Hazel leaves her employment, Mr.. Bush
refusing him.
| CHAPTER II-Bush makes an effort, by
g. gift of flowers, to compromise Hazel in
them. The next day Bush is thrown from
his horse and fatally hurt. He sends for
Hazel. who refuses to see him before he
fsys he efe sgaey It et to
Hazel. Gin reparation for any wrong I
may have done her.. Hazel recognizes at
once what construction will be put upon
CHAPTER I1I--Jack Barrow, in fit
of Jealous demands IRON nrd an
lis hurt. and she refuses; The engage
ment is broken and Hazel determines to
leave Granville She sees an riheo
Meadows. British Columbia. and secures
the situation.
Wnen sunday noon arrived, ana the
phone had failed to call her once, and
not one of all her friends had dropped
in, Hazel twisted her chair so that she
could stare at the image Of herself in
the mirror.
you're in a fair way to become
pariah, it seems" she said bitterly.
"What have you done, I wonder, that
you've lost your lover, and that Alice
and May and Hortense and all the rest
Of them keep away from you? Moth
tng-not thing-except that your
looks attracted man., and the man
:-----:: STONES wIen lie co;!:1.. ....,.
his way. Oh, well, what's the differ
ence? You've got two good hands, and
you're not afraid Of work."
She walked out to Granville park
after luncheon, and found seat on a
shaded bench beside the lake. People
passed and repassed-couples, young
sters, old people, children. 1t made
her lonely beyond measure. She had
never been isolated among her own
kind before.
A group of young people came saun-
tering along the path. Hazel looked
up as they neared her, chattering to
each other. Maud Steele and Bud
Wells, and-why, she knew every one
Of the party. Hazel caught her breath
as they came abreast, not over ten feet
away. The three young men raised
their hats self-consciously.
"Hello, Hazel!" the girl said.
But they passed on. 1t seemed to
Hazel that they quickened their pace
trifle. 1t made her grit her teeth
In resentful anger. Ten minutes later
she left the park and caught a car
home. Once in her room she broke
down.
"Oh, I'll go mad if 1 stay here and
this sort Of thing goes on!" she cried
forlornly.
A sudden thought struck her.
"Why should stay here?" she said
aloud. "Why? What's to keep me
here? can make my living any
where"
"But, no." she asserted passionately,
Il won't run away. That would be
running away, and haven't anything
to be ashamed of. 1 will not rum"
Still the idea kept recurring to her.
1t promised relief from the hurt of
averted faces and GOODNESS where she
had right to expect sympathy and
friendship.
The legal notice Of the bequest was
mailed to her. She tore up the letter
and threw it In the fire as II it were
some poisonous thing. The idea o1
accepting his money stirred her to per
feet frenzy. If she could have poured
the whole miserable tale into some
sympathetic ear she would have felt
better, and each day would have
seemed less hard. But there was nc
such ear. Her friends kept away.
Saturday Of the second week he1
pay envelope contained a brief notice
that the firm no longer required her
services. There was no explanation
only perfunctory regrets; and truth
to tell, Hazel cared little to know the
real cause. Any one Of number OF
reasons might have been sufficient
But she realized how those who knew
her would take it. what cause they
would ascribe. 1t did not matter,
though. The very worst, she reasoned
could not be so bad as what had al
ready happened-could be no more dis.
agreeable than the things she had en-
dured In the past two weeks. Losing
position was trif1e. But it set
her thinking again.
She stopped at a news stand and
bought the evening papers. Up in the
top rack of the stand the big heads of
an assorted lot Of Western papers
caught her eye. She bought two or
three on the impulse Of the moment,
without any definite purpose except
to look them over out of mere curl
osity. With these tucked under her
arm, she turned into the boarding
house gate, ran up the steps, and, upon
opening the door, her ears were glad
dened by the first friendly voice she
had heard-it seemed to her-in ages,
.I.-