Connecticut western news., 1919-12-25

cn1I0 J" she exclaimed, Tn an OuIDurSl of temper "after all these years to throw herself away in an infatuation for COW puncher when there are men like MT. Conward-"
 "Conward" !" interrupted Dave.
 "He has the manners of gentle man," she said, in tone intended to be crushing.
 And the morals of a coyote" Dave returned hotly.
 "O-o-o-h!" said Mrs. Hardy, in low, shocked cry. That Elden should speak of Conward with such disdain seemed to her little less than sacrilege. Then, gathering herself together with some dignity: If you cannot speak re- spectfully of MT. Conward you will please leave the house. I shall not forbid you to see Irene; know that would be useless. But please do not trouble me with your presence"
 When Dave had gone Mrs. Hardy rang up Conward's number.
 "Oh, MT. Conward !" she said. "You know who is speaking? .. Yes. You must come up tonight. do want to talk with you. live been insult ed-in my own house. By that-that Elden. It's all very terrible. I can't tell you over the telephone"
 Conward called early in the evening. Mrs. Hardy had heard the bell and hustled into the room. She had not yet recovered from her agitation, and made no effort to conceal 1t.
 Come into my sitting room, MT. Conward. I am so glad you have come. Really, I am so upset. It Is such a comfort to have some one you can de pend on-some one whose advice one can seek, on occasions like this. never thought"
 "There, there" he said. 'sYou must control yourself. Tell me. It will re lieve you, and perhaps can help"
 "Oh, I'm sure you can," she re turned. "It's all over Irene and that that-I will say it---that COW puncher. To think it should have come to this Mir. Conward, you are not mother, so you can't understand. Ungrateful girl But I blame him. And the doctor. l never wanted him to come West. It was that fool trip, in that fool mo- tor"
 Conward smiled to himself over her unaccustomed violence. Mrs. Hardy must be deeply moved when she for got to be correct. He had readily sur missed the occasion of her distress. It needed no words from Mrs. Hardy to tell him that Irene and Dave were en. gagged. He had expected it for some time, and the information was not al, together distasteful to him. He had come somewhat under the spell of Irene's attractiveness, but he had no deep attachment for her. He was not aware that he had ever had an abid- ing attachment for any woman. Att tachments were things which he put on and off as readily as change of clothes. He planned to hit Dave through Irene, but he planned that when he struck it should be death blow. Their engagement would lend sharper edge to his shaft.
 It may as well be set down that for Mrs. Hardy Conward had no regard whatever. Even while he shaped soft words for her ear he held her in con- tempt To him she was merely a silly old woman.
 From the day he had first seen Mrs. Hardy his attitude toward her had been one of subtle flattery, partly be cause 1t pleased his whim and partly on that same day he had seen Irene, and he was shrewd enough, to know that his approach to the girls affec- tions must be made by way of the ac- quaintanceship which he would estab- fish under the guise of friendship for her mother. Since his trouble with Dave Conward had a double purpose in developing that acquaintanceship He had no compunctions as to his method of attack. While Dave was manfully laying siege to the front gate Conward proposed to burglarize the home through the back door of family intimacy. And now that Dave seemed to have won the prize Con- ward realized that his own position was more secure than ever. Had he not been called in consultation by the girls mother? Were not the inner af- l1C 1dilIIy llOW sldlu OpeH De fore him? Did not his position as her mothers adviser permit him to assume toward Irene an attitude which, in a sense, was more intimate than even Dave's could be? He turned these matters over quickly in his mind and congratulated himself upon the wisdom of his tactics.
 "It's very dreadful" Mrs. Hardy was saying, between dabbings of her per fumed handkerchief on eyes that bore witness to the genuineness of her dis tress. 'Irene is not an ordinary girl She has in her qualities that justified me in hoping that-that she would do very different from this. Need conceal from you, Mir. Conward-from you, of all men-what have been my hopes for Irene?'
 Conward's heart Ieaped at the con-