El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-05-14
b. Vngnra TerhuHs
Van de Water.

If you knew what I have been through,
you would not wonder that I get
/ cross sometimes"
Elizabeth waited IN silence. She
/ hoped. yet feared that this man would
/ tell her of his long illness and of his
meeting with her brother. She won
] dered il. she could appear as casually
/ interested and as ignorant as her role
I 4 Reconciliation.
At last Butler spoke. I have been
| so much absorbed in affairs on the
I farm since / came that I have not
/ let myself think Of the past year
I But when your cousin said what she
did tonight. I remember il ALL and I
/ felt sick as 1 thought of It. That was
why I spoke so hastily Then when I
! saw the look that came TO your face
L appreciate how rude I had been
Never mind that now" the girl
. said. I acknowledge that some Wom-
en- are fussy creatures
He regarded her graTely. Miss
Moore" he said do you know you
are the first woman ever met who
was. 10 all appearances absolutely
{ lacking in curiosity"
Indeed" she rejoined. why DO
you think that Of me2"
Because I have said things about
myself that might mean almost any
! thing. and you have not asked me a
! single question"
why should To- she argued. ct
/ is none Of my business, Is IT. II you
want TO tell ne a thing, you VIII tell
( # If you don't I don't want 70
hear it."
well he said slowly, zone thing
I viii tell you is that you are most
unusual person 1t IS rather strange,
/ isn't It, that since the first evening j
came you and have hardly ex-
changed three Words Yet here We
are talking like old scquaintances-
Yes" she admitted 1T is strange
Il wonder how wei you know the
owner Of this farm-Dr- WadeE' But
Ter asked suddenly Have you ever
met him2"
yes Elizabeth replied. q have
seen him here quite often
Well he is, as you know. friend
OF mine" Butler went on That is
I-well-I met him when I was stay
ing out in a place at the West where
he is praCticluE physician de men
toned to me that he had a farm that
was not paying. I wanted TO try out
what I know about scientific farm
inE-so suggested that he let me
come on and see what can be done
This man could act a part as vel
as she could. Elizabeth reflected He
was not saying word about his in
health-the one thing that made II
advisable for him 70 come here
Worth Saving.
well" she remarked easily, Il hape
you find the place worth saving from
the ruin that DR.. Wade seemed 10
fear"
Indeed 7 do" her companion de-
c1ader. IF only could get Chaplin 10
see what might be done But he has
q notion"
He stopped abruptly.
Weir Elizabeth leaned forward
in unfeigned interest
beg your pardon again!" But
Ter exclaimed. For the moment ]
tn Sc lei -
"Oh-h-T mean the relationship
IS not on that side OF the family.
the girl anssured him I VIII not be
veZed at anything you say OF Cousin
Amos. Now. II YOU criticized Cousin
Martha, that would be a different
matter"
But the man was not to be betrayed
into any indfscretiou. and she knew
that II would be unwise to urge him
TO explain
"Oh. we'll" he said. 'T only meant
that Mr. Chaplin has some old-fash-
Toned ideas about working the place.
From what he let slip the other day.
fancy he thinks OF buying out
Wade's interest In that case. OF
course he would not care TO have the
farm made more valuable Just yet It
would be door business
Yes" Elizabeth agreed, at would
be Door business"
A dark figure stole around the
corner OF the Veranua. ana stood IN
the shadows watching the pair In
tentIy. Close 10 the figure. crouched
a black dog
The girl did not look around, but
she was vaguely conscious OF some
sinister presence. She stood up.
T must 90 UP and help Cousin
Martha she announced abruptly.
Good night M Butler"
fTo he continued.
a hedeEL. thesweredsf- aware