Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-01-23
CHAPTER discontinued.

Mr.. Gassett smiled. mot old Yves
ley Kip's girl?'
81 believe 1 did hear Miss Kip call
her father Wesley"
swell, I'd like to help Yves out.
suppose 1 might take a chance. Dc
You think you can pay for the ring in
ninety dayST
"EasiIy!'
Wimburn would have promised to
tear down the world and rebuild it in
ninety days.
II shall have to add little to the
price for the risk and the accommOda-
tion.''
Anything you like" said Clay mag
nifcently.
Cali it two hundred dollars"
'Certainlyw One could hardly
haggle over an engagement ring.
'I'll ask you to sign little docu-
ment"
with pleasure"
He would have signed an agreement
to surrender a pound of his flesh.
Clay hurried out to find Daphne and
He might have taken further alarm
from the immense and greedy rapture
Daphne revealed at the sight of the
petrified dewdrop set in the golden
circlet. Women are all misers when
it comes to diamonds.
Wimburn noted only the joy the
bauble gave to Daphne, and the pretty
Submissiveness with which she poked
out her slender finger and slid it into
the fetter. He felt that the kiss of
Alliance was worth years of hard labor.
1t was hard and bitter to rend their
cemented hearts in twain, but he had
TO 90 At last Sfle fioated him to the
station in the little car and waved him
through the iron paling. She was I'm
maginably precious and pitiful as she
stood there, and he wanted to blubber
when the vestibule was slammed shut
and the train slid out of the station
like a merciless snake.
He vowed thai he would work with
the strength of ten and pile up a for
tune in the bank for her. But first
he must pile up enough to pay for that
solitaire.
Clay wrote Daphne a fat letter ev- |
cry day. He usually sneaked it in |
among his business correspondence |
and took great pains that it Should |
never miss the Lake Shore limited at |
five-thirty in the afternoon. A spe-
cial-delivery stamp put the letter in
Daphne's hands every next forenoon.
But after the letter had gone he
usually remembered that he had omit
ted to include some message of fright
fully important urgence. So he had
to send her every night a night letter,
and frequently of mornings he must
fire off day letter. These cost only
sixty cents apiece, but often he had
to send them in double or triple
length.
For occasions where time was yet
more uncomfortable there was the tele-
phone-a pittance of three dollars and
twenty-five cents for the first three
and dollar and five cents
for each additional minute or fraction
thereof would bring his lips to Daph-
ne's ear.
From the little rubber mouth of the ;
her voice came to him as ,
from distant star by interplanetary
The sense of remote
ness was unbearable. She seemed to ..
,e dead and wailing across eternity. ,
Clay Wimburn was in complete dis
ress. His health wavered and his Of ,
ice work suffered till it won rebukes {
md threats from his chiefs and com
nent even from Bayard Kip, who
lever suspected and was never told OF !
infatuatiOn for his sister. 8
With lovers logic Wimburn per- !
uaded himself that the only one who
ould save him from destruction was a
Daphne. With her married and all, II
FORK, he could take up his office tasks
With whole heart. SO he began to 4
write, and to telegraph, and to groan 9
cross the living wire wilder and I,
Wider cries for help. h
Daphne wept back and repaid his n
JuElIlSs III MIMI anu Hulltitu | II
ending ecstasies of yearning. And
nally she promised frantically to
larry him without further delay.
With desire TO economize in pain
he broke the double news to her two Il
nrents at the same time. telling them m
9th that she was engaged and that Sc
he was about TO wed. tt
They were stunned. They had never q
lpegienced suspicion of the acute OF
ate of Daphnes heart affairs. II Is In
ally astounding how blind parents h,
&c to their children's activities and fr
Nv much can 20 on under their noses
ithout catching their heavy eyes. 81
Daphne easily browbent her father ri
ID mother into consenting to her di