The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-11-13
The TWICE AMERICAN
By ELEANOR NJ. INGRAM

college, and all that sort of thing.
usually spent a short time there each
vacation. Constance is a handsome
girl, and kept on the social merry-go.
round ~nawadays."
Noel nodded and at last proceeded to
light his cigar. He looked suddenly
uninterested, almost bored. The I'M
broken reticence of years concerning
that inrer lie wherein he cherished
the image of the princess of the little
shoes, the ~concealment of it's very
existence, had developed jealous sen
~sitiyencss almost morbid upon that
subject. Noel did not like to hear Con-
Stances name handled with cousiniy
offhandedness; the name he himself
never spoke aloud. He had found out
what he wanted to know about Cory
Bruce; now ne wished to abandon the
subject. AT least, for the present He
had not the slightest intention of TAX
ing Bruce across the threshold of his
mind. lie was ever willing to take
elaborate precautions to prevent .nat
intrusion. Perhaps, also, he was stirred
with his first misgivings as 20 the pos
sibility OF making a childish dream
into the solid fabric 5f life for O man
and a woman. TIE Constance evoked
by Bruce's speech was no phantom,
but an actual modern woman, perhaps
too actual!
Senior Ferraz will be here, this
evening, bringing more of those re-
ports upon which you and Valdez are
working he remarked, laying his ex-
tlnguished match in the tray. 81 mean
the secret census Of the Germans in
TINS country. Remember, this matter
Is not to be spoken Of except to Valdez
or to me. The fact that the census is
being taken, is known to very few"
Bruce hardly heard the caution. His
mind had been actively employed for
the last moments in egotistical human
FASHION with his W affairs. He went
on, not with a reply to Noel's speech,
put with a continuation of his own
thoughts during the interval.
Then that was why you came to Rio
Nabuco after me! That is why you
took me from the prison and brought
me here! You recognized m name as
n you knew"
Noel's black brows knotted, his eyes
narrowed to flashes of very light grew
in his dark face.
Il thought that I had told you why I
brought you here to work for me" ne
retorted. WAS not once enough, Mr..
Bruce?"
Bruce shook his head, rising in his
excitement and resolve, SO Chat he
looked down at the man in the chair.
He could not, of course, know how
he ihtruded in forbidden places.
mo, General Noel. You see, I can't
believe that at all. Why, it is not even
reasonable Why should you take a
convict from Rio Nabuco to prac.
tise English with you? If you were
in earnest at all when you spoke about
gossiping, why, you must have
known there was nothing to gossip
about You speak better English than
/ do, now; SO IL ever you do slip into
the wrong kind, you could laugh it off
II no n would ever imagine-any-
thing" He floundered, and recovered
himself. III you did choose to use
such a mar for snch a reason why
should you bring him into your houae
as a guest and treat him with the most
delicate kindness? Kindness! Its
it's consideration! / do not know why
you like to hide your kindness and,
and masquerade as Indifferent. Per
haps you are afraid I would expect
the impossible and ask you to turn me
loose. shall not. Of course. But 1 do
wish you would tell il I'm not right
in guessing that you took me from
Rio Mabuco because you know some
of my family. If I'm wrong, II you
only brought me here to use me as you
say, I'm content and grateful. But UNI
less it is so, don't tell me that you
only trust me because you have got
the prison to hold over me like a club.
That kills what poor self respect I've
got left; 1t, it is rank in every breath
1 take. II it is so, why, I've nothing
to say. But II it is not, l wish you
would tell me So"
The stammering, fervent protest
Noel with a conviction of self
ish cruelty. He knew why he had mag
queraded. as Bruce called it; but he
had not known how hardly that mas
querade of his motives fell on the
other man. He had thought only that
he wanted no premature unwilling CT
his dream Of the Princess Constance.
He did not want his mar known
before he made 1t known to her, and
il by some chance he failed in win
ming her, he could not bear that it
should eve be known at all. Nor
did he want her to suppose, when he
went to her eventually, that he had
tried to buy her favors by Kindness
to her kinsman; but neither was he
willing to setter his own pride behind
Corey Bruce's humiliation. Simply, he
had not considered Bruce's point OF
view. He rose now, with the extreme
southern. courtesy which seemed for.
nal In northern eyes, but which long
custom had made natural to him as to-
a Latin.
&r xs.A TLEKE aAA