The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-15

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Take a chance. then" he urged.
TN make fair bargain with you.
I'll make life as pleasant for you as
can. You'll live pretty much as
you've been brought up TO live. 80
Tar as money goes. The rest wen
have 20 work out for ourselves.
won't ask you TO pretend anything
you don't feel. You'll play fair. be.
cause that's the way you're made
unless I've sized you up wrong. TIN
simply be a case OF our adjusting
ourselves. Just as mating couples
have been doing since the year one.
You've everything TO gain and moth
ing TO lose"
I'm some ways" she murmured.
Every way" he insisted. You
aren't handicapped by caring for any
other man."
How do you know she asked.
Just a hunch," Fyfe smiled. IF
you did, he'd have beaten me 10 the
rescue long ago--if he were the sort
OF man you could care for"
No" she admitted. There isn't
any other man. but there might be.
Think how terrible 1t would be II IL
happened-afterward
Fyfe shrugged his shoulders.
sufficient unto the day" he said.
There is no string on either OF us
just now. We start even. That's
good enough. VIII your"
you have me at a disadvantage.
she whispered. you offer me a lot
that want, everything but a feeling
I've somehow always believed ought
to exist. ought TO be mutual Part
OF me wants to shut my eyes and
jump. Part of me wants to hang
back. | can't stand this thing I've
got into and see no way OF getting
out OF. Yet dread starting a new
train OF Indebtedness. I'm afraid
whichever way | turn"
Fyfe considered this a moment.
We'll" he said finally. that's
rather unfortunate attitude. But I'm
going into IL with my eyes open. I
know what want. You'l be making
sopt OF experiment sim, I advise
you 10 make Il. / think you'll be
the better for making II. Come on.
Say yes
Stella looked up at him. then out
over the banked snow. and all the
dreary discomforts. the mean drudg.
cry. the sordid shifts she had been
put to for months rose up I'm dis.
heartening phalanx. For that mo-
ment Jack Fyfe doomed like a tower
OF refuge. She trusted him now. She
had n feeling that even II she grew
TO dislike him, she would still trust
him. He would play fair II he said
he would do this or that, she could
bank ON II absolutely.
She turned and looked at him
! searchingly. IA long half-minute. won
dering what really lay behind the
blue eyes that met her own 80 stead.
lastly. He stood waiting patiently.
outwardly impassive. But she could
feel thru the thin stuff OF her dress
a culver in the fingers that rested
on her shoulder. and that reprcssed
sign OF the mans pent.up feeling
gave her an odd thrill. moved her
strangely. swung the pendulum of
her impulse.
Yes" she said.
Fyfe bent n little lower.
Listen" he said In characteristic.
ally blunt fashion. "You want to get
away from here. There is no sense
IN our fussing or hesitating about
what we're going TO do. Is therc?"
mo. suppose not" she agreed.
"I'il send the Panther down To the
Springs for Lefty Howe's wife," he
outlined his plans unhesitatingiy.
She'll get up here this evening. To-
morrow we will go down and take
the train to Vancouver and be mar
ried. You have plenty Of good
clothes. good enough for Vancouver.
know"--with a whimsical smile
because you had when you came
last summer, and you've had no
chance to wear them out. Then we'll
go somewhere, California, Florida,
and come back to Roaring Lake in
the spring. You'll have all the bad
taste Of this out Of your mouth by
that time"
Stella nodded acquiesccnce. Better
To make the plunge boldly. since she
had elected to make IL.
"An right. I'm going to tell Ben
ton." Fyfe said. "Good-by till to-
morrow"
She stood up. He looked at her a
long time earnestly, searchingiy, one
of her hands imprisoned tight be-
tween his two big palms. Then. be-
fore she was quite aware of his in
tention. he kissed her gently on the
mouth, and was gone.
This turn of events left Benton
dumbfounded. to use a trite but ex-
pressive phrase. He came in. appar-
emily to look at Stella In amazed
curiosity, for at first he had nothing
to say. He sat down beside his
makeshift desk and paved over some
papers. running the fingers OF one
hand thru his thick brown hair.
well. Sis" he blurted out at last.
81 suppose you know what you're
doing?"
II think So" Stella returned com
posedy.
But why all this mad haste?" he
asked. EFF you're going TO get mar
ried. why didn't you let me know. so
/ could give you some sort Of de-
cent send-off?"
"Oh. thanks" she returned dryly.
IL don't think that's necessary. Not
at this stage of the game, as you oc-
casionally remark"
He ruminated upon this a minute,
flushing slightly.
We'll l wish you luck" he said
| otp \ n ha rdtV
realize this sudden move. You and
Jack Fyfe may get on all right. He's
good sort--in his way"
His way suits me-" she said.
spurred to the defensive by what she
deemed note of dsparagcmcnt in
! his uttcrance OF YOU have any OBJ