Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-05-14
PETER BKYNE
AZ7HOR or |CHRDI RICHc
COPYRIGHT, BY PETER BKYNE

there appeared certain debts III the
consideration Of which Shirley always
lost her temper and was Immediately
quite certain she loathed the unfor
tunate man.
He had been an honored and (for
aught Shirley knew to the contrary
welcome guest In the Pennington home
one night, and the following day had
assaulted his host, committed great
bodily injuries upon the latters en-
ployees for little or no reason save the
satisfaction of an abominable temper.
made threats of further violence, de-
clared his unfaltering enmity to her
nearest and best-loved relative. and in
the next breath had had the insolence
to prate of his respect and admiration
for her
However. all of these grave crimes
and misdemeanorS were really insig-
nificant compared with his browning
Otfense. What had Infatuated Shirley
was the fact that she had been ut some
pains to inform Bryce Cardigan that
she loathed him-whereat he had
looked her over coolly. grlnned little.
and declined to believe her! Then.
seemingly as If fate had decreed that
her futilIty should be impressed upon
her still further. Bryce Cardigan had
been granted an opportunity to save.
in strikingly calm, heroic and pain
full manner, her and her uncle from
certain and horrible death, thus plac-
ing upon Shirley an obligation that
was as irritating to acknowledge as 1t
was futile to attempt to reciprocate.
That was where the shoe pinched.
Before that day was over she had
been forced to do one Of two things
acknowledge in no uncertain terms her
Indebtedness to him. or remain silent
and to be convicted Of having been, in
plain language. rOtter. So she had
telephOned him and purposely left
ajar the door to their former friendly
relations.
Monstrous! He had seen the open
door and deliberately slammed 1t In
her face Luckily for them both she
had heard, all unsupported by him as
he slowly hung the receiver on the
hook, the solilOquy wherein he gave
her pointed hint Of the distress with
which he bdicated-which knowledge
was all that deferred her from despis-
Ing him with the fervor Of a woman
scOrned.
The fascination which lighted
candle holds for moth is too well
known to require further calculation
here. In yielding one day to a desire
to visit the Valley Of the Giants, Shir-
ley told herself that she was going
there to gather wild blackberries. She
had been thinking of a certain black
berry pie, which thought naturally in
duced reflection on Bryce Cardigan
and reminded Shirley of her first visit
to the Giants under the escort of a boy
in knickerbockers.
Her meeting with MORA McTavish
that day, and the subsequent friend
ship formed with the woOds-hoss'
daughter, renewed all her apprehen-
sions. On the assumption that Shir-
ley and Bryce were practically
strangers to each other Gan assump-
ton which Shirley. for obvious rea.
sons. did not attempt to dissipate).
MORA did not hesitate to mention
Bryce very frequently. TO her he was
the one human being in the world
utterly worth while, and it is nat
ural for women to discuss, fire.
Quently and at great length, the
subject nearest their hearts. Moirn