Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-11-19
Ill. THE MAN MARIO.

~SA@A~0Ss
him in a gesture with which the girl
was well acquainted, head and shouI-
ders lifting above the crowd. Against
the tawny flames of naphtha torches
his profile was sharp and black. the
silhouette of an ascetic, gravely fine
but none better than she knew how its
was belied by haunted eyes
whose sincerity could wiring truth;
from lips that moved to frame a lie.
And he was looking for her; she
knew that, too.
In a furry so real that it touched
by-street, grim street that led any,
where but the way she wished to CO.:
Yet she welcomed its suIlen gloom
and went swiftly, needless of every-l
thing but the necessity of escaping,
knowing in her heart she could not,
escape. !,
Her name was called in a voice of
resonant timbre: "Leonora! 1 beg
of you i. j. It is I, Mario !"
She stopped and swung round with
a specious show of surprise subsiding!
into Indifference. Tone and manner,
were discouraging; but her heart was;
faint.
"Oh! hello. It's you -"
The man paused, hat in hand, his.
attitude one of pleading and reproach,
yet informed with an ineffaceable'
dignity.
You saw me, Leonora. Why did
you run-from meT
She tossed her head. "What makes
you think I did?"
81 do not think; know. You turned
up this street to avoid me. Leonora,
why?"
eff you thought that-that I want
ed to be left alone-why'd you follow
me?"
The man lifted his hands palms up
permost, and let them fall.
"You know :. love you. I make
no secret Of that. l have told you
how many times?-a hundred? Yes''
his enunciation grew more rapid
"and you are not Indifferent to me
You never said so, but :. know
"Oh, like you all right"
"No; more than that; too much to
wish to hurt me. Is it not so?"
"Why, I don't want to hurt you, Of
course. Buff you've got to know
was in hurry. I've got a date-ant
I'm late"
'And I am OBTAINING you! Forgive
| me-but let me 90 with you a little
way"
The girl shot hunted glances righ
and left; then, since nothing in sigh
promised diversion, said ungraciously
Nobody can stop your walking witt
me-"
Nobody but you, Leonora. On,
word"
zone word from me and you'll d.
exactly as you please" With a nerv
Gus laugh-"Oh, come along !"-sh
turned back, walking hastily, the maj
Mario falling in at her side. I'D jus
as leave you didn't come all the way
though"
"You do not wish me to know wher
you CO." He nodded sober confrma
ton of an unuttered guess. II Sc
'You see terrible lott" The gil
had a spasm of irritation. you're a
ways. seeing things. Well, what
you see nowY
'You go to meet those others"-hi
tone was sad-"those whom I have S
often begged you"
"Guess it's my business who m
friends are"
Certainly you give me no right I
make it mine. That cannot affect th
trutL that such associations are III
wise"
maybe I'm best judge of that, too
"Leonora; why pretend to me? D,
ceive yourself If you must and can
but not me, not one who loves you 9
I do. Do not attempt it, even. It
so useless"
With a courtesy the more gratifyin
because it was so novel, Mario put b
hand under her arm, lightly pilotin
her through the. human mazes of til
brawling Street, which they crosse
squarely and quickly left behind.
9 After a little while, being in tt
. wrong, she said sulkily: ST don't Sc
. why you're always making out I'm tr,
: ing to put something over on you.
never promised ;"
'True. But you know what thes
! friends Of yours are, and their way
!, whittier they lead, their inevitable en-
, You know, if you persist, your ia
:, must be as theirs"
q Il guess what's good enough for II
!. friends is good enough for me"
"No, Leonora you are too good Fl
!, that-or I could not love you"
l. The man paused, and his hold on b
q arm drew the girl to an unwilli1
v pause with him, midway down dar
n dead block of industrial building
s with a windowless wall beside the
e and not soul nearby to hear. T.
n girl was distressed, more than a litt
), humbled in her own esteem by tt
It revelation Of an affection more endr
8, ing and generous and frank than al
J. she had ever known
y Il am not common man." MAJ
p was stating simple fact, innocent
conceit. 81 know the world outside t
y one you know, and the men and wo
b en- who live in it. Where I go, 10
e, about me, and reflect on what I see.
e. am seldom mistaken in those who
a terest me. And you whom love
re I tell you, you are no more of this
IN than l, and you do wrong thing,
is wicked and cruel thing, when y
Is trample down that which is good
you and might bring you to a splent
o. destiny"
er Impressed in spite Of herse
re touched, and f1attered, too, she look
III uneasily away. twisting her hands
IN gether, her tongue faltering.
70 II suppose you know what you me