Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-03-20
Copyright by Peter b. Kyne.
CHAPTER x.

A careful analysis of Shirley's feel
|ings toward Bryce Cardigan immedi-
ately following the incident in Pen
nington's woods, had showed her that
under more propitions circumstances
she might have fallen in love with
that tempestuous young man in
sheer recognition of the many low
able and. manly qualities she had dis
cerned in him. AS an offset to the
credit side of Bryces account with
her. however, there appeared certain
debts in the consideration of which
Shirley always lost her temper and
was Immediately quite certain she
loathed the young man.
He had been an honored and Qor
aught Shirley knew to the contrary
welcome guest in the Pennington
home one night, and the following
day had assaulted his host. commit
ted great bodily injuries upon the
latter's employees 70 little or no
reason save the satisfaction of an
abominable temper made threats OF
further violence. declared his I'M
faltering emnity to her nearest and
best beloved relative, and in the next
breath had had the insolence to pirate
of his respect and admiration for her,
However. all of these grave crimes
and misdemeanors were really insig-
nificant compared with his browning
offense. What had Infatuated Shirley
was the fact that she had been at
some pains to inform Bryce Cardi-
gan that she loathed him-whereat
he had looked her over cody, grinned
a little rand declined to believe her!
Then. seemingly as if fate had decreed
that her futility should be impressed
upon her still further. Bryce~Cardi-
gan had been granted an opportuni-
ty to save in stri!iinsly calm, hero'c,
and painful manner. her and her
uncle from certain and h"rrih'H
death, thus placing upon Sh'r'~ ny"
obligation that was as ,irr'f"' -. to
acknowledge as it \ las futile to re-
ciprocate.
That was where ~" fe pinched.
Before that day r'~~ Ter she hao
been forced to do ~~c If two things
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 pnr-
posely left ajar the door to their Tor
mer friendly relations.
Monstrous He had seen the
open door and deliberately slam
med it in her face. Luckily for them
both She had heard. all unsuspected
by him as he slowly hung the re-
ceiyer on the hook, the soliloau'
wherein he gave her a pointed hint
of the distress with which ne aSdlcat-
ed-which knowledge was all that de-
TERED her from despising him with
the fervor of woman scorned.
The facination which "a lighted
candle holds for moth is too wen
known to require further elucida-
ton here In yielding one day to de-
sire to visit the Valley of Giants,
Shirley told herself that she was
going there to gather wild black
berries. She had been thinking of
certain blackberry pie which thought
naturally induced reflection on
Bryce Cardigan and reminded Shir-
ley of her first visit to the Giants
under the escort OF a boy in knick-
erbockers.
Her meeting with Moria McTavish
that day., and the subsequent friend
ship formed with the woods-boss'
daughter. renewed all her aeprehen-
s:ons On the assumption that Shlr-
lev and Bryce were practically
strangers to each other Can aasump-
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
subjects nearest their hearts. MORA
describedNBryc in minute detail and
related to her eager auditor little
unconscious daily acts Of kindness.
thoughtfulness or humor performed
by Bryce--his devotion to his father,
his idealistic attitude toward the Car
digan employees, his ability, his in
dustry. And presently, little by little,
Shirley's resentment against him
faded and in her hear! was horn n
great usefulness bred of the hope
that some day she would meet Bryce
Cardigan on the street and that he
would pause, lift his hat. smile at
her his compelling smile and forth
with proceed to bully her into being
friendly. and forgiving-browbeat her
into admitting her change of heart
.glorying in 1t.
To this remarkable state OF mind
had Shirley Sumner attained at the
time John Cardigan, leading his last
little trump in vain hope that It
would enable him TO take the odd
trick in the huge game he had play.
ed for fifty years, decided to sell
his Valley of the Giants.
Shirley. as explained in a preced-
ing chapter, had been present the
night John Cardigan, desperate and
brought to bay at last, had tele-
phoned Pennington at the latters
Hbme, accepting Pennington's last
t {: e.: 20: the Valley Of the Giant:
The cruel triumph in the Coloners
handsome face as he CURLY rebuffed
old Cardigan had been too apparent
for the girl to mistake: she realized
noW that a crisis had come in the
affairs OF the Cardigans, and across
her vision there flashed again the
vision OF Bryce Cardigan'sr home-
coming.of q tall old man with his
trembling arms clasped ~aro,iYld hia
boy, with grizzled cheek laid against
his sons, as one who. seeking COM
fort thru bitter years, at length had
found It. 4. b
Presently another thought came to
Shirley II wondei,!' she mused
i. A !, !. i, ~ i, s.