Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-06-16
thunder

Incredible state of affairs.
81 see it all now. It's as clear as
mud" he announced finally. 'You re-
fused poor old Bill and broke his
heart, and so he went away and hasn't
had the courage to write me since. I'm
afraid Bill and l both regarded this
fight as practically wOn-all over but
the wedding march, as one might put
it. might as well confess hustled
the boy down from the mine just so
you two could get married and light
out on your honeymoon. I figured Bill
could kill two birds with one stone
have his honeymoon and get rid Of his
malaria, and return here in three or
four months to relieve me, after I had
the mine in operation. Poor boy. That
was a frlghtful song-and-dance you
gave him."
"I suspected you were the match
maker in this case. must say think
you're old enough to know better, Ca
liph John"
"You did, ehP Well, what made you
think so?"
She chuckled. "Oh, you're very OBJ
vious-to a woman"
al forgot that you reveal the past
and foretell the future"
''You are really very clumsy, Caliph.
You should never try to direct the des-
tiny of any woman"
"pm on the sick list" he pleaded,
"and it isn't sporting of you to discuss
me. You're healthy-so let us discuss
you. Dolores, do you figure Bills case
to be absolutely hopeIessT
Absolutely, Caliph.'
"Hum-m-mW
Again Webster had recourse to med
itatlon, seeing which, Dolores walked
to the pier glass in the corner, satisfied
| herself that her coiffure was just so
and returned to his side, singing softly
"a little song that had floated out over
the transom Of Webster's room door
into the hall one night:
A Spanish cavalier
Went out to rope a steer,
Along with his paper cigar-r-rol
"Caramba!" said he.
''Manana you will be
Mucho bueno carne por milo"
He turned his head and looked up at
her suddenly, searchingly. ''Is there
anybody else in BilPs wsyf'' he de-
manded. "I admit It's none of my
business, but"
"Yes, Caliph, there is some one else
81 thought So" This rather vicious.
ly. "Pm willing to gamble 100 to l.
sight unseen, that whoever he is, he
isn't half the man Bill is"
'That," she replied coldly, "is mat
ter of personal opinion"
"And Bills clock is fixed for keepsT
"Yes Caliph. And he never had a
chance from the start"
"Why not?"
swell, met the other man first, Ca
liph."
"Ohl Do you mind telling me what
this other man does for a living?"
"He's a mining man, like Billy"
"All right! Has the son of horse
thief got mine like Bills? That's
something to consider, Dolores"
"He has a mine fully as good a:
Bnly's. Like Billy, he owns hall
interest in it, too"
"Hum-m-mI How long have yoU
known him?",
''Not very long"
"Be sure you're right-then g
ahead" John Stuart Webster warned
her. "DOn't marry in haste and repen
at leisure, Dolores. Know your maj
before you let him buy the wedding
ring. There's a heap of difference, m!
dear, between sentiment and sentimen
tality."
'rm sure of my man, Caliph."
He was silent again, thinking rapid
". swell, of COURSE" he began agail
presently, "while there was the slight
est possibility of Bill winning you,
would have died before saying tina
which I am about to say to you now
Dolores, because Bill is my friend, an,
I'd never double cross him. With ref
erence to this other man, however,
have no such code to consider. TI
pretty we'll convinced I'm ont tf tn
running, but III give that lad race
It's the last act of my life. He's
stranger to me, and he isn't on the 10
. to protect his claim, so why shouldn'
l stake it If CAM But are you quit
certain you aren't making a grave mis-
take in refusing Billy2 He's quite
: boy, my dear. know him from sor
to suspenders, and he'd be awful
. good to you. He's kind and gentl
and considerate, and he's not molly
coddle, either"
81 can't help It, Caliph. Please don
talk about him any more. l kno'
somebody who is kinder and noble
| and gentler." She ceased abrupt!
fearful of breaking down her reserv
/ land saying too much.
swell, If Bnl's case is hopeless
his hand came cropping for hers, Will
t he held her with his searching. wistfl
} glance-''I wonder what mine look
like. That is. Dolores, Il"
? "Yes, John9"