The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-12-27


haven't told me how you happened to
come back with Beasley and his
posse"
That was just a coincidence
reached Atropia on the early morning
train and met Mr. Beasley and his
men just as they were starting ND the
mountain. Cousin Buddy Fuller had
told me how he had telegraphed to
Angels for Mr.. Beasley. and / was
scared to death, Of course. because I
knew what il meant So I borrowed
the Haggertys' pony and came along
with the posse"
There was silence for a little time;
such silence as the Gathering and
hammering Of the carpenters and
steam-htters permitted. Then I said:
And when you got here. the first
thing did was TO call you Mrs Bull
lerton'. / don't blame you for not be-
ing able to forgive me. Jeanne. girl;
honestly, j don't"
''It was worse than a crime" she
averred solemnly; at was a blunder.
What made you do it?'
partly because / was a jealous
fool; but mostly because l was sore
and sorry and disappointed / thought
Fullerton had beaten me to TT
"No," she said quite soberiy; sit
was Miss Randle who beat you TO t."
gasped. There were tremendous
possibilities in that cool answer OF
hers; prodigious possibilities.
But sayr | burst out: didn't /
tell you that Lisette had pushed me
overheard long agO?
II know. She was sensible enough
to see that you and she couldn't live
on nothing q year. But now that you
are rich, or are going to be I'm
sure you are not going to be less gen.
erous than she was. What if she did
take your ring off in a moment of dis
couragement, and knowing that you
couldn't buy her hats? You can be
very sure she Put it on again as soon
as your back was turned"
There we were; no sooner over one
hurdle before another and a higher
one must jump up. 1 groaned and
thrust my hands into my pockets. A
paper rustled and I drew 1t out. It
was the telegram Buddy Fuller had
handed me, still unread / opened it
half absently, holding it down so that
the glow of the nearest flare fell upon
the writing. Then l gave little yelp,
swallowed hard two or three times
and nearly choked doing it, and read
the thing again. After all of which /
said, as calmly as / could:
But, in spite of all that I had told
you about Lisette. you asked me once
to kiss you"
mind me of it," she inquired reproach-
fully.
'It wouldn't be-in ordinary cir
cumstances; it would be beastly. But,
listen, Jeanne; haven't. you been mad
clear through, sometimes, in reading
q story, to have coincidence rung in
on you when you llew perfectly well
that the thing couldn't possibly have
happened so pat in the nick Of time"
81 suppose have; yes"
"Well, don't ever let 1t disturb you
again. Because the real thing is a lot
more wonderful and unbelievable, you
know. Listen TO this: it's wire from
my cousin, Percy; the one who sent
me out into the wide. wide world to
look for girl, horse and dog, and
who is the only human being outside
of Colorado who knows where l am
likely TO be reached by telegraph. He
is in Boston, and this is what he says !:
Recalled home when we reached
! Honolulu, outbound. Lisette and /
were married today. Congratulate
u.s."
For a minute there was breathless
sort of pause, and broke it.
Jeanne, dear, was 1t just common
honesty and good faith that made you
take all these chances, with the deed,
and with BullertonT
"Yes, I'm commonly honest" said
the small voice at my shoulder.
"Bullerton is a shrewd, smart fell
| low" l went on. "Pll venture TO say
| that he never made such bonehead
break as / did the morning you came
| back. You must think something of
him or you wouldn't have asked me
not to prosecute him for trying to
murder your father and me-"
She looked down at her pretty feet
which were crossed.
81 think-a little something my
SELF" she said, with small breath
catchings between the words. 81 owed
myself that much, don't you think? If
/ didn't deceive him outright, I'm
| afraid I did let him deceive himself.
So that made me responsible, in a way,
and couldn't let you send him to Jail.
could IT'
But what about me? Are you go
Ing to send me to a worse place than
I any jail?-fOr that is what the whole
wide world is going 20 be to me with
| out you. jeanne, dear"
Her answer was just like her: She
turned and put up her face to me and
said, Kiss me again, Stannie." And
though all the carpenters on the job
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