The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-11-11
BY Hapsburg L.iebe

tear open the envelope when the tall,
straight figure OF Jimmy Fayne APP
peared before her. He had on riding
clothes, and there was q rawhide quirt
In his hand.
You scared me, Jimmyi'' laughed
Miss Elizabeth. a trifie nervously. y
didn't know you were anywhere
around r.
Beg pardon" Jimmy smiled. "May
sit down beside your"
.Yes.''
He sat down beside her and began
thoughtfully to flick the toe OF one OF
his shining boots with the tip OF his
quirt. She knew what he had come to
say, before he said it:
Once more" looking pleadingly into
her eyes"won't You marry me and
make me happy forever afterwardw
She turned the letter over In her lap
In order that Fayne might not see, ac-
cidentally or otherwise, the address.
Jimmy" she finally said, .Td like
to have little more time to think
about 1t. Things like this oughtn't to
be decided In a hurry"
You've already had monthsi Or
were they yearsor ages? why do
you keep putting me off like this, Eliz-
abeth2.
AS told you, Jimmy, I don't"
He interrupted almost sharply: II
know you don't love me. But you'll
learn to- after you've seen how much
j shall adore you"
He made move as though to take
her into his arms, and she shrank
from him; he had done that same
thing, and she had done that same
thing, dozens Of times before.
With unseeing eyes Elizabeth watched
Mrs. Dale step from her motor at the
porte-cochere and go into the house.
Jimmy Fayne, too, saw Mrs. Dale,
but he was wholly unaffected by the
sight of her; Mrs. Dale, somehow, did
not object to his seeing the girl quite
as much as she had once objected.
Jimmy" after a long silence had
passed between them, Tim afraid
amt the right woman for you.
II you knew, for sure, that once took
a rifle gun and killed man with 1t,
would you would you still want met"
Fayne laughed as though at good
joke.
"Yon kill man2 Why, couldn't
believe 1t. But If you had killed man,
or dozen men, lit could hardly
make any difference to me. If you did
do 1t, you did 1t because there was
nothing else to do; I'm sure of that.
We won't mention 1t again, IL you're
willing. neither criticize nor attempt
to understand your hill codes. Marry
me. won't you, Elizabeth?'
III did," asked Ben Littleford's
daughter, would you help my people
back In the hills7'
Educate 'em2 Yesl Every blessed
one of 'em."
"FreelyT'
"Yes r.
Once more Elizabeth Littleford tried
to decide. Fayne's eyes grew more and
more hopeful as he watched her lips.
He became impatient.
'Tell me-" he begged.
The girl took up the letter she had
Just received from Bill Dale.
"As soon as read this" she muir
INJURED, III tell you, Jimmy. If you
don't mind, please look the other way
for minute"
She tore off one end of the envelope,
drew out the single sheet and unfolded
It. Her eyes narrowed; her face
flushed, and then became just little
pale. Her underiip quIvered as she
folded the sheet and put 1t back into
the envelope.
i can't marry you, Jimmy" she told
him.
without another word she arose and
left him. She FASTENED to the house,
hastened upstairs, and went to her
room.
Half an hour later Mrs. Dale found
her lying face downward on her bed.
and beside her lay a crumpled sheet
OF paper. Mrs. Dale picked up the
sheet, Strengthened 1t out, and read
this, In the bold handwriting of her
son:
Believe me, am very appreciative
of your invitation. But / am having
Christmas with your mother, here IN
my own country"
CHAPTER XVIII.
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