The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-03-16

1t was awkward for both of us
standing there before the open cabil
door, and | pointed to the bench wher
Daddy Hiram was wont TO smoke hi
evening pipe In good weather.
Won't YOU sit. down until we cal
sort of fail it out?" I begged. ~
ats no use, whatever" she object
ed; nevertheless, she did sit down AM
let me sit beside her. H..
Il know Just how distressed yo,
must be-" I began, land perhaps l car
lift a bit OF the load from your Shout
ders. There will be no legal steps
taken against your-against Charles
Bullerton.".
THANK you," she said just as shor,
as that. g.
"And that isn't ALL" I went on. aft.
er we get into the ore and have some
real money. to show for it, I'm going
to make over a share in the Cinnabar
to your father and put him in a posi-.
ton to do the right thing by you when
you marry. And he'll do it you know
he'll do It,"
"How kind" she murmured, look
ing straight out in front of her.
ut isn't kindness; its hare justice.
Between YOU. you two have saved my
legacy for me-"
Il wish, now, 1t hadn't been saved ="
she exclaimed, as vindictively as you
please.
Truly, | thought, the ways Of women
are past finding out or at least the
way of a maid with a man Is.
Cant | say anything at all without
putting my foot into it?' / asked in
despair. You break a mans back
with a load of obligation one day, and
toss him lightly out of your young life
the next! l haven't done anything to
earn your-to earn the back of your
hand. jeanne; or If l have, | don't
know what ii is"
"Iou have committed the unpardon-
able sim she accused coolly. Il don't
wonder that Miss Randle took your
ring Off"
wasn't going to let the talk shift
to Lisette; not if I knew it, and could
help it.
what is the objectionable sin?" I
asked.
ITO misunderstood to think a per-
son capable of a thing when a person
is not; to-just take it for granted
that a person is guilty-oh"-with a
little stamp of her foot-"I can't bear
to talk about it,"
guess it's a part of a mans equip
ment TO be dense and sort of stupid
in his dealings with women, l mean
Slowly, so slowly that | thought the
catch would snap and hold, my
fool mind crept back along the line,
searching blindly for the point at
which all this fiery indignation toward
me had begun !Dback and still back to
that moment of our deliverance-
Daddy's and mine-at the shafthouse
door, with this dear girl untwisting her
aims from her fathers neck, and with
me saying, I'm not hurt, either. Wei
come home, Miss Twombly-or should
/ say. Mrs. Bullerton?"
"Jeanie!" I gasped; "do you mean
that you're not going to marry Charles
Bullerton THAT you lever mean TOP
"Of course, I'm not !" she retorted,
with a savage little out-thrust of the
adorable chin. But you thought so
small Of me that you simply took it
for granted
/ wagged my head in deepest hu-
mility.
I'm as the dust under your pretty
feet. Jeanne; please don't trample me
too hard. Bnllerton-that is-er-we
had a scrap the next morning after
you went away. you know. and I .
we'll. he rather got the worst of 1t.
And when I had him down and was
trying to make him tell us where you
were-even your father thought you'd
gone off with him-he said you'd
planned to go with him to get mar.
ried. but that you had failed to show
up at Atropia in time for the train"
"He told a lie. because that is the
way he is made and he couldn't help
it," she said simply. still as cool as
a cucumber. "He said we were going
to Angels to get married, and Il
didn't say we weren't; / just let him
talk and didn't say anything at ALL"
"Won't you tell me a bit more?" ]
begged.
"You don't deserve it the least lit.
tie bit, but I will. It began with the
deed; your deed to the mine. One
day, when you were over at the shaft
house, and had left your Goa here In
the cabin, I saw him take the deed
from your pocket when he didn't know
/ was looking. He read 1t and put 1t
back quickly when he heard me stir
ring In the other room. / knew it