Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-11-17

sbe knew that an appearance Of cour-
age, at least, was the wisest course.
mo matter about him now. | want
to talk to you on business. If / meant
rough measures, l wouldn't have come
! alone"
NO" Linda scorned. "You would
have brought your whole numbering
band with you. The Turner's believe
In overwhelming numbers"
The words stung him, but he smiled
grimly into her face
1--WE come in peace, Linda" he said
gently. 1--WE come to give you last
chance to make friends"
He walked past her into the room.
He Strengthened the chair that had
been upset, smiling strangely the
while, and sat down in it,
"Then tell me what you have to tell
me-" she said. I'm In hurry TO go
to bed-and this really isn't the hour
for calls"
He looked long time into her face.
She found it hard to hold her own
gaze Many things could be doubted
about this man, but his power and his
courage were not among them. The
smile died from his lips, the lines
deepened on his face. She realized as
never before the tempestuous passions
and unfathomable intensity of his ma
ture.
We've never been good friends
Simon went on slowly.
eve never could be-" the girl an
swered. "We've stood for different
things"
"At first my efforts to make friends
were just-to win you over to our side.
1t didn't work-all it did was to waken
other desires in me-desires that per-
haps have come to mean more than
the possession Of the lands. You know
what they are. You've always known
that any time you wished-you
could come and rule my house."
She nodded She knew that she had
won, against her will, the strange,
somber love of this mighty man. She
had known it for months.
"As my wife-don't make any mis-
take about that. Linda, I'm a stern,
hard man. I've never known how to
WOO l don't know that | want to
know how, the way it is done by
weaker men. 1t has never been my
way to ask for what l wanted. But
sometimes 1t seems to me that If I'd
been a little more gentle-n0t so mas
terful and so relentless-that I'd won
you long ago."
Linda looked up hravely into his
face. "No, Simon. You could have
, never-never won me Oh, can't you
see-even in this awful place a woman
wants something more than just brute
strength and determination. Every
woman prays to find strength in the
man she loves-but 1t isn't the kind
that you have, the kind that makes
your men grovel before you, and
makes me tremble when I'm talking
to you. It's big, calm strength-and
I can't tell you what 1t is. It's some
thing the pines have, maybe-strength
not to yield to the passions, but to re-
strain, not to be afraid Of but to cling
TOTO stand upright and honorable
and manly, and make woman strong
just to see 1t In the man she loves"
He listened gravely. Her cheeks
blaZed. 1t was a strange scene-the
silent room, the implacable foes, the
breathless suspense the prophecy and
inspiration in her tones
Perhaps l should have been more
gentle" he admitted. II might have
forgotten-fOr little while-this surg
ing, irresistible impulse in my muscles
and tried just to WOO you, gently
and humbly. But it's too late now.
I'm not fool. / can't expect you to
begin at the beginning. l can only 60
on In my own way-my hard, remorse-
less, ruthless way
"It isn't every man who Is brave
enough to see what he wants and
knock away all obstacles to get it," he
went on. "Put that bravery to my
credit. To pay no attention to meth
DDS, only to look forward to the result.
That has been my creed 1t Is my
creed now. Many less brave men
would fear your hatred-but / don't