The Bolivar County Democrat., 1923-11-17
CHAPTER ix-Continued.

here. a 4 some day some gloritied man
will make you see it-but not Hen
bricks Renneslyer You must promise
me, not Hendricks Renneslyer.'
But, why? He is very fond OF
me-"
rs he? How extraordinary l am
fond of you myself, my dear, although
ii never seems to occur to you. l
am mad about you. Il think about
Won constantly. With so little time
left I begrudge the few hours sleep
and long before there is chance of
your coming l stand Maggie in the
window there, to watch for you
"Ah.' said Ann wisely, that Is be-
cause you are i'll, and see no one but
me-"
Densey Howard looked steadily at
her for a moment. NO" he said,
''it Is because l love you. l love
YOU. Strange, isn't it-at the end,
like this? 1t seems pity, doesn't it.
when we believe that being happy is
what counts?"
Ann started "Is it, 1 wonder?"
f1OWdTu llltcu lliIlSSll llSiiCi VIZ hio
pillows my dear, 1t is! To be hap
py-to be free-that's lifeH'
"Uncle says that doing your duty
taking your place in the community
Is the important thing
Howard laughed "Your place In
the community is cold comfort! Fill
your life full, Ann-full to overfowing
and then at any rate you will know
that you haven't missed anything
Look at my life! I used to think that
was a moral to point tale, and yet,
If / hadn't done just what l have, If
didn't lie here dying because l have
flung away my strength, why, then
might never have known you.
should have missed these exquisite
moments, Ann. . Give me your
hand to kiss, dear. 1 forget what
was going to say"
Ann stretched out her hand unques-
tioningly: His face was flushed when
he let her draw her fingers away; he
had a fictitious look of health and
vigor. "You are not made for duty,
Ann" he said. you are made for
Joy"
She gladly flung herself upon the
safe ground of argument. Hendricks
expects me to be happy. of course"
"But will you be? That Is the ques-
tion. VIII you be satisfied to let his
standards govern your actions!
Wouldn't you want, ever, to talk tc
c1y-py
can't understand? Wouldn't you ever
have feeling that you were so hedged
In by laws that you must break out
Just FOR the fun of breaking? Wouldn't
you ever want to live fully?"
'I-don't know" Ann murmuret
breathlessly. 81 am afraid I should
"Of course you can't marry him!
know you, my dear. I suppose
there will be the devil of row IL you
break with him."
"Oh, yes" Ann admitted, anC
laughed.
And you are dependent on all these
Cortlandts. Listen to me, Ann, dar
lng-marry me, and cheat my SNUG
faced clergyman brother."
Ann moved her chair hastily back
and cast frightened glance at th'
door She shook her head violently. I"
couldn't do that" she protested de
cidedly
But why not? You don't need t,
love me, you know. 1t would be yer,
simple. . Well just have a ministe
in here some afternoon, and then
when I am gone, you will come in fo
something that will enable you to snaJ
your fingers at the Cortlandts"
"But | don't want to snap my finger
at Them" she protested. "I adore m,
uncle. He is the only person
have ever been perfectly honest will
except you"
"And do you adore me-a littlef
His tone was light, but his eyes wer,
suddenly tragically intense.
She looked straight at him, with
troubled gaze. 81 don't know" sh,
said, "but l think / could, easily"
Densley put out his hand and helC
hers for moment. in close, dr.,
clasp. She had not known that he hat
so much strength left as she felt IL
his clinging fingers. That's ALL" h,
said, weakly. as, after a moment, hi
hold relaxed. and she drew her hanC
away.
As the days went on, Ann became
nervously anxious about her guar
tlian's return; she was afraid he
would not approve of her intimacy
with Densley and she felt that she
could not give it up. The day before
his arrival Howard detained her with
n score of trivial subterfuges: he
looked very Ill indeed. when she shut
out the last of the sunset. and lighted
the candles on the mantel shelf.