The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1924-12-25

was very much in love with her, as
always had been, and ] was ass
enough to try and persuade her 10
marry me- OF course" he went on,
81 ought to have realized the uncon-
] ouerable fidelity of nature like hers.
An ordinary woman" he went on,
leaning back In his corner and dis
cussing the matter very much as he
would have done a legal point pre-
| sented for his opinion, might select
| and prefer one man to all others, but
| II, for some reason or other. he did not
| return her affection, she would be
able, in course of time, to feel prac-
tically the same thing for another man.
| MYRTLE could never do that. She has
| that saint-like fidelity which is the
| 10y and the curse OF the best women.
| You are a very dear fellow, Gerald,
and am very fond of you, but ! some
times get fed up with your nerves.
! your blindness, your grand duchesses
and your stark idiocy."
Gerald sat up in his place and
stared at his friend in amazement.
slow long have you been keeping
that bottled up. ChrisY he asked.
"Ever since MYRTLE turned me
down." was the prompt reply. "She
was as kind as she could be about 1t,
| but she did her job like surgeon.
She hurt, but I knew it was no use
! ever thinking about her again that
way. am q dispassiOnate observer
now and / can see the truth"
81 suppose have been rather an
ass,' Gerald acknowledged, ''but you
must remember, Chris, / didn't quite
know what I was In for when took
on. that visit to Russia, and don't
think any one could 60 through what
/ had to 60 through without getting
bowled over. Fancy being taken care
of like baby by that amazing woman.
! Elsa Francksi Having to owe her
your life half-a-dozen times over! See
ing that great, coarse creature, with
her hank Of yellow hair, and her
breath smelling Of drink and patchouli,
standing up one moment and defying
death, and lying the next without a
| tremor to guards who would have set
us up against the wall and shot us
on sight II they had known the TRUTH"
"She was an epic figure" Christie
i, pher declared. II wonder what has
become Of her."
"Heaven knowsT Gerald answered.
1--WE may meet her queening 1t at
Monte Carlo, or she may have married
| a respectable German tradesman and
buried the past. She is wealthy
enough. She got that fellow Kross-
neys' share Of the money 1 took out,
| as well as her own. How these pine
trees smell, Chris! And what sun
shine! One could sleep here"
Gerald leaned back in his place with
! half-closed eyes and Christopher was
we'll content to leave him alone. This
was the first time he had spoken nat
urally Of his journey to Russia and
the terrible experience through which
he had passed. All through the sum-
/ mer months he had lain about the
| gardens at Hinterleys, accepting life
as an inevitable burden, gaining no
strength, sleeping little, all the time
engaged In a morbid struggle with the
tyranny of his nerves. Nothing had
| moved or interested him. These last
few sentences of his were the first
evidences of his return to a natural
outlook. Physically he had shrunkeu
almost 10 a shadow. There was very
little left of the gay and debOnair young
man who had passed his arm round
Myrtile's waist and drawn her into the
car, Knocked at Christopher's rem0n-
strances, and, with few careless
words, built up in Myrtile's heart the
fairyland at the end of the road. Yet,
as they drew near the place where
they had found her, he seemed to
shake off some of his torpor. He sat
up and looked about him with reminis-
cent eyes. One more bend and they
would see the gate.
"Would you like to stop for mo-
ment?" Christopher asked. MYRTLE
is almost certain tn be here"
This was most assuredly changed
Gerald He was almost difiident.
"If you think she would like to see
us" he assented.
He sat upright now, leaning a little
forward. They were round the cor
ner, In sight of the little grove OF
expresses. And there at the gate
MYRTLE !-Gerald gave little excla-
nation which sounded almost like
sob. His incredulous stare had some
thing in il alike OF pain and fear.
81 wrote her days ago and said that
we should he passing" christopher
hastily explained.
She stepped out into the road to
greet them. Even to Christopher her
coming was almost like a vision. The
small differences Of clothing and cir
cumstance seemed scarcely to exist
1t was MYRTLE who welcomed them
slyly but ioyfully. Her eyes were
: fixed upon Gerald. and there was
touch of sublime pity In them rs shs
realized the change. But from he'
, face shone the same things.
, 'sYou VIII come in and see my