The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-11-19
ByLee Honey

.--- N@
II l have to, I sppOse 7 can take the dose
other chaps have taken-but somehow
can believe IN have tO-LOis!'
another car sped by. The occupants
They saw you" the girl gasped.
what do / care?"
Kennedy followed her over to the side
OF the car. She put out her hands to push
eyes!
Then-"DOn't tell NE herer' he said.
suddenly afraid. There was a cruel little
The girl stretched out her hands. 81
wish I-could, Bill, dear" she said gently.
You don't know how 1 wish-I could"
Kennedy was ashamed Of his voice, II
was SO shaky. mot ever" he asked.
"NOt ever!" Her voice seemed to come
from far away. "Why couldn't we have
stayedLfriends," she was saying. I'VE
were ripping friends, weren't wei You're
the best kind Of an old pal-but that
other-O, no! Sometimes I think it isn't in
the world. I don't want to be-married.
l don't feel that way-1-I just-can't!
wish / cOuld-for you, but-no-no, / can't
Not that way"
So 1t had come!
Kennedy told himself he must be manly
about it, but he wanted tO-bawl! II his
mother had been alive he would have
crawled to her knees like a small child
and buried his face in her skirts, bIubber-
ing.
II wish you'd told me-befOre," he said,
and turned pale.
Her voice took on a conventional tone.
II tried to tell you" she said mechani-
cally, and he realized with a sort Of shock
old story to her.
He Strengthened himself up. "ShaIl we
get into the carr" he asked mechanically
She nodded, examining it curiOusly. 81
fhnVUhf fhnno ma nnnnoAhan~ AhC w-1AN,-
with the clutch" she said.
He made no answer. His poor little sub
terfuge! How cheap it seemed!
They got into the car.
Silence.
Silence.
MOre-embarrassing silence!
I'm afraid weu be late" che remarked
in an ap%preheRsive voice. He didn't answer
but put his foot on the gas. He wanted
to be alOne-he had never been a sqnealer.
He had always played the game with
locked lips-and a smile. But this pain
as-unusua It-wOuld go on and On.
He was hurt-badly hurt.
She stole a glance at his face. "I'm SC
-ss2rFyt she said.
He turned the car into an arched gate.
way, and was suddenly conscious of a lOt
Of people on some steps! He got out and
l There were intrOductiOns and some
laughter. He was invited to stay. Conscious
Of Lois almost breathless embarrassment
he declined. There was more laughter and
some teasing persiflage as he got into thu
car and drove away.
He left her standing on the steps sur
rounded by gay hands waving him a fare
well. 1t was all quite commonplace ant
casual. This was the way such things hap
pened. He had always thought they would
be mOre-tragic.
A little blue coupe sped by in the dusk
He had thought to buy her one like tha
to show hPr-teach her.
"By GOd!" said Kennedy, suddenl!
clinching his fist. I'm damned if Ill TAX
it,"
He Strengthened his body up-a grin
whiteness settled about his mouth He hat
met life the way a bulldog meets al
enemy-fighting. And he had conquered
so far! Was it going TO get him at lastg
Kennedy gave an ugly little laugh.
When he reached home his Japanes
boy was bowling with the usual smiling
ObsequiOusness. A good dinner had bee
into his pajamas and slippers and file
a~pipe. Then he sent the boy away an
sat down b ythe window to think.
He pnffed at his pipe. His window locke
out on a quare. A man and a girl wer
sitting on a bench-the man was pleading
I The girl tossed her head defiantly! Ken
nedy's fists clinched. Same old story! Sam
darned, conventional, old story.
He stood aside mentally to look at Lois
to look at her with rose colored glasse
) off! Selfish? Yes, of course, she vas Sc
: fish. cOlOsSally, unthinkingly SelfiSh-bC
hardly at fault because of that. Her Ovel
indulgent parents had begun the work {
I adulatiOn and other wOmen's sons ha
carried it On-he along with them. D, I
2 couldn't shirk his own responsibility d
(. had fallen with the others. The povert
4 -ruthlessness-hard knocks and sci
sacrifice that had been his instructors ha
t been carefully kept away from her. M
l. body had ever told her the truth!
. Kennedy rose suddenly to his feet an
= walked over to the other side OF the rOoI
= For several minutes he paced up and dow
d suddenly stopping at his desk.
"By JOve, III do it," he said to himsel
He sat dOwn-hesitated a moment, an
T began to write.
He wrote for a long time-tearing I
many sheets Of good paper. =
and a note written. The note was to Mi
Lois Allen and was a ~perfunctOry aria
asking her not to return his presents al
letters. The letter covered several snee
of nOtepaper and was addressed to his be
= friend, Jimmy Hayward. 81.
When Kennedy had finished directil
two envelopes he deliberately put the no
to Miss Lois Allen in the envelope a
T. dressed to Mr.. James Hayward, and t
letter to Mr.. James Hayward in the e
velODe addressed to Miss Lois Allen.
n As he slipped the letter into the latt
II envelope his hands trembled slightly. ]
=. Notwithstanding it back. Then-"No,
A God, III do it!' he said.
With Jaw grimly set he stamped {
q envelopes. Then he dressed and took. the
down TO the corner. His hand was a lit
x shaky as he let them slip down into {
d mail box.
~ 1t was done now. At least he had I
" cu+icurz Sooebas Rsbv Rashae