Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-28
The Bounder.

T@ HE first hour she saw him she
| heard that he had written
| check for a million dollars and
/ heard him spoken OF as
bounder. The last accusation
she tried to forget The first she tried
/ to remember.
! There were many things In Oscar Ar
mold that annoyed Edith; little mac
! curac!es in English. limitation to the
| concrets the OBVIOUS, the trivial. Once
! he had written her q note. she could
| scarcely decipher it end found one
word misspel)sd She had crinsingly
| torn it into shreds. He looked like a
man who had eaten too much and eX-
ercised too little. fIe wore expensive
clothing and he was exquisitely groom
ed. but he wore too much jewelry. HIS
| face, rather coarse Of texture, reddcned
| easily and bristly flesh bulgcd over the
| back OF his collar His cheeks were be-
ginning to be jowl. He was more than
little bald.
She had often had the feeling that
| he was Offering gold, his estate, which
| he had iuGt shown her, freedom to
| travel the world over, luyury-and that
| in payment he was asking her youth.
II want YOU" the man beside her
was saying, while he urged on the
powerful engine. Il want you for mine. :
Edith Talliver knew that however I'M
wearied her feet and her hands might
be. her spirit would be his.
She had been engaged to him now for
| six months, but now he was urging
haste.
"Soon?" his question had the effect
! of statement and she allowed re-
shopping, you know. Just one or two
trifles you'll think you need. Wei!
pick up the rest sill over the footstool."
A childish desire to scream alter
mated with q thought she knew to be
dasDicable: that 1t mattered not the
slightest how much dust her motor
coat accumulated-there was an end
less supply upon which to draw
They had dinner at a fashionable
| inn and rode again. In the late Au-
tumn afternoon he drew up beside the
road
Il want" he said. "that won should
see this particular place. See that
brook there running along? Stony
| farm--but say! Amt she pretty?
Funny thing, / own lot O. land. but
all the darn soil does is raise wheat
! and dollars But this brook"
She arranged her coat and peered
down at the mileage for the day
az can't 90 on, Oscar!
Whats the matter? You sick?'
II can't so on!'
well, my dear girl you don't have
to go on. Sick headache? have EN-
| late years Overeat. When / have EN-
l just can't go on"
"Oh. it isn't that! I can't go on
with this--this weddingl / can't marry
youl"
She saw his heavy jaw, saw his thick
| fingers adjust the throttle. AT length
/ he said quietly: We're engaged my
| dear girl. Wen get married, OF
course. Only I'm curious to know what
started this sudden little furry"
II was engaged to the man that owns
| the brook running through that rocky
soil / never told you about him.
couldn't think of you laughing ct him
| He's poor professor He gets S2l0OO
q year. I have always been Door
wanted you to think I was accustomed
| to luxury. taught first In a country
| school when I was Is to put myself
! through high school. / made toe fire
| in Winter. I've washed when had
TO crack the ice in the pitcher. AL
| my life I've economical. I've mated
economy. I've loathed scrviceabie
clothes. I couldn't face ii with him
thought / couldn't. His name Is Paul
| Wehming-'
'tPaul-whad you say2"
Paul Wehming He's writing book.
| He wrote 1t here by this creek. He loves
/ beauty and books. He doesn't care at
/ all for money But he's so fine. miss
| HMM way / oGghtnt to think
about marrying you. It's no use--I
can't go onl'
We'll go UP here always Arnold
said at last In curious, hoarse voice.
| He drove the engine as though he we're
/ lashing live thing.
! They came To a lonely wood. But
she was too numb for fear. He stopped
/ the car. Would you mind going In
| just coupla minutesp"
Too dazed and broken for alarm she
| followed. They came ont upon clear
place on a hill and went in through a
narrow white picket gate. He closed 1t
softly with his large ringed hand
/ 1t was small Enclosure, abandoned