Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-01-26

somewhat hurriedly, and with I sore
and grieving splrit--a combination OF
misfortunes which has proved dis
astrous to more pretentious banquets.
Going into her cousins room with the
bowl of ice and pitcher OF icewater,
Mary found Paul. clad In pale-blue
pajamas, lying on his back In bed. his
face lined and white, black rings
about his closed eyes.
In spite of her wholesome freshness
Mary was by no means stupid She
knew perfectly well that "shows" In
Wallacetown were apt to include other
things ION the side." and she knew,
too, that a drawn, mask-like pallor
might be as certain an indication OF
dissipation as puffy flush.
"Oh, Paul." she said reproachfuily,
"how can your"
Paul sat up In bed, reaching for the
icewater. How can whatr he
asked Grossly.
You know
I'm sure / don't. You're not very
definite Put some of that cracked
Ice In handkerchief, will you, and
wrap 1t around my head"
Mary complied In silence. Paul lay
down again, and kept very still for
some minutes, his tense expression
gradually relaxing. Then he smiled,
and put his arm around her.
you're an awfully good girl, Mary
he said softly. Il don't know what !
should do without you. Won't you
give me kiss? You haven't yet, this
morning. . 80
"Whom did you kiss last?' asked
Mary In hard voice.
why you, right after supper last
night Don't you remember7 That
is" Marys gray eyes were looking
| straight into his, and there was some
thing In them which Paul found 1t I'M
possible to meet. Look here he
broke off angrly, you are getting to
be the greatest prude, do you know
IT. And an aWfnlly suspicious. jeal
GUS one at that went TO Wallace
/ AtHI WILL bdlh " Islol anu SoLAl1 VI
the White Water crowd-no one else
from Hamstead."
by some of the White Water
| crowd | don't suppose you mean our
friends and relatives there, do youi
You mean some of the girls and fell
lows that have Just come to work In
the new mill p
/ "Weli. what It do7 There's no
harm In working In mill, Is there?
.'No--in fact, think It's rather bet.
ter to work In mill thanNit Is to loaf
on a farm. Go on
Il won't 60 on" said Paul. more
angrily than he had spoken before.
you're enough to drive fellow to
| drink--or Worse-supposing had done
| anything worse. But what does 1t
/ amount to-kissing pretty girl that
you've had lark with, when you say
goodnight '-anyWayl It's only what
she expects. It doesn't mean any.
thing"
1T doesn't seem TOTO YOU" replied
| 1hdl5t way IuiCtiJs
"Oh, Lord mean, OF course. Ii
doesn't amount to anything wrong
| Come back here"
| But Mary was gone, shutting the
door behind her.
Outside the house. she hesitated, her
lips quivering, her eyes full Of tears
She couldnt-she conldn't-go home
feeling the way she did. and start
getting dinner. The village clock
striking eleven, decided her. Unde
tered by the rain. which was still
gently falling. she walked UP the road
towards a little mountain which was
part Of the farm, and called In mem
DRY of the first Blanche, who had loved
to 90 there, countess HILL"
1t was very quiet on the mountain
Mary. walking up one of the wide
needle-strewn paths that led to tn.
top, the soft rain hardly penetrating
the thick trees, began, almost imme
dlately, to find peace and, what sh'
wanted still more-time and space t
think resolutely about Paul. Wha
should she do--what ought she to do
Break her engagement How much
she asked herself. with a quick littl
culver of pain, would he care Ii sh
did? Why was she always fated t
make herself SO unattractive to hin
to be so tactless, when she was tryin
only to be fair and honest? An
would either Of them be any better oil
II she made what would be, to her.
notwithstanding sacrifice? In vain sh
admitted that neither her reason. no
her instinct should allow her to low
a man, whom she did not respect 0
trust, not nearly as much as she a
ready respected and trusted Phll
Starr, who, twenty-four hours earle
had been complete stranger to he
The. fact remained that she did Low
Paul, with every fiber of her being ia
more deeply. far more passionatel,
: than she had ever let him see She q
ways had-she always would.
! He had not actually even propose
to her. Their kisses had changed
! little In character, had became NOR
frequent-some way, through en-
braces growing less cousinly and NOR