The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-05-03

k0OWu anu Deeu dIrdlu 10 duihiL AOi
years. have thought you were my
friend but now l know you are my
worst enemy, as you are the sworn
enemy of those l love most.
DAWN"
He stood for a time staring at the
paragraph; then read it again and
drained his whisky bottle. Such a
note, now, was to have been expected
by an ordered mind, Of course, but his
fevered brain had not foreseen any
necessity for abandoning this, the most
precious of his hopes. He trembled a
bit and made a strange sound in his
throat.
A meticulous office man was Mich
olas Brandon, and though he had suf-
fered the severest blow of his expert
ence just now he mechanically went
about his habitual procedure. He had
received and read letter. 1t required
no reply. The next step in orderly pro-
cedure was to file it.
In the outer office were ranks and
rows of letter files. But this letter
did not belong there.
In the great safe to which only he
had combination and keys reposed two
files side by side. He took both out
and placed them on the desk. He
opened one and cruel smile twitched
his lips. 1t contained letters on paper
of varying size, color and quality.
He riffled through these, stopping now
and again to read phrase, sentence,
a paragraph. Pleas, these were !;
a writing begging for help and
he smiled again.
In the other file were more letters,
some yellowed by age and these older
ones had been written in the Uniformed
script of a child. Dear Uncle
Nick" they all began. Always that,
though the handwriting grew formed
and mature until it was identical with
that on the single sheet he had just
read. These were Dawn McManus'
letters to him, saved since her child
hood.
He ran through them almost idly, his
senses dulled by whisky and the calam-
ity which had befallen him. A narrow
slip of tablet paper fell out He
looked at the penciled note on one
side.
Meet us at Antler Lodge this after
noon.--Dawn."
Happier memories, that brought; of
the time Dawn had brought girls home
with her from school for Thanksgiving
and had taken them to the hunting
camp for weekend.
Brandon had gone with the party
and it was there that he had first re-
marked Dawn's emerging womanhood,
that the desire for her had been kim
died in his blood; there in the camp
where her father, as the whole coun-
try knew, had been with Sam Faxon
on the night when Faxon fed to his
death. But Dawn had never known
that. She had laughed and been happy
at Antler lodge.
"Meet us at Antler Lodge this after
noon.--Dawn."
He read it again. 1t bore no date
it was unsoiled; it betrayed no indi-
cation of the time that had passed
since its inscription. The note had
been left on his desk for him three
years before. He leaned forward
sharply and his eyes narrowed. =.
After a moment he Strengthened and
smiled oddly. A look like relief, al
most like happiness spread over his
face.
Fine strength of body healed Ben
Elliott's wound rapidly. By mid-week
he was dressed and sitting before the
fire with Dawn. talking of his return
to Hoot Owl on the morrow.
tits been SO good, even under the
circumstances, to spend time with
you," he said gravely.
The girl flushed but made nosreply.
Sand all the time I've been wonder
ing, Dawn, why you wouldn't let me
come. You've been so kind, so
generous, so so friendly. And
yet, only a few days ago. you told
me / must never come again. Why
was it, Dawn? Why, when l love you
500"
"Don't!" she begged in light whis-
per. "Please!"
"But it's beyond any power have
to keep still. I love you, Dawn, better
than life. Can you believe that, when
I've seen so little of you? Look at
me !"-fiercely. "Don't you like it.,
Dawn, being loved?"
"Ah .. Like it? It's wonderful,
Ben. It's too wonderful" She
averted her face.
"And loved by met"
"Yes, yes! It's all wonderful It's
too wonderful, Ben. Things like it just
can't bel"
"Why not? It's wonderful. you say,
and yet Can't you explain"
She was fighting for self-control,
now, and wrested her hands from his,
backing away, white and shaken.
"You can't understand, perhaps.
Sometimes / can't understand myself.
Always I've wanted to be loved by .
by you, Ben Elliott It's given me the
only true happiness I've ever had.
sand then / had TO remember what