The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-04-30

| uON VIC lc UdNh nhCiC VIC WcTt-WneTt
we were when you came to plumags
and / told you about the gold. WI
can go farther back: perhaps we have
But I'd like to stop there, II you can
mean. one can always be friends.
~ can stop there" l said thickly
That's right" said Helena gently
Il thought you could"
For moment she looked at the
| palms OF her little hands, as though
to consult those pretty pages before
proceeding With discourse that was
making my heart feel cold.
| Then
"When | say friends, mean 1t. I'll
always have feeling that can de-
pend upon you. shan't attempt to. you
know. But | shall be glad OF the feel
Ing. You know. When things 90 wrong,
1t makes a world OF difference n you
can say to yourself III So-and-so were
here. they would understand
You can count on me-" | said. you
let me come to know you as-as I'll
never know anyone else"
"Will 1t help you. John7'
II don't know. I'll write and tell you"
That's right And III always an
swer. You see. my dear. we must never
meet again. We've looked at glory to-
gether-and turned away. 1t wasn't our
fault, you know. We rather rushed
our fences. But down In that valley
OF shadow We gave each other judy
ment and the judgments were
good"
| could not speak. | sat as though
turned to stone. Ny heart in my breast
was Ice. The blow which had fallen
already, had fallen again. had moth
Ing to lose, and had lost It From him
that hath not shall be taken away even
that which he hath"
II don't know that mine was" l
said desperately.
I'm afraid 1t was" said Helena. II
put my love above honor-and you
mustn't do that. And In any event mine
was You took my love and you put 1t
back In It's place. don't say you
weren't right to do 1t, because you
were. But there are some flowers, my
dear, that you can't transplant
n1ean--if you move them, they die
Blow upon blow. Couldn't she see
that the thing she WAS striking was
dead7 Everything and everyone was
dead. Young Florin and Pharaoh and
Dewdrop and Bugle and Rush. and
now her love. And I had killed them
not Bugle, OF course, nor young Flor
In. But everything else.
That's all right" I heard myself
saying. I'm glad /. +. It's dead"
There was long. long silence. BY
the time 1t was over | had myself In
hand.
At length
Poor Bugle." said Helena slowly.
He did me very good turn"
by dropping the torch7" said
Il suppose he dropped It," she said.
But Rush was bullying me, and some
times | think that Bugle was going
to stop him. don't know, OF course.
When 1t fell. just flew for the door.
And In any event he waited to set me
free"
"A twinge OF conscience" said |.
Helena shrugged her shoulders.
He needn't have done It." she said.
And then again. Poor Bugle. I'll al
ways remember him kindly. think he
was the best OF the lot"
Il think you're right" said |. 4
had 4 weakness for Bugle. to tell you
the truth. or course Rush showed him
off"
II know, | know. But he had.a spark
OF feeling. More than \ spark, think.
Very few men, placed as he was, would
have troubled to let me out"
What will you do" | said about
the loss Of your master key"
Change the locks, | suppose. It's
hIdeous waste Of money: but Ii Blu
giles tempted. you know. there are
plenty OF crooks who'd pay a long
price for that key
dared not pursue the matter: to
do so would be to sail too close to
the wind. / decided that Bugle must
show another spark Of feeling by re-
turning her master key. / would post
Ii to her.
There was another silence
With her eyes on young Florins
grave. Helena spoke again
THAT wasn't the only reason why
wanted to see you before you went
want your help In 4 matter. u.
Your cousin Is painting my picture
he's nearly done. 1t is the most love
ly portrait !. And as he won't hear
OF fee, want to make him a pres
ent.
We'll, I've got 4 cur at Yorick, an
old. gold cup, with 4 curious history.
| Years ago, In the sixteenth century,
| the Yorick OF that day was painted. A
young painter came from Vienna, a
man called Latz. Had he lived, he
would have been famous, for the pic
ture Is terribly good. Your cousin
| picked 1t out in an instant as being
the best OF the lot. Well, when the
| painter had finished, the count was so
| pleased with his work that he called
for wine and drank the young, mans
health, and when he had drained the
cup he called for gold suppose his
treasurer brought 1t. Then he filed
/ the cup with gold pieces and gave