Show HER NOBLE MAN by ALVAH JORDAN GARTH you are the noblest man I 1 ever knew I 1 her fair soul in her eyes evelyn snow stood before the man who at the risk of his life had saved her brother from a terrible death in a runaway she was trembling all over in her ayea was the warm ardor of more than gratitude and bertram morse read what it was and his heart seemed bursting evelyn swayed toward him closer came the cherry lips bent on bestowing upon him the kiss of utter thank falness ful ness the reward tor bis courage and manliness no he said and his voice was hoarse and restrained and he held her at arms length she deemed that bis expression conveyed a charge of un womanliness she tried to break from him and hide her face tor shame but he held those struggling hands imvris boned he said sharp pain in every accent of his voice but tenderness and decision too you and I 1 need not misunderstand your troth Is plighted to amory kendall he la my best friend I 1 dare not be erous to him you must not my love 1 and bis great frame was shaken oh my love I 1 this shall be the supreme moment of my life until I 1 claim the kiss I 1 only deter what do you meant she fluttered and longingly that I 1 am going away that I 1 hope you will be happy with the man whose glory Is an fn claiming you as his wife but through all the lonely future 1 wish to feel that you owe me that kiss it may be ears but some time some place I 1 ahall ask what honor bids me now postpone when I 1 ask will I 1 have that kiss yes yes oh you are breaking my heart 1 and evelyn ran from the room in sobbing distraction bertram morse hurried from the house and its vicinity he thought only you will not send ma away will you of reaching the outskirts of the town of being alone in some secluded woodland spot where be could think out and wear out the great grief that was consuming him he tried to slip down a side lane as he saw coming toward him amory kendall but the latter had espied him he ran up to bertram affectionately entwining the arm of the loyal friend he loved next best to evelyn you big brave fellow cried ken dall ive heard all about it the whole town Is talking of the tearful risk you took and well they may oh bow grateful evelyn will be you must come at once and see her I 1 have just left her said bertram as steadily as he could amory she Is a rare jewel cherish her as the apple of your eyel why how grave and strange you acal commented amory 1 I feel so responded bertram gravely sort of shaken up after your lucky escape 1 see remarked the light hearted amory and let his friend pass on little dreaming of the wild turmoil going on within that loyal heart till the dews of evening covered him till the distant bells chimed out the solemn midnight hour oil the first twittering birds began the greet ing chorus to dawn bis face buried in the grass bertram morse fought out his great battle he loved evelynne Evelyn be was even sure that she loved him he was nate in not coming on the scene until amory bad proposed to her good old amory I 1 they had been like brothers he was not strong and muscular like bertram and that had made amory always lean toward him then too be needed a woman s tender care for there were times when his frail frame could not withstand a chronic be had inherited so with the early dawn bertram morse quietly sadly turned his back on tha world that had been and the ones be cherished and all through the searing ordeal be whispered to himself when she Is old and I 1 am old and amory will not care I 1 shall claim that kiss bertram visited a widowed slater in I 1 a town at a distance he wrote only one letter it was to hie arlend amory telling him that he counted on a better working chance out west and had started on his journey thus abruptly to spare the pain 0 parting with his good kind friends then for three years those friends heard nothing of bertram nor he of them he went away from alon with a body of sturdy prospectors he braved the hardships of two trying alaska winters one day bertram turned up at the home of his sister a alred out man bronzed rough ened but breaking down with a fever there were weeks 0 lonely illness then a protracted convalescence he was seated in his invalid chair one sunny afternoon when he called his sister to his side 1 I am getting nearly well enough to move on again bertha ha sald 1 want you to call in the lawyer tomorrow I 1 did quite well out west and brought a tidy little fortune home with me I 1 want to settle it on you tor I 1 may not return again that was his determination the old tugging had come at his heart when he realized that he was corn near to evelyn when des pera tely he had thought of sending for her but bad procrastinated the or deal now however he said and mall this letter bertha and it was directed to evelyn he had asked her to come and see him and bring her husband with her I 1 am going away never to return he wrote I 1 want to make amory a little present out of the fortune I 1 have made and don t know what to do with and I 1 want your parting bealson ben lson the kiss the lights were low at eventide two days later when the invalid heard a rustle at the front doorway and a voice that thrilled him in converse with his sister it was evelyn bertrams Bert and a welcome form came into the room oh why did you not send tor ane before during all your lonely illness this moment compensates tor all murmured bertram unsteadily and now I 1 am here continued evelyn you will not send me away will you but your husband amory did you not hear he died a year ago explained evelyn in a subdued tone bertram I 1 was his true wife and I 1 told him all he died blessing me as bis faithful devoted companion and you as the truest friend heaven ever gave to man one hand rested caressingly across the fevered brow the other held his hand and the contact thrilled hlen father Is dead she said mourn fully there were no children often I 1 have wondered her voice died dawn and her head sank low wondered what he asked softly it you would ever come back it if 1 I would claim that dear kiss be supplemented yes her voice was the merest whisper now its memory has made my life sweet and beautiful he said thrillingly dear amory I 1 we both loved him we both were true to him yes added bertram clearly you can stay you must stay for I 1 cannot live without you and the kiss her shy face was halt averted but every pulse was flut terling 1 I wish it now he said copyright 1914 by W 0 chapman |