Show S B L LAC LACK A C K R ROC O Q C K KA 4 A TALE l OP OF THE TIlE h by by Ralph Conner She Sho p paused abruptly Blind stupid 1 fool I said to my my- self He Hc held himself resolutely in hand hallel answering carefully his voice had lost Its coll coldness ness and was was sweet sas sweet and kind 1 Have I done this for ur you ou Then surely God has nas been Leon good to me And you OU have helped helped me more than words could tell you Iou Helped Help d dl 1 he repeated 1 scorn scornfully r II Yes Yeti helped he lie answered wonderIng wonder wonder- Ing at her scorn You ou can cati do without m my mity help hell she went on You make people help you You will vili get limn many tu to help hell you butI but I 1 need help too I She was ati as standing standing before him liln with her hands U tightly I I clapped her face was pale and her eyes deeper than ever everlie I He lie sat looking up UI at t her In a kind of maze us lS she shu poured out her words I hot and fu Cu futI fut tI LI t. t I am am not thinking of oC you His 1115 coldness hind had hurt her hr deeply I am ani selfish 1 I an am thinking of ur m How Howshall howshall shall I do I 1 have grown to tu depend on you OU to tu look to you It t Is n nothing to tu you ou that I go but hut to tu me meShe me- me She he did not finish B By this time line Craig was standing be bo fore her his face ace deadly pale When she e dime came me to the end of her hel words he Id In n voice low lots s sweet ct an and 1 thrilling with emotion Ah Aim If IC you only know knew Do not make me You do not guess what you you- are arc doing What am I i doing What hat Is there thero thereto to kno kimo know but Lut that you tell me Inc easily to togo togo go She was watS struggling with the time tears she was too proud to let Jet him see sec He put his hands resolutely behind 1 him looking at her as If studying studyIng- her her face for the first time Under his searching look she dropped her eyes and the warm color colom came caine slowly up Into her cheek check and 1 face ace then as If if with a sudden resolve she lifted her eyes to his and looked back at him butt un un- flinchingly f I He lie started surprised sed drew slowly I near neat and put his hands upon her 11 shoulders surprise giving place to wild Joy She never moved mo her hem eyes Cos they drew him toward her hem He lie took her face I between his hands smiled Into her I I eyes COS ki kissed ed her lr lips s. s She did not move he lie stood back from her threw I up UJ his head and laughed a aloud oud She She came to him put lUt her head upon his I breast and ancI lifting up UI her face sat said 1 I Kiss I m inc me He lIe put his arms about I her bent down and kissed l her lips again and then reverently her brow blo Then putting her back from Crom him but still holding both her hands he lie cried Nol o you shall not go I shall shaH never I Ilet let you go 1 J She gave a little sigh of oC content I and smiling up at hIm him said sald I I 1 can go 0 no now but eten as she sho spoke tho the flush died lied from fromn lom her face race and sho she shuddered Never Nover lie almost shouted nothing noth lug hug shall take you OU away Ve We shall hall work worl here together Ah Au if IC we wc could If IC we wo anI only could she said piteously Why not 1 he demanded fiercely You will send me mo away You will 11 say 1 It Is right for Cor or me to go she re replied replied re- re plied sadly Do we not love each other otiler was his Impatient answer Ah yes love she bhe said but bu t love loveIs Is not all No cried Craig but hut love Is tho the bc best t. t site she hc said gald sadly love Is the tho best and It Is for or loves lovo's sal sake e we wo will do du the best I There Is no bettor work than Ulan here herc Surely this Is best and he lie pictured his plans before her tier She Sile listened eagerly Oh If It It should hould be Lu right she cried I will do what you OU sa say You are good you OU are arc wise whee You shall shaH tell telf m me e. e Slit She c could Uld not have recalled him I better bettem He stood silent client some somo moments then themi burst out passionately Why Vh then lien has hns love lo come conic to us We did not seek seel it Sur Surely ly lovo is of God Does Docs God mock us mis Ho lie threw himself Into his chair chait pouring out his words of 01 passionate protestation She Sho listened smiling then came caine to him and touch touching lug his halt hair as a mother muther might her hOl childs child's s 's said said- Oh I am very ery happy J 1 I vas was afraid you would not care and I r coull o ld not nol bear to go that Va way vay You shall not go ko he ite cried alo aloud d as If It in pain Nothing can make that right But she only s said id You shall tell toll mo mc tomorrow You cannot see toni tonight ht but you OU will vill see ee and you will tell me inc I lIe Ho stood up and amid holding both 1011 her hands looked lon Into her eyes then I turned abruptly awa away and went Out She stood where ho he left her for Jor or some moments her hem face faco joy T c hands pon ho r und 1 r she came bus with my but J MI T me hie 10 heL looked e up UI and met flushed 11 slightly h 0 and s J. T tulle quite forgot you Qu M So So u It appeared d tb to mo fou heidi boldly H Jt nd nd aw I 1 replied lIc been rude to In rl p U wOl 1 I ha have havo e v. v See sec Oh i cm em so m glad 50 J 1 h n I r r considerate of very verr Yes It was m Inc Oh h I dout duat lnE an mean S thai that the tho lush flush U i deepening I 1 im nm glad you rou OW nov lIm lime have known somo I r 1 jiow 1 you ou 1 i 1 only know OW IQ- IQ t l day y mJ myself myself- 1 I I have ha eyes She flu hod Do you Oll mean macan that lint people sue she began hegan i iNo t. t I have No o. o I 1 am not I C eyes CS and amid m my eyes ha have 0 been opened Opened p Yes Ye l by hy love lovo Then l I told Item her openly how weeks heart and anel I 1 struggled with m my ago mastered it ft for or ai I saw sav It was vain niu t to because sho alto loved a belter bettem belterman love her hem man mon who loved her hel In iii In return She looked at me mc shyly and said I am ama sorry I t I said cheerfully Dont worry didn't break my heart you know I stopped It in time Oh she sho said wid slightly disappointed disappoint dIsappoint- ed eti then themi her lips began to twitch antI and she went off Into a fit tit of or hysterical t lau laugh auditor t or For Forgive lve me ale ll said said numbly but you you ou speak as ns If IC it had been a fever ever Fever I Is nothing to lo it It I said solemnly It was a n. near thing At which she went off n again aln I 1 was glad gla 1 to 0 0 see her Inu laug laugh h. h It gave me mo time to recover m my equilibrium an and amid 1 It relieved her Intense emotional strain So I rattled on some nonsense about Craig and amid myself until I T saw sass she was giving 1 no heed but thinking her own thoughts and what these were it was not hard Co o guess Suddenly she broke In upon my lay talk lie He will tell me inc that I must go from Crom him hum I l hope he lIe is no such fool Cool I t said paid emphatically on and 1 somewhat rudely el r I I fear eat car for tor I guess gness r I wa was impatient with the very possibility of oC separation for Cor these two to whom love meant so much Some people take lake this sort of thing easily and some not so easily but love for a woman like this comes once only to a man n and ancl then he lie carries carries car car- lr ries rles It with him through h the length of oC his life and warms his heart with It In death And when a man smiles smites or sneers at such love loc as this 1 pity him and say ito ifo word wOId for m my speech would be In fn an unknown tongue So Som m my heart was sore as I sat looking up at this woman who stood before me overflowing with the tho joy of oC her new newlove newlove newlove love and tInny hilly conscious of at the comIn coming com cant In lug ing pain But Dut found It was vain to ur urge o my 01 opinion that she should remain and share the he work worl and life ortho of or the tho man she loved lo She only an- an You will help belt him all an you can cami for forit it will hurt him to havo kayo me mc go bO The Time quiver In it ither her hem voice olce took look out all the time anger from my heart and before before be be- fore I knew 1 had pledged myself to todo todo todo do all I could coul 1 to help him But when I came upon him that night sitting silling in tIme the light of his fire I saw sass he lie must be alone Some battles we fight side by side with sith comrades u us and bein being cheered to victory vie vic tory but there are fights tights wo we may not share and these are dead deadly fights Cig where lives Jive are ame lost and won So I 1 could only la Jay my mv hand upon his lila Eh shul ul- ul dar dor without a word 10 rd He looked up qui lui J J- J ly ly rend my y ace face ace and said with n a glo n pi piS f. J m T S 5 You Yo YoU I f. f S SI I c could coul uld not help hell It But Dut wh why groan She will think it right to lo go ho he said despairingly Then you OU must think for 01 her hel You must bring some common sense seno to beat bear upon the question I cannot see clearly yet ho said The light will come conic May 1 a I 1 show you ou how to lo see It ItI It- It 7 I asked Go on he lie said For au an hour I talked eloquently even cven vehemently urging the lie reason and right of my opinion She would bo booing doing no po more mOIe than every woman does doO no more than she did before her law In had a comfor table blu lion homo all that thai wealth could procure good servants servant and friends the estates could be managed 1 without her hel personal per pCr- supervision after a few years years years' work here they would go East Eust for Ol little Marjories Marjorie's education wh why should two lives be he broken broken and and so NO I 1 went vent on He lie lI listened carefully lIy even eagerly You make a good ca case e. e he ime said saRi with a slight smile I will take lime time Perhaps you arc are right The li light ht will come Surely It will come But Bui and ancl hero here he sprang UP 11 and stretched his arms to tu full length above his head I Iam Iam am ant not sorry sorlY whatever cornea conies 1 am ant amnot amnot not hot sorry It I Is great to tu have her hOl love luve but greater tl to love her as I r do du Thank God nothing can take that awa away 1 I Iuni am un-i willing glad lo tu suffer for Cor tho time Joy of loving her Next morning In I nJ before I r wag was awake he lie was sas was was' gone gone- having left a n note COlIne for COl forme forni n-i n me Ine e My Dear Connor Connol I 1 am due at the Lall Landing When I see you ou n again aln I think my way will willbe willbe be Le clear clem Now No all nil Is dark dalk At I 1 Iam am a coward and often a as you some som sometimes times kindly Inform me an ass but I hope I may never become a mule I r 1 am nm willing to be lC led or om want tobe to tobo bo ho at an any ami rate I must do the tho best best best- not second best for best for her for fat me The best only Is Gods God's will What else would you yuu have Be De good to b her wr r those days dear lIcar old fellow Yours J 4 CRAIG Continued tomorrow morning |