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Show ONE MAN'S WAY I Itr INA WIIKIIIT HANSON I 1 I Copyright til, iwi, by Tht Authori rubUMnt Company I I "Then you won't marry me, Frances?" "No, Kenneth." Tho breakers pounded upon tho boacli; Frances shivered, looked apprehensively ap-prehensively at tho gray sky, pulled her collar a little closer around her ears, nnd stolo n Blanco at her companion, com-panion, Ho was not pnlcr than was his wont, nor was ho knawlnB his mustache mus-tache True, he was scowllnB. but ho looked moro llko ono who was try-Ins try-Ins to recall somcthlnB than llko a man who had been hard hit by a girl's refusal. "Deuced If I remember," he said at last. "Remember what, Kenneth?" "How tho men in your novels act in llko clrcumstaiicns. I know ono fellow fel-low stabbed hlmsylf, but I don't want to die Just now; besides, I haven't any dnRRcr." Frances looked hurt. "You don't act as if you cared much." "Ilecauso you won't marry mo? I know that It Is far better that you don't. It was wrong of mo to ask yon." His volco suggested nny number num-ber of dreadful things. "Why?" she asked, curiously; but Kenneth remained silent. "You sco " sho continued, finally, "wo have organized a club. Wo know that wo need mental training, and as Santa Cruz Is dull in tho winter, thio 13 tho tlnio to get it. This is a Drowning Drown-ing club, nnd I nm president." "Well, I can study Browning, if that's all I lack. "No, but this la a lady's club; and if you aro married, or oven engaged, you can't belong to It. Wo mado tho rules oursolves," sho added, proudly. "Oh, I see. Lot's go homo; It's going go-ing to rain." They wcro walking up Pacific avenue, ave-nue, when Francos said, hesitatingly: "I think a great deal of you, Kenneth, Ken-neth, and I hopo you won't think you havo to stop coming to our house, and walking with me and " "And theaters, and candy, nnd flowers," flow-ers," ho put in, a trlflo rudely. "Oh, no. Only, I nm going to Arizona. Tho fact Is, I am not well. It may bo tho desert will nako mo stronger." Ho succeeded in evoking quite a rospeet-able rospeet-able cough. Frances looked frightened. "Oh. Kenneth! I hopo you will bo bettor soon. Arizona is so far away, and thero arc I've hoard thero aro hydrophobic hydro-phobic skunks thero, Kenneth!" "Not In tho winter tlmo, dear child. Arizona Is probably tho only placo to euro mo. I will write whon I got thero, If I nm able. Good-byo, Frances. Fran-ces. I hopo your club will prosper." Sho walked slowly up tho steps of her homo. Mlserablo, gloomy day! Sho turned as sho reached tho porch. Kenneth didn't look very ill, but ono can never toll. Consumption! Oh, dear! Sho ran down tho steps. "Kenneth!" Bho called. Ho camo back ono hand .upon his chest, coughing painfully. "You woudn't go away and not say "And theatres, and candy and flowers," flow-ers," he put In rudely. "Oh, no." good-byo, would you?" sho quostioncd, pathotlcally.' "Oh, didn't 1 say goodbye? Well, good-byo, Francos, Tako care of yourself." Then hor hand was laid pleadingly upon his arm. "Konnoth, you 1 up.'t you visit our club to-morrow afternoon'? I am p-osidqnt, you know." "But you said no m6n " "If I toll tho girls ou aro going away, and that yf j are ill" hero hor voice tremblod "the girls won't caro for onco, Kenneth. It Is a business meeting, nnd I don't feel quito suro about motions, votes and things. If you" "All right Frances; I'll come." Tho members woro nil in their places when Kenneth appeared. He bowed gravely to tho club In general, nnd tried to suppress n cough as hU eyes met thoso of the president, Tho members looked nt ono another sympathetically. sym-pathetically. After tho preliminaries tho subject of buying pictures for tho club room camo up. "Miss President, I movo that wo spend what money wo have in tho "You haven't told me anything about your club." troasury for pictures." Thero was no second and everybody every-body began talking at once. "Thero must bo a second before you dlscuts tho question," whispered Kenneth. Ken-neth. "You second 'It, Annie," said the president. "But I don't want It all taken out. I think" After much persuasion, however, Annlo was induced to glvo a feeble second, and Francos Inquired how much was in tho troasury. "Four dollars," answered tho treasurer. "Then I movo as an amendment thnt wo tako three dollars to buy pictures," pic-tures," and Amy Griffith sat down amid admiring looks from hor sisters. Tho amendment was quickly seconded. sec-onded. Tho president looked a little' bowilitcred, but sho started out: "All In fnvor of tho amendment, say 'I.' Contrary, earao sign. It is carried; car-ried; so ordered. Now wo tako up tho next business or tho club," sho bognn, when Kenneth whispered: "You haven't disposed of tho original origi-nal motion." "Must wo voto on that, too?" "Certainly." "All in favor of taking all the money from the treasury to buy pictures, say I.' Tho girls looked bowlldcred, but thinking that something was expected of thnm, voted T In unison. Kenneth grinned. "You voted to tako threo dollars, and now you'vo voted to take four. That makes seven, doesn't It?" "I don't know what to put down," quavorod tho secretary. Then Francos roso to tho occasion, grandly. With ono sweep of hor prot-ty prot-ty hand, sho brushed back into oblivion ob-livion all tho anoyances of tho question. ques-tion. "Just wrlto what you know wo meant," sho said Tho next day, after a secret Interview Inter-view with tho brother of Frances, by which that small boy was u dollar rlchor, Kenneth loft 'for Arizona. Ho found matters at tho Bonlhel mine, of which ho owned half Interest, In so flourishing a statu that llfo seemed to him quito worth living. At Intervals of two weeks, ho wroto to Francos lotters which scintillated, as It woro, with bis coming extinction. Her nns-vors wcro Intended tn be cheering, nnd wero strangely silent concerning tho Browning club. Ho had been thero threo months when n missive addressed In a wavering waver-ing hand, but containing no uncertain mossago, reachod him, "Browning club Busted don't Forget thn othor Dollar you owo mo, Yours truly WILLIAM P. FENTON" When Konnth arrived at homo, Santn Cruz was regal indood. Tho winter rains wero over and sha Bat enthroned upon omerald hills, with Jlttlo waves continually running up to kiss hor dainty feet. Ho and Francos tntked for an hour of things In tho earth, nnd tho waters under tho earth; then ho observed: "You haven't told mo anything about your club." "Tho secretary is engaged, and tho treasurer thinks sho's going to be, nnd two of tho girls said 'twas a silly old club, anyway. Tnat leaves only tho Orlfilth girls and inc. Thcy'ro going to Honolulu noxt week, and I'm Iono-somo!" Iono-somo!" It wns Btich a pathetic Httlo volco which quavered out this last admission. Thero was no ono to watch his nrm slldo along tho back of tho bench, and no ono to count how many tlmo3 his lips, with love's Insistence, took whnt had boon withheld from him so long. They wcro walking up Pacific avo-nuo avo-nuo whon Frances asked: "Do you think you will hnvo to go back to Arizona?" "No." ho answered, cheerfully; "my cough has greatly Improved," "I am so glad!" murmured" Frances with n fervor which should havo mado hlra ashamed, hut It didn't. |