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Show Vithin me an Immeasurable S5.SS.-r routed ,J her head into my room-V-, U'6 through a time Hi, auctions. Her heart own nccount and X'n these days she .en laughter and V-ow one. Per- Yson that her r--rtrs!M ended In ite X- and, with a little nlur,sed onto my bed and nl,s .bout ie;he wrapped ld , neck and shoulders v face to hers. And as her .gainst mine a little warm moisture wended Its way and across my Hps, 1 ame tremble as It rested n Marjorie; not crying, on aornings !" I exclaimed, al-jwn al-jwn throat was full. iNot on my account?" estion she snuggled closer, . little I heard ber whls-y whls-y ear. "It will come all .', brother mine," she said ; ,' time. I can't think I e anything else. Don't :on't you know that it so to'soothe her, and that day might not be spoiled, w it would come all right there was a stone between :d a band of Iron about my kissed me on the lips, then face and dried her eyes. ,e sprang to her feet, and but admit how very good look upon. Her dark hair about her shoulders; she rself no curl-paper non-udeed non-udeed no device could have lie beauty of her waving was still W her nightdress, e had drawn on something t her feet, and, like the .he was always to be, she the fire a duty which I operly fell to the man of Perhaps It Is because a start the fire that he so ys having his wife do It the poplar sticks crackling itching her through moist eyes. She was good to so different from Jean, but i p, Frank," she cried, with turn to her normal man-avo man-avo a lot to do today." ,t until after our midday v?nt over to Twenty-two., her room, but I mustered i chaff Jack with such a good wishes and humorous ay brain could command, hed the whole with an im-irring im-irring match In the middle en lloor. our beak!" I commanded, I you to the minister with ug," and I swung on him iasm. But Jack was handy is, and something thumped like Q piledrlver. aid he. "The first of the corations. Let's make It a lat moment Jean came out, I radiantly sorrowful, if one hat way, that the glory of eemed as the glory of one cr planets against the sun. to me with an outstretched :hrlstmns, Frank," she said, squarely In the face. "Why. happened to your eye?" ust practicing," said Jack, :)t to exhibit this specimen diwork to Marjorie before Tied. It is as well that she erstand " was gone In quest of but-hich but-hich she rubbed my swell-d swell-d the caress of her fingers the punch It had cost, ow time to hitch the oren ;h sleigh or jumper which 1 had built. Into this the could with some difficulty and as we reckoned It at least an hour for Buck-to Buck-to break trail to Spoof's":" up and started on our a little before two. Spoof 1 that the ceremony should it his house. If for no other there might be a honey-s honey-s far as from Two to Four-he Four-he minister was expected wwittnd prairie crept by to the leisurely plodding of JBuck anil Bright the mound which marked Spoof's house and stable gradually de-lined de-lined itself against the bright gray background of the December afternoon. after-noon. Spoof had been on the lookout, and while our oxen were still puffing and blowing at a considerable distance from the shack we saw him coming over the drifts with his great, rapid. English stride. He was beside us In a few minutes, his wind-tanned face wreathed In smiles, his white teeth ' gleaming under a short, sandy mustache mus-tache to which of late he had been giving some encouragement. Will Jean change her mind 1 yet again that's the big ques- ' tion. What's your guess? ' ( I i (TO BE CONTINUED.) "GOODBY1" SYNOPSIS. Lured by his four-year-old playmate, Jean Lane, Frank Hall, atfed six, ventures on the forbidden wall of a darn. In a small Ontario town. He tails Into the water and Is saved from possible death Jjy cllnk-in to Jean's outstre ten ed arms. Next day Jean Informs him that because be-cause of their adventure of the day before he Is In duty bound to marry her. He aurees when they are "Kruwnups." With Jean's brother, John, also aned six, FrunK begins school. Two years later they are Joined by Jean and Frank's sister. Marjorie. A little later Jean confides to Frank. In verse, her hop,-s of some day becoming be-coming ".Mrs. Hall." He accepts the "proposal." Prank Is fourteen four-teen when his mother dies. The boys are elKhteen when John's father Is killed In an accident. Two years later Frank s raui.-r and John's mother are married. Lilssallslied with conditions, and ambitious, the two boys make plans to go to Manitoba and "homestead," the Klrla aKreelntf to y.o with them. They set out. At ltenlna they meet "Jake," who aKt'ecs to find thorn satisfactory homesteads. He does so, and the ""-3sj0 two friends !Ue claims on Sec- Hons Fourteen and Twenty-two. Jake sanely advises the adventurers adven-turers In the purchase of supplies, sup-plies, and In a wae;on drawn by a yoke of oxen, and with a cow, the four arrive at their future homes. Construction of "shacks" and the makintf of a earden are their first occupations. A younK FnKl'shman of 'the name of "Spoof" Is a neighbor. They call on Spoof, who Is living In a tent. Spoof, on his return visit, discloses dis-closes himself as a msn of varied social attainments. Frank's jealousy jeal-ousy Is aroused. Marjorie discovers dis-covers that they have a new neighbor. "He" turns out to be a Mrs. Alton, a widowed KnKllsh-woman, KnKllsh-woman, who, with her three-year-old son Gerald, has taken up a claim. Frank and John leave the homesteads for a time to do harvest work for wages on a lonKer-ostabllshed farm. They encounter Jake, who tells them of his adventure Into matrimony. After two months' absence- they return to their homes. .lean's enthusiastic welcome encourages Frank. The land sections heln to fill tip with settlers of all nationalities. na-tionalities. Juke and his wile have located In the neliihborhood. Mrs. Allon remains strangely aloof. Winter sets In. Frank and Jean enler Into a marriage en-Ktierement. en-Ktierement. Tt Is well underst ood that John ami Marjorie are soon to bo married. Frank almost loses his life In a snowstorm. Spoof drives thirty miles to tho nearest town to make arrangements arrange-ments for n double weddlup;. Frsnk nnd John, for a Joke, send Spoof on a fool's errand, through a storm. CHAPTER XI Continued 10 "Not a chance," her brother assuret her. "But I'd give a dollar to be u Burke's." "At Burke's? Why?" "Because, little -Miss Innocence,, o two facts. First, there is no sucl thing as a cogitation nut, and second there Is no such thing as a left-hunt monkey wrench." "But Jake icame for It he tolt Spoof" "Exactly. That's why he told him.' For a moment Jean's face was 1 puzzle ns her mind unraveled tin mixed threads of Jake's little comedy But suddenly her eyes blazed with 1 light such ns I had seen in them onl; once before, and then, as now, it wa for Spoof that light had burned. "So you sent him out on a day Ilk' this," she said, speaking slowly am through teeth that were almost elosei "you sent him out on a day like this across the nntracked snow, huntin, for something that doesn't exist. II may find something he wasn't sen v for!" "Oh, come now, sister, don't take 1 too seriously. It Is just a joke." "It will he no Joke If Spoof is los on the prairie," she returned; "no jok for any of us. For example, there wil be no marriage in this house, so far a I am concerned, if nnything happens t Spoof." "Isn't that rather mixing the issue? I said, perhaps a little testily. "Spoo has nothing to do with our marriage. "No, but I have," she answeret with a pointedness that could not b . escaped. "You make a mountain out of molehill," Jack told her, sharply. "On would think it was Spoof you were 1 love with, instead of Frank." "If I discuss that at all I will dis cuss It with Frank, alone," she rt torted, with some heat. The colo which had lied her face for a momet; had come back in a flood, filling he cheeks and forehead, overllowing (low her neck and into her hair. If Jea , the placid, Jean the mild-manneret Jean the amiable was lovely, Jean th aroused, Jean the defiant, was ado able. I made that appraisal eve while In her eyes I read sotuethin aklu to my death warrant. "I wns quite serious in what I sail Frank," she continued, after a m meiit. "If It makes any difference t you perhaps you will follow Spoo He hasn't the prairie sense that yo have; he may be lost by this thin Fortunately there is no ground drif and his tracks will show. "Of course, if you think there Is an danger, I'll go," I agreed, eager for way out of an awkward position, an lacerated at heart by a sense of til breach that had occurred between u So Jack nnd I set out to follow Spoof tracks. We traced him without dill culty to Burke's. "Ks? Spoof been here?" we aske onr America-' neighbor when he can lo rhr dco-T By Robert Autiiar of'Th Cm PundtT,""T;: WNU Service Copyright by Robert "Spoof? I should say I this time lie's half wa Smith's. Unfortunately II a left-hand monkey w.l Burke, with a chuckle, "b I likely Andy Smith wou l having been a ship bu I wouldn't slay to eat, bu'l cup of tea and steamed i'l We explained that we I Spoof in case he becu I avoided uny reference to J that had sent us after hi I the Invitation of Burke 1 to stay und eat, we pusll About half way to And! met Spoof coming hack. .1 seen the Joke when It wl scnteil, nnd in his analy I revealed It to Spoof as I recognized it himself. t tunute fur Spoof, as oil would doubtless have beebl Hansen's In continuation 11 As Spoof came up to ul twisted In a broad grin. 1 "Dili you get a left-han I we asked. I "No, but I found out wh; 1 lion nut is. This is It," and! his head with his knuekle-1 doesn't cogitate very well." I The three of us linked arl In the middle, and trud.I toward Burke's. 1 ".Mighty decent of you to 01 me." said Spoof at length. I "Yes, wasn't It?" we agreetil Lucy Burke would take ml this time, so Spoof and Jat I stayed for dinner. I had a feel this was bad generalship, and! should be hurrying home, wh I was doubtless waiting with I concern. I managed to menl forebodings to Jack. I "Don't you believe It," he wl hack. "When a woman reads I riot act go out and have a riot I ing makes her so unhappy as I pect that her husband is h: good time when she thinks hcl be doing penance." I After dinner Burke, with the! ness of a homesteader to wh visit of n neighbor is something event, detained us ns long as po on one pretext or another, and : when wo Insisted upon going, 1 up the mules and drove us b Fourteen. It was dark by this time a' lamps were lighted., I notice lamps were setose ,Jh at their wedges of light thrust out Ir dnrkness from each of our w Jean wns at the door with the I of our sleigh bells, nnd as I close by her I scrutinized her f some hopeful sign. It was a f wall. 1 We made Spoof and Burke s supper, nnd no one had more f 1 the day's events than had Spool kept her Indignation well bridh we were a happy pnrty. ontwai any rate. Spoof nnd Burke n " up that they would drive to 1 late that night, when he wo JlflPf ; II I' "Has Spoof Been Here7" W , Asked !r Our American Neighbor V. hen He n Came to the Door. n I. sure to be In bed, nnd stuff 1 is stove- ie pipe with a sack as a slight xchange r- of compliments. During the evening n Jean's eyes avoided mine but 1 had an ig uncomfortable feeling that tl: rte 0f us were on a precipice which afforded i, room for only two, and that was the 0- third. :o As the evening wore on Spoof In- f. sisted that Jean get out the banjo. 1 ai could see that she was In mood for e. music, but she played he part well, t. and as their voices joii n "Old Black Joe" and "Silver Th eads Among i.v the Gold" I could not hei p wondering a if she were ns unhappy as j was ul After they had sung for a whje' le Spoof took the banjo fn in jean and s. iwept his lean, long ham wit 1, quick 's delicate master strokes across Its II- strings. Under his sptjn our itt. homestead shack faded ollt n tne Diur d of Spoof's tobacco smelly amj pres. le ontly I saw a little boy al1(j giri sittiug lhuTTirnT!TeTT?rrt1c--n:ith a thud. "Oh, Jean. Jean," I pleaded, "why do you turn to Spoof, whom you hardly know, and away from me? Have I fallen so far short am 1 so little to be desired that you should love a stranger In preference?" - She pressed her hand against my lips. "Don't please. ... I can't explain. Ask me why the wind blows why the flowers turn to the sunlight I can't explain. I would ever so much rather it had been you." "Then make It me! It is In your hands " "No, it is not. I can't change It. I have tried and failed. Of course. 1 could marry you still, but you would not want me with a reservation in my heart. You would despise me if I married mar-ried you like that." Beneath the numbing shock of the fact that Jean was slipping hail slipped out of my life. I was conscious that her words were true. I should not have wanted her with a reservation. reserva-tion. And so we sat in silence and In suffering, with no sound abuut us except ex-cept the ticking of the clock and the thumping of our own hearts, until at length Jean arose to rebuild the fire. I took it as my cue to leave. "Well, what is to be done about it?" I said, trying to speak in a matter-of-fact way. although I could not keep the tremble out of my voice. "We must clear up the situation some way." "Yes. We will explain, so far as It 1 1 .--. o. . ........ c ocjuiiu my power of comprehension. Spoof took, the news with genuine or well-feigned surprise. We merely explained that the wedding was not to be a double one after all; that Jean and I had reconsidered matters, but Jack nnd Marjorie would be married mar-ried a-s arranged. "I say, I'm sorry to hear that 1 mean about you and Jean. I presume it Is only a postponement?" But we gave him no answer to that question, and Spoof, of course, did not press It. Christmas day dawned bright and cold, with a whip of northwest wind and a skiff of loose snow-sifting across the frozen prairies. I found myself lying uw'ake in the morning, thinking of Jean, and of all I had hoped that day would mean to me. This was the dream that was gone; the picture 1 had had-to tear out of my heart, oniy it would not. stay gone; it plagued me in my sleep, It haunted iue in every silent moment of the day. Tha Jean should be so strong, so set, so immovable, immov-able, and, as it seemed to me. so unreasonable, un-reasonable, in spite of all her delicate wilfulness and- strange uncommon-ness uncommon-ness of spirit that was a side of Jean's character which all the years of our childhood and youth had not revealed re-vealed to me. ... I had not reopened re-opened my suit. I had accepted Indecision. In-decision. But the old picture would j come back, and tltis Christmas morning morn-ing as It swam before" my eyes It i |