g^B'; .
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11 GONQUESl
H3g| By BOOTH '
Author "Cherry.**
(Continued from last week.)
CHAPTER XV.
??w KNOW how tired you are." said
| Ariel as he came back into the
I room. "I shall not keep you
X long."
"Ah. please do!" he returned quickly,
beginning to fumble with the shade of
student lamp at one end of the desk.
"Let me do that," she said. "Sit
down." He obeyed at once and watchf
ed her as she lit the lamp and. stretching
upon tiptoe, turned out the gas.
"No," she continued, seated again and
looking across the desk at him. "I
wanted to see you at the first possible
opportunity, but what I have to say"?
"Wait," he interrupted. "Let r#e tell
jou why I did not come yesterday."
"You need not tell me. I know."
She glanced at the chair which had
been occupied by Mrs. Fear. "I knew
last night that they had sent for you."
"You did!" he exclaimed. "Ah. I understand!
Sam Warden must have told
yon."
"Yes," she said. "It was he. And I
\ have been wondering ever since how
he heard of It He knew last night
bnt there was nothing In the papers
this morning, and until I came here I
h&rd no one else speak of It Yet Canaan
is not large."
Joe laughed. "It wouldn't seem
v strange If you lived with the Canaan
that I da Sam bad been downtown
S^. during the afternoon and had met
friends. The colored people are a good
deal like a freemasonry, you know. A
great many knew last night all about
what had happened and had their theories
about what might happen today In
case the two men met Still, you see.
those who knew also knew just what
people not to tell. The Tocsin Is the
only newspaper worth the name here.
But even if the Tocsin had known of
the trouble it wouldn't have been likely
to mention It That's a thing I
don't understand." He frowned and
rubbed the back of his head. "There's
something underneath it For more
than a year the Tocsin hasn't spoken
of Beaver Beach. I'd like to know
why."
"Joe," she said slowly, "tell me something
truly. A man said to me yesterday
that he found life here insufferM1
able. Do you find It so?"
"Why. nor' he answered, surprised.
"Do you hate Canaan?"
"Certainly not!"
"You don't find it dull, provincial, unsympathetic?"
He laughed cheerily. "Well, there's
this," he explained: "I have an advantage
over your friend. I see a more interesting
side of things probably. The
people I live among are pretty tnorongb
cosmopolites lu a way. and the
life I lead"?
"I think 1 begin to understand a little
about the life you lead," she Interrupted.
"Then you don't complain of
Canaan?"
"Of course not."
\ /0be threw him a quick, bright, happy
look, then glanced again at the chair
In which Mrs. Fear had sat "Joe." she
said, "last night 1 heard the people
singing in the houses, the old Sunday
evening way. It 'took me back so!'"
"Yes. it would. And something else.
There's one hymn they sing more than
any other. It's Canaan's favorite. Do
you know what It Is?"
"Is it 'Rescue the Perishing?'"
"That's it 'Rescue the Perishing!'"
he cried and. repeating the words
again, gave forth a peal of laughter so
hearty that it brought tears to his eyes.
" 'Rescue the Perishing!' "
At first she did not understand his
laughter, but after a moment she did
and Joined her own to it. though with
a certain tremulousness.
"His funny. Isn't it?" said Joe, wiping
the moisture from his eyes. Then
all trace of mirth left him. "Is it really
you. sitting here and laughing with
me. Ariel?"
"It seems to be." she answered in a
low voice. "I'm not at all sure."
"You didn't think yesterday arternoon."
he began almost in a whisper?
"you didn't think that I had failed to
come because I"? He grew ver> red
and shifted the sentence awkwardly.
"I was afraid you might think tbat I
was?that 1 didn't come because I
might have been the same way again
that I was when?when 1 met you at
the station?"
"Oh. no!" she answered gently. "No.
1 knew better."
"And do you know." he faltered,
"that that is all over? That it can
never happen again?"
"Yes. I know it." she returned quickly
"Then you know a little of what I
ojf you."
""Two. no." she protested.
4 Yes." he said. "You've made that
change in mo already. It wasn't hard
?It won't be?though it might have
boon if?if you hadn't come soon."
"Telt mo something." she demanded.
"If these people bad not sent for you
yesterday, would you have come to
Judge Tike's bouse to see me? You
said you wonld try." She laughed a
little and looked away from him. "I
4 \
y '
? u
" sf CANAAN!
,
TARKINGTON, i |
Monsieur Bcaucairc." Etc.
HARPER I* BROTHERS
& ,_ ?
want to know ir von would have
come."
There was a silence, and in spite of
her averted glance she knew that he I
was looking at her steadily. Finally, I
"Don't you know?" be said.
She shook her head and blushed
faintly.
"Don't you know?" he repeated.
She looked up and met his eyes, and j
thereupon r>oin recniur ?u^ sia.o
"Yes, I do," she answered. "You would
have come. When you left me at the
gate and went away you were afraid.
But you would have come."
"Yes. I'd have come. You are right.
I was afraid at first, but I knew." he
went on rapidly, "that you would have
come to the gate to meet me."
"You understood that?" she cried,
her eyes sparkling and her face flushing
happily.
"Yes. I knew that you wouldn't
have asked me to come." he said, with
a catch in his voice which was half
chuckle, half groan, "if you hadn't
meant to take care of me. And It
came to me that you would know how
to do It."
She leaned back In her chair, and
again they laughed together, but only
for a moment, becoming serious and*
very quiet almost instantly.
"1 haven't thanked you for the
roses." he said.
"Oh. yes. you did! When you first
looked at them."
"So I did." he whispered. "I'm glad !
you saw. To find them here took my
breath away?and to find you with
them"?
"I brought them this morning, you
know."
"Would you have come If you had
not understood. why I failed yester
!ua;
"Oh, yes. I think so!" she returned,
the fine edge of a smile upon her lips.
"For a time last evening, before 1
heard what had happened. I thought
you were too frightened a friend to
bother about."
lie made a little ejaculation, partly
Joyful, partly sad.
"And yet." she went on. "1 think that
I should have come this momlhg after
all even If you had a poorer excuse for
your absence, because, you see. I came
on business."
"You did?"
"That's why I've come again. That
makes It respectable for me to be hen?
now, doesn't It?for me to have come
out alone after dark without their
knowing It? I'm here as your client.
Joe."
"Wbv?" he asked.
She did not answer at once, but picked
up a pen from beneath her hand on
the desk and. turning It. meditatively
felt its point with her forefinger before
she said slowly. "Are most men careful
of other people's?well, of other
people's money?"
"You mean Martin Pike?" he asked.
"Yes. I want you to take charge of
everything I have for me."
H^e bent a frowning regard upon the
lampshade. "You ought to look after
your own property," he said. "You
surely have plenty of time."
"You mean?you mean you won't
help me?" she returned, with intentional
pathos.
"Ariel!" he laughed shortly In answer;
then asked, "What makes you
think Judge Pike isn't trustworthy?"
"Nothing very definite perhaps, unless
it was his look when I told him
that I meant to ask you to take charge
of things for meT'
"He's been rather hard pressed this
year. I think." said Joe. "You might
be right?if he could have found a way.
t hope he hasn't."
"I'm afraid." she began gayly, "that
I know very little of my own affairs.
He sent me a draft every three months.
f It II A
I "Joe,"' she cried in a voice of great pain,
I ''you mustn't feel like that!"
with receipts and other things to sign
and return to him. I haven't the faintest
notion of what I own?except the
old House aud some money rrom tne income
that I hadn't used and brought
with me. Judge Tike has all the papers?everything."
Joe looked troubled. "And Roger Ta- .
bor, did he"?
"The dear uian!" She shook her i
head. "He was Just the same. To him I
poor Uncle Jonas' money seemed to;
come from heaven through the hands j
of Judge Tike"? % )
"And there's a handsome roundabout,
way!" said Joe.
"Wasn't it!" she agreed cheerfully.
"Aud he trusted the judge absolutely.
I don't, you see."
He gave her a thoughtful look and !
nodded. ".\o, ne isn i a goou mau, ue j
said, "not even according to his lights, i
but I doubt If he could have managed,
to get away with anything of conse- J
quence after he became the administrator.
lie wouldn't have tried it probably
unless he was more desperately
pushed than I think he has been, it
would have been too dangerous Sup
pose you wait a week or so and thin!;
It over."
"But there's something I want you
do for me immediately, Joe."
"What's that?"
"1 want the old house put in order.
I'm going to live there."
"Alone?"
"I'm almost twenty-seven, and that's
being enough of an old maid for me to J
risk Canaan's thinking me eccentric, I
isn't It?"
"It will think anything you do is all
right."
"And once," she cried, "it Thought
everything I did wrong!"
"Yes. That's the difference."
"You mean It will commend me because
I'm thought rich?"
"No, no," he said meditatively, "it
Isn't that It's because everybody will
be In love with you."
"Quite everybody!" she asked.
"Certainly," he replied. "Anybody
who didn't would be absurd."
"Ah, Joe!" she laughed. "You always
were the nicest boy In the world,
my dear!"
At that he turned toward her with
a sudden movement, and his lips parted,
but not to speak. She had rested
one arm upon the desk and her cheek
upon her hand; the pen she had picked
up. still absently held in her fingers,
touching her lips, and it was
given to him to know that be would
always keep that pen, though he would
never write with it again. The soft
lamplight fell across the lower part
nf hpp fare, leavlntr her eves, which
were lowered thoughtfully, in the I
shadow of her hat. The room was
blotted out In darkness behind her.
Like the background of an antique
portrait, the office, with its dusty corners
and shelves and hideous safe,
had vanished, leaving - the charming
and thoughtful face revealed against
an even, spacious brownness. Only
Ariel and the roses and the lamp were
clear, and a strange, small pain moved
from Joe's heart to his throat as he
thought that this ugly office, always
before so harsh and grim and lonelyloneliest
for him when it had been
most crowded?was now transfigured
into something very, very different
from an office; that this place where
he sat, with a lamp and flowers on a
desk between him and a woman who
called hlra "my dear" must be Jlke?
like something that people called
"home."
And then he leaned across the desk
toward her as he said again what he
had said a little while before, and his
voice trembled:
"Ariel, It is you'/"
She looked at him and smiled.
"You'll be here always, won't you?
You're not going awuy from Canaan
again V
For a moment it seemed that she
had not heard him. Then her bright
glance at him wavered and fell. Sh6
rose, turning slightly away from blm,
but not so far that he could not see
the sudden agitation in her face.
"Ah," he cried, rising, too, "I don't
want you to think I don't understand
or that I meant I should ever ask you
to stay here! I couldn't mean that.
You know 1 couldn't, don't you? You
know I understand that it's all just
your beautiful friendliness, don't you?"
"It isn't beautiful; It's just me, Joe,"
she said. "It couldn't be any other
way." *
"It's enouzh that you should be here
now," be went ou bravely, his voice I
steady, though bis band shook. "Noth- 1
Ing so wonderful as your staying could '
ever actually knpi>en. It's Just a light
coming into a dark room and out again.
One day long ago, 1 never forgot It,
some apple blosso'ms blew by me as I
passed an orcfiard, and it's like that
too. But, oh, my dear, when you go
you'll leave a fragrance in my heart
that will last!"
Sim tAira pit him her face snf
fused with a rosy light. "You'd rather
have died than have said that to me
once." she cried. "I'm glad you're
weak enough now to confess It!"
He sank down again into his chair,
and his arms fell heavily on the desk.
"Confess It!" he cried despairingly.
"And you don't deny that you're going
away again?so It's true! I wish I
hadn't realized it so soon. I think I'd
rather have tried to fool myself about
it a little longer!"
"Joe," she cried in a voice of great
pain, "you mustn't feel like that! How
do you know I'm going away again V
Why should I want the old house put
in order unless I mean toitay? And if
I went you know that I could never
change. You know how I've always
cared for you"?
"Yes," he said. "I do know how. It
was always the same, and it always
will be, won't it?"
"I've shown that." she returned
quickly.
"Yes. You say 1 know how yon"v.
eared for .me. .and I tlo 1 know Imw
.<
.' If '"
iTs jusf ill one" certain' way?Tonathnn
ami David"- *
"Isn't that a pretty good way. Joe?"
"Never fear that 1 don't understand"'
He got to his feet again and looked at j
her steadily.
"Thank you. Joe." She wiped sudden
tears from her eyes.
"Don't you he sorry for me." he said, i
"I)o you think that 'passing the love o! |
women* Isn't enough for me?" j
"No." she answered humbly. i
"I'll have people at work on the old ,
house tomorrow." he began. "And far .
the"?
"I've kent vou so lone!" she inter
ru'pted, helped to a tneek sort of safety
by his matter of fact tone. "Good 1
night. Joe." She gave him her hand.
"I don't want yoh to come with me. It
isn't very late, and this is Canaan."
"I want to come with you. however."
he said, picking up his hat. "You can't
go alone."
. "But you are so tired, you"?
She was interrupted. There wer
muffled, flying footsteps on the stairs,
and a shabby little man ran furtively
into the room, shut the door behind
him and set his back against it. Hla ;
face was mottled like a colored map.
thick lines of perspiration shining |
across the splo:ches.
"Joe," he panted. "I've got Nashville
good, and he's got me good too. I got
to clear out. He's fixed me good, but
he won't trouble n >'?ody"?
Joe was noroc; the room like a flying
shadow.
"Quiet!" Ills voice raug like a shot,
and on the Instant his hand fell sharply
across the speaker's mouth. "In
there, Happy!"
He threw an arui across the little
man's shoulders and swung him toward
the door of the other room.
Hannv Fear looked up from beneath
flit? dawn bent brim of bis black sloucb
hnt. H!s eyes followed nn imperious
gesture toward Ariel. Rave ber a brief,
Khastly stare and stumbled into the Inner
chamber.
(Continued next week.)
Indigtslion
8tommhtroubleU but* symptom of. and not
In itself a true disease. We think of Dyspepsia,
Heartburn, and Indigestion as real disease*, ret
they are symptoms only of a certain specific
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It was this fact that first correctly led Dr. Shoop
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For stomach distress, bloating, biliousness, bad I
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recommend
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d. c. scon.
Hereafter we positively refuse
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received at this office later
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and personal items, which
will not be available later than
Wednesday, noon, for the current
week. By trying to be accommodating
we are thrown late
every week and we are tired of
it. This notice applies to
EVERY BODY.
4 25 tf.
TOOTTI5' '/SB
Fiafs if ttn. |
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When in need of Sash, Doors, Blinds, Turned Work, etc., we
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J r ?.?:?1 P,'rrV,f P^rnom.
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Call on me. -M
Yours for business, M
WT Wilkins, I
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