IIOHT r AGES The Fighting' Chance Copyright, J. I I"" Copyright, kf (A continued "Where do you go from herer" "To l-mmi. Tltn Claymores have aakt-d un for week. After that Hot Hprlng for another two weeks or no. After tlmt to Oyster Hoy. Mr. Q'inr rlcr iik ii hi bouse on Hedge Hilnt," ntic added demurely, "but I don't thtnk lie xH t to Invito you to The Hedges" "Ilow lti do you iay there' ask td Hlward Irritably. u TuMI wn so to (own In leeeinber. "Whiit will jou flU'l to a tlmt tlino lu Oyster Huyf he BHku.1, more Irritably. "What a premature question! The yacht I there. IUIc1-h. there's the usual neighborhood hunting, with II"' usual park and Inevitable net, the usual steeple chasing, the usual ex-c-hango of social auiftiltl.it, the iihuiiI tlrlxlng and riding. II"' '"v l"",r friend, tho imiml. lu nil It uncompro mising certainty. Aud what are you lo do?" 'Tin going to town." "And tht-uT M don't know." "Hit, but haven't you been asked somewhere? Von have, of course." "Yes, and I have declined." "Matter of business," she Inferred. "Too lmit!" "Oli. no." "Then," she concluded, laughing, "you don't care to tt'l) me where you re going." "No." he said thoughtfully: "I dou't caro to toll you." , Blm laughed again carelessly and. placing one band on the tiled pave ment, sprang Ughtly to her feet. "A last plungeT' the asked aa he rose at her aide. "Yea. one last plutige together, inx-pl Are you ready T' She raised ber while arme above her head, finger tip Joined, poised an In stant on the brink, awaylng forward; then, at his brief word, they flaahed dowuward together, cutting the crys talline aea water, shooting like great Cli over the glass tiled bed. aboulder to aboulder under the water, and, own ing their eyes, they turned toward one auother with a awlft outstretch of hands, an uncontrollable touch of llpa. the very shadow of contact: then cleaving upward, rising to the surface to llo breathlessly floating, nnua ex tended and the aun filtering down through the ground glasB roof above. "We are perfectly crazy," she brenthed. "I'm quite mod; I see that. On laud It's bad enough for us to tnls lehave. But submarine sentiment! We'll be growing scales, ad tails pres entlyT Shall" we dress? Even with a maid and the electric air blast tt will take time to dry my hair and drees It" ? When he caiue out of his dressing room she was apparently still In the bauds of the maid, so he sauntered through tho house as far as the li brary and, drawing a check book from one pocket, fished out a memorandum book from another and began to cast up totals with a view to learning some thing about the various debts contract ed nt Bhotover4 lie seemed' to owe everybody. For tune had smitten hltti hip and thigh, and, a trifle concerned, be began cov figures untU he knew where he Btood. Then ne drew a consider able check to Major Belweth er's order, anoth er to Alderdene. Others followed ,to other people for various amounts, and he was very busily at work when. aware of auoth ,.,. t. ..n. er Dreseuce near, writing at a datk he turned arouud in. the comer. lu his cnair. isyi' writiuff at a deals lb the corner, and she looked up, nodding the little greeting that she always re served for him even after five minutes separation. "I'm writing checks," she said. "1 suppose you're writing to your moth er." "Why do you think so?" he asked curiously. "You write to her every day, aont your "Yes," be said. "But how do you toowr She looked at him with unblushing deliberation. "You wrote every day. If It was to a woman, I wanted to know. And I told Grace Ferrall that It worried me. And then Grace told me Is there any other confession of my own pettiness that 1 can ma lie to iNDtfeNotNce eNTewywiag. ioeieNOf.NCg, oweoow. ROBERT W. CHAMBERS Curtli I'ubllihlog Coaupany. lloburt W. Chamber. story.) your Hid you really care to whom 1 was writing?" he naked slowly. "Cure? I -It worried nut. Waa It not a pitifully commou Impulse? 'Sis ters tinder our skin.' you know-1 and the tint Id who dresses me. Hho would have hmooimxI; 1 didn't; that's the only generic dllTi reine. I wtinle.l to know Jiint the Kniiitf. Hut tlmt was lieforo"- "ltcforo what?" "Iteforw I pleiiHo dou't uitk me to wiy It. 1 did cime wbeu Jou linked inc." "Ilefore you carej for mo-Is tliut what yil ineiiur "YeM. You nn ko cruelly literal when you wIkIi lo piuilhh me. Ym ore Inter rupting: me " I we tlmt wretched Kemp I'errall a lot of money, mid I'm trying to find ut how much seven and nine are to close accounts with Ms rlou Pnge." Hhviml turned and continued bis writing;. And wlu-u the little sbeuf of clunks was ready be counted them, luld them aside and. drawing a flat packet of frenh bunk notes from his portfolio, counted o it the tips exect id of him l;elow stairs. These arrang ed for. lie strnlKhteiied up and glanced nver bis shoulder ut Sylvia, but she was apparently almorlied lu eountliig souietbliig on the ends of her fingers, so he turned smilingly lo his desk and wrote a long letter to his mother the name tender, affectionately boyish let- tor h li.nl nlwnvs written tier, run or confidences, full of humor, gsiyly antic ipating his ow n return to ber on toe heels of the letter. in his first letter to her from Shot- over he had spoken cusually of a Miss I.uiidls. It seemed the name was rn mlllar enough to his mother, who a8k ed about her. and be bud replied In another letter or two, a trifle em phatic In his praise of her. because from his mother's letters It was cpjlte evident that she knew a good deal con cerning the very uncouventionai af fairs of Sylvia's family. Of his swift and somewhat equivo cal courtship he had bad nothing to suy lu his letters. In fact, recently he had nothing to say about Sylvia at all, reserving that vital confidence for the clear sympathy and understanding which he looked forward to when be should see her and which, through dark days and bitter aftermaths, through struggle and defeat by his master vice, had never failed him yet, never faltered for an lustnut. Bo he brought bis letter to. a close with a tender and uueasy Inquiry concerning her health, which, she bad lntTimifeif. was noF exactly satisfacto ry, ftnd for that reason she bad open ed the house in town in order to De near Dr. Grlsby, their family doctor. Sealing and directing the letter, ne looked up to see Sylvia standing at his elbow. Sho dropped a light hand on bis shoulder for a second, barely touching lilm a fugitive caVess, deli cate as the smile hovering on her Hps, as the shy tenderness In her eyes. "More letters to your sweetheart r i?lie asked, abandoning ber hand to him. "One more, the last before I see her. I wish you could see her, Sylvia." "I wish so, too," she answered sim ply, seating herself on the arm of his chair as though it were a sidesaddle. "Would she care for me, do you think?" asked the girl In a low voice. "I think so, for your real self." "I know. She could' only feel con tempt for me as I am." "She Is old fashioned," he said rev erently. "That moans nil that Is best In a wo manthe old fashion of truth and faith, the old fashion of honor and faith In honor, the old, old fashion of love. All that Is best, Stephen; all that is worth the love of a man. Some day somebody will revive those fashions." "Will you?" "Dear, they would not become me," she said, the tenderness in her eyes deepening a little, and sne wucnea nis head lightly In humorous caress. "What shall we do with the waning daylight?" she asked. "It Is my last day with you. I told Howard It was my last day with you and I did not care to be disturbed." "You probably didn't sny It that way," he commented, amused. "I did." "How much of that Bort of thing Is he prepared to stand?" asked Siward curiously. "How much? I don't know. I don't believe he cares. It Is my uncle, Ma jor Belwether, who Is making things unpleasant for me. I had to tell How ard, you know." "What!" exclaimed Blward Incredu lously. "Certainly.. Do you think my cen- duct baa Miwud without prolyl r " ... . "You told Ouarrwrir u riwia. , 7 . .. . "Did you I urn glue I coum an otner- wlner slis aakwl coolly. "I bave that , much d-nc lft Orlalnly I Md til ill. Io you supptum that after what we did, what 1 admitted to yoa, that I could mt blm as usual? l you think I atu afraid of UimV "I thought you were afraid of loalug him." muttered HI ward. "I was drvadfully. And the morning after you ami I bod bwn Imprudent eiiotiKU w ail ui uum wmn ihjkkhi and do w hat we did I made blm take a long walk with ma, aud I told Id in plain ly Hint I cared for you, that I was too aelflnh and cowardly to marry you, and that If lie couldn't endure the news lie was at liberty to terminate the engage ment without notice." "What did be aayT atatuutered bl ward. "I was Informed that be held me strictly aud precisely to my promlne; that be would never releaae me volun tarily, though I was, of course, at lib erty to do what I choae. My poor friend. f cares no more fr love than do I! 1 hnpieu to be the one woman In New York whom he consider almi- liitely suitable for blm- by nice, by l.n.eilliiir. bv virtue of iiplM-nrntice nnu prei-bii.e einliieiitly fitted to cumplctw j the material portlou of his fortune ami estuto." Her voice hud hardened as ahe spoke. Now It rang u Utile at the end. and she laughed unpleasantly. "It up-arH that I was little truer p,-ars that I was ."'- ; to myself than you guve me creuil tor -a little truer to you. a little in treacherous, lens shameless, than you must have ho glit u.e ,u' gone to my limit of decency, and were I ten times more lu love wltu you tiiau . I am I could not put away the post- not He for it tmr betray for It." She dropped one arm on the back of his chair and rested her chin on It. staring at space across his shoulders. "That's how It bad to be, you see. when I found that I cared for you. There was nothing to do but to tell bim. He trusts me euougb to marry me. He will lie safe enough aa far as my personal conduct la concerned." she added naively. "It seems that I am capable of love, but I am Incapable of its degradation." Siward, leaning heavily forward over bis desk, rested his bead in both hands, and ahe stooped from her perch on the ami nt the chair, pressing her hot rheoka amlnst his hands moment 4 only; then, slipping to her feet, she curled up In a great armchair by the fire, head tipped back, blue gaze con centrated on him. "The thing for you to do," sho said, "Is to ambush me aome nlghtand Studebaker Wag AND CARRIAGES. We have the celebrated line of Studebaker wag ons and carriages again this season. These rigs are especially adapted to the trade of the Pacific coast and give more universal satisfaction, than any make of vehicle. They are stronger in every particu the farmers, Modest in price, strongly recommended. HARDWARE DEALERS Afwtt n. tva. tlTrow ueTiW a IUnom auditive us .... i..a .. t.m imw io mm iiwm . i '" i , ..j ...... !-.. IM it as iiiuio i a j., . iimke you an liitrrtwilng wife." ! "I tny d-i tlmt y-t." ! "" till head rrolll HIS llSIHia. "Yuu've a jear ! do It In." u ol- j iM-rtid. "Hy the wy. yu're toUke e In ta dliun i. as yu dUI llie fnl night ouu rviu mlr? I a-kinl tits- tvr- mil then. I ankwl her again tly. , IUikIio! It jrn ag, u'l IU , hat I drovr tip Ihe awtl.m and saw I wry attractive aud nlid young i i , i j fill. - i - -1 ' - , mail looking aiuliiOhly atut for aoiiiw t ..... ...I... 1,1... l!l,.,lrMrt Ahiilri! ' The notorious Mr. Mard: Iur. I "I know. After awhile a man fm.l dldn't iiienu to burl you! You know lauuhter dim ulL" It alllv! Maui't I have my little Joke "I waa ut laughing at-anylhing I about your .ndin-your reloubioble 1 . . ... i badness of n-p'itatlotiT lliere: l u had Juki lu tter mnllx. "W dure you frighten me by making me thin I bud hurt you? Henldca. ou are probably linrcieii!iiiit." Hie wtili l.ixl him cluacly for a mo imnt or two, then. "Are jou unrepent ant?" "About wliutr "AUmt .Vvur geii -ral Ickitlneea alMHif-rhe beltHil "about that girl, for etampie." "What Blrir be SHked coldly. "Tlmt rewinds me tlmt ym have told we ulollely nothing about her." "There Is nothing to tell." be ld In a tone o utterly new to ber lu Its (If ( ' " ' .. . .... i k llo. IlllUlliy llllll "He Wl UF n i . ; teulng lo ii u unknown voice. j it .....i ti'..r.u mai i-,,ii,nii.ii4v ex - ,h. new intlmac, Into 1UUU Mil. , . v - .....n.lv drift.nl " - " . V, L. . u n . th, )rl thl.n. of wboin be had , wa ,Bkt;th1If , Mvt iVbt was ! - ; be to i "he ,o blur .., -nt..,...,l..nt? Klie felt little lrrl- tated. a little humiliated, a little hurt. , aud took refuge lu a slleuce that ne did not offer to break. Karly twilight hud fallen In the room. The firelight grew redder. "Sylvia." he said abruptly, reverting to the old, light tone hinting of the laughter la hla eyea which she could no longer see, "suppose, as you aug gested. I did ambush you-eay after the opera seize you under the very nose of your escort and make madly for a hansom V "I know of no other way," ahe said demurely. "Would you resist physically?" "Yes. I would. If I were going to surrender at ouce I might as well go off to church with you now." "Wenniston church !" be said prompt ly. "I'll order the motor." She laughed, lazily settling herself more snugly by the Ore. "Suppose. It iiam, HAMA BROTHERS FACE THREE ,w ,mr firr ! sin!!!, Ttwrts ..I I i .1 ... I.).. .-r. th.t r.i.. - ihi - . -. - .....-.,. I.I- A -m tat.li A.m - Ii.g t.y I be filr, awl - you. tnm- iiKd. at W ' b.t faUiSt- lug uvmu oi jir uim'xi vm.m my Lu'-" l b Uugtilur la tmr toli died out. and lt bed rWo. aayla uni.-1ily : "Dou'll t-I '! or1 f ihlnif. you know." Mie bad ma.b a mlatake too. KS ilo bud ud.lriily twroiu aware or Hr wn lluiltn In the aame direction. "l-'urglve llUH'kltrY. 111., urnn waa only .tt.-udlug to I happy t ....i.. . I. I .f ..r vm Viii' lint tul tiftts ta licfore von." Iia aid aullenlj . "My fututv, you meau. You know I Sill eichaiitflng one for the other. An I Koine day you will awake to the li fmuy of It. You will comprehend tbw depravity of the inontr'm li'. t made. And then -and then" - li pnffd oi.e rll .1 hi!-'! ver ber fn-e "then yon- will shake yourself free fro:u thl die ..;l o. eii. at k: my pun!: liiui-i't nt Jour bands wl! U gln. Inr. u urv I t ' H -' .t.-w rim continue to love ii gl;1 tic'i ti" I am." After a li-inr i;'tie. ' I'o 'it '.; i.....- .1... 1-...I- u ,n: ii:-t J'o'i mUhl ..... - , - ii.. i .i. li 'iiT bf If!" I "I . t ' " in- (i irii il -No. I slmll nt even pray for It. I uiuit In offci .'d ut. He mlelit " .. - k. M.n.ued llo u:u ii'. '" ....... ut.r I. there on earth to Inilt , ', .. ,.. ,., ,to,j- Z . ' . ,.,,,.f Kenr of your mi- happl.... and mine cannot No. even .hi .rtltn.le of your contempt some- dav la M,erl.-ss to-halt me now. I uMprIj. ,n(.npBle ,f loWmt-vou euough to balance the nacrlflce And that Is flnair , (To be continued.) Dr. Ailln. DenUst. Cooper Bldg. tt All Who Love Little Ones will provide purest of the pure in Candy Look tat the Baal o Parity TatroniM t "Modem DeaUr" Hi4t ClckMnr C. PwlltW, One lar than any other ordina ry vehicle. It is the peer of al farm wag ons first in the hearts of INDEPENDENCE, OREGON