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
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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