DAKOTA COUNTY HERALD, DAKOTA CITY, NEBRASKA. x xm 'faem irm EBMUMWOiMa HOME TOWN The Man Nobody Knew f1ELPSI Bj h s (Copyright br Dodd, Mead ft Co., CHAPTER X Continued. 11 "Tin sorry, Business worries?" "Why In a wnjr, yea." Tfee doctor achieved a perfect cir clet, and beamed at It. "Something else?" -A good deal else," said nilllnrd, ab stracted, "nut Mint's no reason for mt t bother yoa with It. I didn't know U wa so apparent." Silence. -It's not my linblt." snld the doctor presently, "to offer any ndvlco unless I'm asked for It. Gratuitous ndvlco never did anybody uny Rood. And no body takes it unless it costs some thing and not often then. And I'm neither your regular physician nor Soar confessor. Hut if I hnd nindo n diagnosis nt this present minute I'd wy that you need a preacher n great deal more thnn you do n doctor." "1 ..... I do," said Illlllard, look. Ing up sharply. "Only . . . It's out r the question. Just personal things, doctor nothing I can very well talk boat." "Yoor trouble," said Doctor Durnnt, "tea'ti physical1 as much as It Is spir itual. Itls-notlltng but taut nerves. It's otWog-but your struggle against tho cestralnts you put tpon yourself. How d 1 know! You've told mo so . . . very time I've seen you. It's In your tmt, my boy. It's fn your eyes. Con untly. And It looks ns though tho conference Is about over ... be came If that Isn't Carol coming up the teps, iny cars aren't half as good as tfcey nsed to be." Both men were on their feet ns she came In, swirling. "Oh I" sho cried to Hlllhird. "I didn't know you were coming up to night I Suppose I'd missed you I" Ha merely smiled, and made no an wer: nor did he speak to her until Bfter tho doctor, protesting n sudden tfcslro ior solitude, hud wnved them hospitably out of the study Into the Irving room, Carol was In tho old fa miliar corner of tho sofa ; Illlllard was landing by the fireplace, peering 4wn Into the empty grate, lie coughed harshly, and an expression of utter ItoaeTessncss crept Into his eyes. He turned abruptly. J "Well," ho said, "Just how much would you huve cared If you hnd?" i Tlicro was a stately old lamp Btand Ibe at height behind tho sofa; Its afeadows wore gracious and Its light, as it crept through a shud6 of painted .vellum, touched Carol softly, In u delicacy of radiance which was Infin itely caressing. Her bunds were lying fltlle- 1b her lap; she bent her head, and plowed them studiously, t "Why, I should hnvo cared a great ideal" she said. "I'm always dlsnjK (pointed when I tnisa seeing a friend of -Mine. What mnkes you so pessimistic, Ull of a sudden?" Illlllard reddened, and his eyes grew Brighter. "Friendship 1" he said tardily. "What nn nccordlonllko sort of thing tkatll"'- "Why, Mr. Illlllard I" Her tone was at the same time Interrogatory and re proachful. "Oh, I'm not speaking of" you,' ho (& "Only of tho thing Itself. . . . It's big or little, close or distant , , . and. It hasn't anything to sny about it .. . You'll havo to excuse me I -was thinking out loud ..." "Please do I" fiho said. "You were a (ha way to be Interesting. Think ut loud soino more," miltard glanced sharply nt her. "Don't laugh at me!" ho said, almost roughly, "for heaven's snko, don't you know thut the one tlmo you shouldn't laugh at u man Is when ho deserves It?" Carol's attitude was vaguely less raggestive of case. "I wasn't luughlng at you," Bho said, "truly. Hut what you snld was so ., . bo Quoor." "Oh, yes." llllllanl's accent was very flat. "I supposq It was. It must have been. ... I always seem to be' re or less up In the air when I come to see you, don't I? Tho Inst tlmo we talked about friendship" "Hut that was at least a month ago," ahe said hastily, "and In tho menu tine, you've been Just as nlco and rful as anybody. I thought you rre all over your troubles." "Cheerfulness wasn't what you mvkt-d for." Illlllard swallowed 'hard. "J . . . I cttiue up here, Miss Du jmsrt. to havo n really serious talk with ye . . . really serious. It's been atetayed' too loug already. It took mo far bolld days to got my courage, up , H. And . . . and now I'm here, A, don't even know how to begin." He scowled heavily Into tho vacant rrjtrt and held out his palms with a wethtmlu gesture as though to warm tben at an Imugtuury blaze. "You km!-," he mild absently, "your father is a very extraordinary man very," Tbe compliment to tho doctor hud Ma Invariable effect upon her; she Clewed under It. "J'tc always known thnt . . . I'm glad you renllzo It, too," He stood erect, und faced her. 1 . . , It cwmo to uie, when I m tatting to him. what ft great prlvl'. .i (H iwtttt be for you to hava his udvli -mi) his symaatliy. . . . when ou Inc.) need It. And there are so few so In credibly few people who make you feel like that. One In a thousand. Or, one in ten thousand. People who lift you clear of your trivial little self nnd tnako you think In terms of prin ciples, nnd not of your own selfish Ideas nnd still don't preach. . . . It must be n privilege." "It Isn't only for me," she said. "He hns enough sympathy for anyone who asks for It. He Isn't very worldly you've noticed that? He can't believe that anybody, or nnythlng, Is really bad . . . and pcrhnps that's why people come to him so. Of course, It may bo that Just because he's my fu thcr, I" "No." Illlllard shook his head. "I've seen a good many fathers, nnd next to mine. . . . My own was a wonderful mnn, too, but I never ap preciated him. And seeing the doctor lias made mo wish . . . oh, it's too childish to talk about I" "If you were really as old as you try to be," sho said gently, "you'd know thnt It Isn't ever childish to be serious about such things as that. On tho con trary I And yet there was a tlmo when you wnntcd me to think you were well over thirty. Why, Mr. Illlllard, you're n boyl" Nevertheless, she regarded him , . . not as ono would regard a mero youth, but with appreciably more uncertainty. nilllnrd had Hushed warmly. "That was when I wanted you to think a good many tilings thnt weren't true." "About you?" Her Inflection was an Invitation to further confidences, nnd it drew Illlllard Incontinently nlong the path he hnd planned and feared to tnke. , "Some of them," he admitted. "And some were about you. Tho fact Is, I . . . I've come on a peculiar errand." He cleared 'his throat violently; his eyes suddenly adored her. "I've come to straighten all that out. IMcnse don't Imagine 1'vo suddenly gone crazy or ... or nnythlng . . . nnd plensc don't tnko nnythlng I say tonight to mcun weakness . . . because, honestly, I'vo thought about this so much thut It's rather disintegrated me . . . hut I'vo got to tell you some things I don't want to." Ills shoulders squared In resolution ; nnd nt tho look of pain In his eyes, of pain and despair, her whole womanliness went out to him nnd had to be crushed, because she was, after nil, a woman. ' Her look to him was first of aston ishment at his surrender, nnd, after that, of swift, Inerrable pity for tho un named forces which wero Influencing him. Womnnllncss hung In the bnl nnco; and then, In u flush of perfect comprehension of his plight, she knew that sho could speak to lilm without reserve. Ho hod passed beyond the bounds of conventionality; she put herself, mentally, at his side. "If It hurts you to say It," sho said, "I'vo known you've, been . . . fond of me. How could I help It? And why shouldn't you huvo the right to think of It? Why shouldn't yoiij havo tho right to bo yourself? Why shouldn't you have the right to talk to me, and to expect mo to hear you, nnd try to understand? You haven't thought that my father Is the only one of us to do that, havo you?" Tho reproof wad ex quisite. "Ever since that day . . . tho tlmo you pluycd to me," ho said, "I'vo "ThTnk Out Loua Some More." fought against It fought like tho very devil, and" "I'vo known that, too and you'vo come to see mo ho seldom. I'd hoped ut least that you'd give yourself tho chanco you Bald you wanted." Ho stiffened heroically "You forget there was a condition . . . an Imper ative condition . , . und It's only fair (n you to tell you that It's a condition I can't evor meet ever. That's ,why I'm hero, I hud to tell you," Tlicro wns n profound stlllneaa. ' "Can't you explain?" sho said at last. "I wish you would. You'ra aak- By HOLWORTHY HALL Ing me feel very bad, Mr. Illlllard. You owe it to mo " He had to exert his utmost will to make the beginning. "All I enn ex plnln Is thnt I've mnde another mis tnko . . ." After the first great effort the words came tumbling, passionate ly, unchecked. "It would have been so infinitely better for both of us If I'd never met you nt nil. ... My Hfo hns been n whole series of mistakes; this Is the worst. . . . The worst. . . . Of course, It would bo absurdly sim ple If I were going away from Syra cuse, If I were going to leave you here, and go but I'm not I'm going to stay here. And I can't think It's decent not to tell you now that If you . . . know nil I know.. . . what I've been, what I've done . . . you wouldn't marry me If I wero tho last mnn left to nsk you I . . ." He gestured Im patiently. "We're childishly hopeful nometlmca ... all of us . . . hoping for what we know is impossible . . . what we know nlwny3 will be impos sible. . . . I've been like thnt and what I hoped was that you could take me on the basis of what I've been for tho last few months . . . since July . . . because that's the way I take myself. Just a mnn a man like Jack Armstrong. I hoped wo could simply eliminate the pnst, and . . . I can't got nwny from it, It's on my heels every minute. It's whnt I nm, now . . . but If I went much further back than that, you and the doctor would both think Just what I do about myself . . . and I'd have to say good by to you nnywny . . . Just as I'm do ing tonight I hope you can see thnt I'm not telling all this to you from any other motive except to be quite honest with you. Quite honest for once. I enro too much nbout you to let you live another day without knowing that I can't go on It's over. . . . I'm not Ut to be oven your friend. That's all." Bho sat motionless. Hlillard had turned back to the fireplace. "Were you as hnd . . . ns that?" she whispered. "Once," hc snld bitterly, over his shoulder, "I used to bo a gentleman. But that was a long ttmo ago." Sho raised her head. "Nothing could ever mako me believe," she snld, "that you hnven't nlways been Just as I'vo known you slnco July. Nothing can. and nothing will. What you may think about yourself makes no differ ence to me. I " "Don't 1" ho snld, and his tone was agonized. "Don't you sec " "I don't believe you," sho snld stead ily. Hlllinrd's voice was unstable with his great bitterness of failure. "You Hatter me." ho said harshly. "And bo sldes you'ro wrong." t Sho was up, and beside him, smiling bravely Into his eyes, and he was Hog ging his will to keep his hungry arms from snatching her, from sweeping her close to him, and . . . "Whnt do you think women are?" sho demnndod, with sweet Iraperlous noss. "Nothing but raarblo statues or putty ones 7 Just made to stand around and let tho world go past, without having nnythlng to say ubout It?" Ho retreated to tho wall In self-de- fcuso. "Don't I Don't I I'm tho one who's driven myself Into tills corner not you!" "But you don't ilia vo to stny hi It ulwavs. do you?" f Ho stared at her in mystification. "Don't bo silly," sho said, "and don't ho unrensonnblo ; I'm not!" She touched his sleovo ; his expression wns unchanged. "Don't mako mo think you are unreasonable!" she said compas sionately. "If yon'ro not satisfied, why can't you mako yourself what you want to bo? Instend of brooding over the pnst, that you can't help, why don't you think about things you can help? Living Is about ull therfe Is to live for, Isn't It?" He drew In his breath perilously. "Hut J'm letting you go," he said, dazed. Sho stamped her foot In tremulous Hoverlty. "No, you're not; I won't al low It! Onn't you sou why? Do I havo to tell you that? Well . . . bocauso I want you for a friend even If you don't want me." "Want you!" ho cried, and remuiti bored himself, nnd froze to Immobility. "Oh as a friend 1" "Surely, ns a friend what else did you think I meant?" Tho young muu shook his head. "I don't know. Only I camo up hero to tell you I haven't nny right to your friendship. I can't tell you why . . , I haven't as much callousness ns all that . . . but If I did tell you, your last atom of faith In me would be gone. And you can't afford to have me oven fox a friend now that Fve said thnt, can you?" "Yea." she said steadfastly, "I cnu afford It" "When . . , when I've told you . . ." His lips wero parted in amazodness, his eyes roved dully. "I can't under . . . I'm telling you I'm not worth tho powder to blow mo I I hadea." He laughed oddly. "That's i roved already, over and over again. . . Don't you understand? . . . irol . . ." Ills voice broke. "Why, (.arol . , . rot aot it to talk to you. That's proved, too. . . . I'm .Tvng It now I I'm saying It don't you hear me? I'm saying It now. And you" He put his hand to his forehead, and brushed back his hair, which was strangely wet. "I can't make It any plainer," he snld, with helpless flnnllty. "No matter what's happened," sho' said earnestly, "I enn't believe It isn't coming out all right. So if you'll Just keep on living, and working, nnd try ing .. . nnd . . ." Here her eyes were so appeullng thnt his own dimmed to behold them. "And you haven't been so very dreadful after all, hnvo you?" IIIHInrd rctrented once again, not trusting those hungry, lawless arms of his. "I'm Just wondering," he snld, with a terrlblo smile, which wns entirely devoid of mirth. "If a mnn hnppcns to dtffet Hrjn I 111 I f1 t h mdej i lljjllj "Don't! Don't!" be in a ... a sort of transition period, you know half-wny between . . . I wonder what's coming to him. I wonder what Is coming to him. . . . I wonder 1 tho whirlwind doesn't get him both ways." ff After the street door had closed bo hind him, Carol went slowly along the corridor to the doctor's study and knocked, out of sheer habit. His plcns nnt baritone enmo to her rens'surlngly. "Yes?" "Aro you busy, dear?" Few men, on hearing her voice, with that suggestlvo catch In It. would hnvo confessed to a previous engagement "Nol when you're around," said the doctor, appearing on the threshold. His tono altered suddenly. "What's wrong?" he said. "Daddy," said Carol, "he's gone. . . You saw htm, too . . . what Is It? What Is It?" She was trembling violently; tho big doctor gathered her up in his arms without ceremony and carried her over to his favorite leather chair. "Fires burning," said Doctor Du rnnt, quietly. "Burning nnd burning and burning . . . like the ones you'vo seen down In tho blast furnaces . . . white hot, and cruclblo steel comes out of them . . . strong enough to make permanent things out of . . ." He smoothed her hair, and sho sighed qulverlngly, nnd lny still. "And the stool lasts ten thousand times ns long as tho fires that mnde It. I don't know what's blowing tho flames, dear, but he'll do he'll do." CHAPTER XI. Hnlf-wny flown James street, Hli llard, driving his runabout In utter dis regard of tho traffic rules, was reliv ing, moment by moment, nnd word by word, tho conversations of tho enrller ovenlng. Ho lind gono to Carol with the sturdy Intention of betraying him self manfully nnd In detail ; but. In the doctor's study ho hnd perceived an other, nnd what seemed to him a more unselfish method ot achieving the same end. Ho had fancied thnt If he could preserve Intact the memory of Dicky Morgan, If ho could prevent the world and especially that pnrt of It per sonal to the Cullens and Durnnts from knowing what n desplcnblo thing it was that Dick Morgnn had done, ho could savo a modicum of pain for thoso who would otherwlso bo most affected. This conception had Inter fered to mako his talk with Carol somewhat nlmless ... ho hnd been under tho dunl necessity ot damn lng nilllnrd, without Implicating Mor gan. And how bungllngly he had ac complished It l How Inefficiently how unsuccessfully I On Impulse, he checked the speed of tlo car, and swerved to tho left; ho wus actuated by a sudden desire to run over to the University club nnd soe Armstrong. Ho had no definite plnn as to whnt he should say or do; he murely craved to meet his rival fnce to face, and hnvu it out with lilm. Man to man nnd this tlmo there should be mi bungling. Mr. Armstrong, It seiuod, was lu the library . . . and would come dowi directly. Indeed, he followed nlmow on the heels of tho messenger. "Why, hello, Illlllard." he said, rath er stlltedly. "Did you want to see me! That's too bad I'vo got to leave hen In Just a couple ot seconds to catcl. my train. I'm going West tonight." "I'll take you over," said Hlillard shortly. "That'll savo you a minute oi two and give us time to chat. Mj car's outside." "Why under tho circumstance . . ." Armstrong's glance was divert ed. "I don't think I can let you do that take me over, I mean. I'm going West on a business, crip and 1 don't think It would be very npproprl-. nto for you to " "Oh you are I" Hlillard felt 3trenks of ice coursing nlong his spine. "How far West?" Armstrong consulted his watch nerv ously. "Hllllnrd," ho snld, "I like to do things out In the open. There are Just two rensons why I don't think you renlly want to Invite me to ride down to the station with you. It I'm wrong, us up to you to say so. One or cm, is that Rufus Waring hns asked mc to stop off nt Butte I'm going a good deal further than that nnd look up some matters for him. I guess you know as well as I do what they aro. Hllllnrd fumbled his hat "I see. And the other reason?" Armstrong suddenly straightened ; nnd his volco had a curious ring to It a ring which electrified Hllllnrd and awoke , the most petrifying alarms within him. "But does ono ordinarily mention certain kinds of people In a men's club? I don't know how It Is where you come from but here, we don't." Hlillard smiled vapidly; It wns the utmost perversity of emotion, for he knew now why Cnrol had been so ex plicit In her sympathy . . . why she had been so meticulous to let htm realize thnt she wanted him as n friend; only as a friend . . . nnd here wns Armstrong, concealing with diffi culty tho triumph he was hinting nt a "No," ho said harshly. "One doesn't, but there isn't anything to keep us from mentioning anybody we like out side the club, is there?" "Why not that I" "Then I'll take you down anyway," said Hlillard. "And let's see If w can't try to understand each other." It took n brave man to accept the offer, for HIIHard's eyes held little to recommend their owner as a' prudent driver, or as a very pleasant compan ion. Armstrong, however, was nlready putting on his hat They had driven over to the station In silence. Hlillard, parking the run about carefully, turned to his passen ger. "We've got ten good minutes," he said. "Your train Isn't oven In yet go ahead and talk." Armstrong, after a moaacntnry de lay, put out a conciliating 'hand. "Old marj," he said, "let's play the rest of this out like two sensible people. We won't get anywhere by bickering, and I suppose it won't do nny hnnn for us to put all the cards on the table, nnd know exactly where we stand. Of course, you haven't known me very long, nnd I haven't known you . . . but suppose, just to help along the un derstanding, wo take each other at fnce value." Hlillard winced. "Well suppose we do. Then what?" "Then you can't hold It up agalnsl me for stopping off nt Butte on my way out. I haven't any motive In II t promised to do It ns a favor to Rufe Waring. It Isn't n personal Issue at all. I know exnetly how It must ap pear to you, but . . . I'm not that sort of man, Illlllard. I wouldn't have dreamed of It myself. That's straight!" The mnsqueradcr regarded him earnestly and yielded to his evident sincerity. "Way down deep," ho said, at length, "I know you'ro not. but . . . what's that for?" Ho referred to Arm strong's outstretched hnnd. "Oh! . . . nil right." They shook hands solemn ly. "At the same tlmo It would hnve been so perfectly nnturnl for you to feel like getting whatever leverage you could " "There's no need of that now," snld Armstrong. His smile wns proud and brilliant, nnd Hllllnrd withered under It. "Well, I wnsn't sure." (TO BE CONTINUED.) Evidence Stork Had Traveled. Julln hnd been over to see the neigh bor's new baby and upon her return was asked how sho liked It, to which who replied: "Well, mother, It is all right, only the stork must hnvo been a long time on the wny with It, for it certainly is awfully tanned." Kept Busy on Social Calls. Tho wife of n member of congress can discharge her social duty lu tho cabinet In nine calls, hut a cabinet wouiun must pay more than 500 If die makes only one cull during 'the tcnson on each senatorial and co .resstoual household. ALL SHOULD HAVE A GARDEN Health and Profit in the Cultivation of the Ground, Even Though Plot la Small. r The "city farmer," ns they humor ously called him, wns n very great help, not only to himself, but to the country, during the wnr-gnrden time, and the experience he gained from his war-gnrden activities then has slnco helped him In the fiht to win out against the high cost of living. He has profited by tint experience In every beneficial way, and the best of all Is that he fell in love with his garden, and has been In love with It ever since. He fouud health there, nnd more of home happiness; nnd the profit wns then, ns It will be now, thnt he didn't hnve to tnke the market bnsket from home. To the town dweller, who perhaps hasn't given much attention to garden ing, tho Albany (Gn.) Herald says: "It's great to have n garden, even though It produce few vegetables. It's great to havo a place for outdoor cx crclse a plnce In which to turn up the fragrant enrth with n spading fork, level It with a rnke and lay It off with a trench hoe. Some folk say It's bet ter exercise than golf or tennis, though on that question we do not presume to sit In Judgment. A man can work In his garden before sunrise, when golf links aro too wet with the dew to bo used, and his garden Is a whole lot nearer home than the golf club. "And there Is no reason why Mr. Towndweller cannot have a garden with real vegetables In it If he will give a little practical thought nnd dili gent application to Its preparation and care." Atlantn Constitution. STRAIGHT ROWS AID GARDEN Utilize Space to Best Advantage, and Add Greatly to the Appear ance of the Plot. $t will add considerably to the case of gardening ns well ns to the looks of the plot If the vegetnbles are plant ed in nice straight rows Instend of helter-skelter; Besides, It will utilize the spnee better. Where spnee Is restricted, It Is best to have the rows run the long wny of the garden north nnd south If pos sible plnntlng several kinds of sim ilarly grown vegetables Uko green onions, carrots and radishes, In the same row. If you plant such crops ns beets, radishes and onions in beds these can be made four to six Inches high by ' digging nnrrow paths around the beds with a hoe and throwing the soil upon the beds. If the drainage of your garden Is not good It Is well to grow cabbage, cadllflower and similar crops on small ridges thrown up with the Bpade or hoe. Other crops, among them early peas and celery, should be planted In shnllow trenches scooped out with a hoe. When these plants grow the soil Is gradually worked bnck nround the roots. SEES BILLBOARDS AS WASTE Eastern Authority' Gives Excellent Reason Why Unsightly Structures Should Be Done Away With. Attacking tho American billboard from.n new nngle, Mr. Joseph Pcnncll declares that "the lumber expended In unnecessary and unsightly bill boards In this country would rebuild nearly everything destroyed abroad. The paint wasted here would .cover all the new buildings, and the latior womn be of Incalculable benefit in what we heur is the great essential of produc ing more." The argument uliould do much to help the nntl-hlllbonrd cam paign, for, although many will hesi tate to believe that Mr. Pcnnell's arith metic Is altogther correct In so nice n bnlance between billboards in Amer ica and "everything destroyed" In Kh rope, there will be plenty to agree that tho unnecessary erection of Amer ican billboards consumes a vast deal of material that would bo very help ful in the erection of buildings In Eu rope. Meantime the billboards multi ply, and by so doing add constantly to tho evidence ot their own undoslrn blllty. Hia Fears Realized. Jnno nnd John, twins, are exception ally fond of ench other, John seem ingly much the older with the pro prletarlnl solicitude for Juno's wel fare. Jane hnd spent the week end out of town und as the train drew Into tho station, John was there to meet her. Quickly noting tho newly band aged linger, ho exclaimed, "I Just knew you'd get hurled if I wasn't nlong to take care of you!" Luck and Labor. Luck Is ever waiting for something to turn up. Lnbor, with keen eyes and strong will, will turn up some thing Luck lies In bed. nnd wishes the postim-n would bring lilm the news ot n legacy. Labor turns out nt sir o'clock, and with bus," pen or ringing hammer lays the foundation of a com petence. Luck whines. Inbor whist les. Luck relies on chance. LhIioc on character Cobden. r v y Wa-Unfrtri irtaMMfTr'-THIIllll "I "li II"-