Mm MENS CHOBEN
tw ieS ran
45iSSSS2i.
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lllustra.timjsgy
DOMJ.LA2IN
SYNOPSIS.
Hill Cannon, the Itnimnzn kin, and lit
dniiKhler. rtoe, who IiihI passed tip Mrs.
Cornelius Uyari's ball nt Sum Knuiciseo to
lit. runpnnv n-r father, arrive Ht Antelope,.
Domlnlck flvnn culls oti lila mother to
Iipk a Imll Invitation for IiIh wife, nnil 1
refused. The determined old lady lefusoM
to vrna,u7f hr ilmiKhtpr-lii-luw. Dom
Itilili Imil been trnpP'il Into n, mnrrlaRs
with Ili-niloo Iversan, it stenoKfapIier.
n('i i il j cum III senior. Hliu nritiiitxlarH his
iikiip v thev have frequent quarrels, nnd
lie nilpi away Cannon ntul Ills daughter
iit xnoued m lit Antelope Doinlnlck
Ilyun Ih rescued from Htorm In uncon
nrruiM tondltlon mid broiiKht to Antelope
hotel. Anielnpe IP i ul off liy Htorm Hnso
Cannon norves J) nilnlt-k back to life.
Two weeks later Ilernlee discovers In a
impel wlnr husband Is nnd writes letter
trjlnit to vmooth over dltllcultles between
Until Pomlnkk at lust Ih iifoln to Join
fellou snowbound prisoners In liotel pur
lor IU- lout temper over tnlk of llufonl.
im ui-tor, After three weeks, end of Im
prisonment seen TeleKrams nnd mull
iirrln- liotiilnli'k Rets letter from wlfo.
Tells Itoiie lie doesn't love wife, and never
did Siorinhoiind people boKln to depart.
Hose and Domlnlck etnliraee. father nee
them and deinandH an explanation. Hone's
brother Oenn l nmilo munnKor of raneli,
and Im to xet It If lie stays sober n yenr.
Cannon exprew-s nvinpiitliy for Domj
nick's position In talk with Hose. Doml
nick returns home.
CHAPTER X. (Continued.)
On the Saturdny morning alio went
out betimes. Inquiry nt tho rallwny
onice told her that tho train which
coimcctfd wllh the branch lino to
Rocky liar did not roach tho city till
nix In the evening. She ordered a din
ner of the choicest viands and apont
part of the morning pausing from Btall
to stall In the market on Powell Street
Anyliii; about for dainties that might
add a lust elaborating touch to tho
lengthy menu. The afternoon was
dedicated to tho solemn rites of mtis
naglng, munlcurlng, and hnlr-wavlng
nt a beauty doctor's. On an ordinary
occailon these unwonted exertions In
the pursuit of good looks would have
tired her, but to-day sho was keyed
to a pitch where sho did not notice
email outside discomforts.
Long before six she was dressed,
nnd sitting before tho mirror in her
room she laid on tho last perfecting
touches with n short stick of hard
red substance and a circular piece of
mossy-looking white stuff, which sho
rubbed with a rotary motion round
and round her face. Her now dress of
raspberry pink crapo betrayed the
band of an expert In Its gracefully
falling folds and tho elegance with
which It outlined her slim, long-waist-ed
shape. Her artificially-reddened
hair waved back from her forehead in
glossy ripples; her face, all lines and
hollows rubbed from It, looked fresh
end youthful. With tho subdued light
falling on her through tho Bilk and
paper lamp shades, sho looked a very
pretty woman, the darkness of her
loug, brllllnnt oyes thrown Into higher
relief by tho whltencsB of her pow
dorcd fa co.
Sho wbb tremulously norvous. Ev
ery sound caused her to start and
novo to that part of tho parlor whonco
sho could look down tho long pas
sageway to tho stair-head. Largo
bunches of greenery wcro mnsBcd
hero in tho angles of tho hall and
Btood in tho corners of tho sitting
room. Howls filled with violets and
roses were Bot on tho tablo and man
telpiece, nnd the scent of these Mow
ers, sweet and delicate, mingled with
the crude, powerful perfumo that the
woman's draperies exhaled with every
movement. At intervals sho run into
her bedroom, seized tho little, round,
soft wad of white and rubjied It ovor
&or faco with u quick concentric move--inont,
drawing her upper lip down as
alio did so, which gnvo to her counto-
nanoo with Its nn::lous eyes an ex
ceedingly comical expression.
It was nenrly seven o'clock when
tho bell rnng. With a last hasty look
In the glass, sho ran down tho pas
Tsngoway to tho stair-head. It was
necessary to descend a few steps to a
turn on tho stairs from whenco tho
lovor that opened the door could bo
workod. As sho stood on tho small
landing, thrown out 'In bright relief
by a mass of dark leafage that stood
In tho anglo of the wall, tho door
opened and Domlntck entered, lie
looked up and shw her standing thoro,
gaily dressed, a brilliant, animated
figure, smiling down at htm.
"Ah, Berny," ho said In n quiet, un
emotional voice, "Is thnt you?"
It was certainly not an enthusiastic
greeting. A sensitive woman would
have been shriveled by It, but Horny
wat not sensitive, Sho had realized
from tho start that sho would prob
ably have to combat the lingering sur
liness left by tho quarrel. As Doml
nick ascended, her air of smiling wel-
como was marked by a bland cheery
unconsciousness of any past unplens
nntness. She wbb not, however, as
unconscious as sho looked, Sho noted
blB heaviness of domeanor, tho tired
expression of his lifted face. Ho enmo
up the stnlrB slowly, not yet bolng
completely recovered, nnd It added to
tho suggestion of reluctance, of dtlll
cult and spiritless approach, that
seemed to encompass him In an un
eeen yet distinctly-felt num.
As ho roso on a level with her, sho
stretched out her handB and, laying
thorn on his shoulders, drow him
toward her and kissed him. Tho
coldness of bU cheek, damp with tho
foggy night nlr, chilled tho caress
anil sho drow back from hlra, not bo
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yz.
CojjyngLt UXWTlieBOBDS-MEPnnX CO.
securely confident In her debonnlr,
smiling assurance. Ho patted her
lightly ion the shoulder by way qf
greeting and said:
"How aro you? All right?"
"Oh, I'm all right," sho answered
with brisk, determined sprlghtllness.
"You're tho one to ask about. You
walk stiff, still. How are your feet?"
Sho was glad to turn hor eyes away
from his face. It looked very tired,
and the slight smile with which ho
had greeted her stayed only on hla,
lips, did not extend to his fatigued
eyes. Ho was evidontly angry still.
angry and unforgiving, nnd that ho
should be so, when sho was so anxious
to forget tho ugly episode of the
quarrel and be gay and friendly again,
dashed her spirits and made her feel
unsure of horself and upset. She wns
determined, however, to show him
that sho had forgotten all about It,
and ns he turned the anglo of tho
stairway sho thrust her hand lnsldo
his nrm and walked up beside him.
They might have been a happy mar
ried couplo, reunited after an ab
sence, slowly coming up tho stairs
togethor arm In arm.
A few minutes later they wero
seated opposlto each, other at dinner
Tho llttlo tablo glowed and gleamed,
all Hcrny'8 bravery of silver and glass
mustered for its adornment. Tho
cholco and delicate dinner began with
a soup thnt Doinlnlck especially liked,
a fact which nerny hoped ho would
notlco nnd mention. Sho was one of
thoso women who have an unfailing
memory for what peoplo llko to eat;
a single expression of preference
would remnln In her mind for yoars
Domlnlck and nho had not lived to
gether for a month before sho knew
everything In tho way of food he liked
or disliked. When sho was annoyed
with hltn, or especially bitter against
his mother, sho would ordor nothing
but dishes that he did not caro for,
and when sho was in a more friendly
mood, as to-night, sho would tnko
pains nnd tlmo to arrange a montt
composed of those ho preferred. Ho
usually did not notice those rewards
and punishments, but Demy always
thought he did and was "too stub
born," as she oxpressed It to herself,
to show that ho was affected by them.
Sho obsorved to-night that ho nol
ther remarked, nor seemed to relish
his food, but sho made no comment,
talking on In a breathless, lively way,
asking quostlous of his trip, his acci
dent, and tho condition of his feet,
ns though thcro wero no mortifying
recollections connected with the cnuso
of his sudden departure. Her only
Indication of embarrassment was a
tendency to avoid anything llko a mo
ment of silence and to tly from ono
subject to another. Domlnlck an
swered her questions nnd told hor
of his wnndorlngs with a slow, care
ful exactness. Save In tho freezing
of his feet, which matter he treated
moro lightly than it deserved, he was
open with her In recounting tho small
happenings of what ho called "his
holiday," from tho tlmo of his walk
from Rocky Bar to tho day of his
departuro from Antelope.
They had progressed through tho
fish to the cntreo when her questions
ptiBscd from hla porsonnl wanderings
and adventures to his associates. Sho
had been very anxious to get to this
point, ns sho wanted fo know what
degroo of Intimacy ho had reached
with tho Bonanza King. Several
times already she had tflcd to divert
tho conversation toward thnt subject,
but It had been deflected by tho young
man, who seemed to find less per
sonal toplca moro to his taste. Now
sho was advancing openly upon It,
Inquiring about tho snow-bound group
nt Perley's, and awarding to any but
tho nugust nnmo for which her ears
woro pricked n perfunctory attention.
It wtiB part of tho natural perversity
of man that Domlnlck should shy
from It nnd expend valuable tlmo on
descriptions of the other prisoners.
"There was an nctor there," ho
aald, "Bnowed In on his wny to Sac
ramento, a queer-looking chnp, but not
had."
"An nctor?" said Herny, trying to
look Interested. "What did ho act?"
"Melodrama, I think. Ho told me
he played all through tho northwest
and oast as far as Denver. Tho poor
chap was caught up there and was
afraid ho was going to lose a Sacra
mento engagement that I guosB meant
a good deal to him. Ho was quite
Interesting, been In tho Klondike In
tho first rush nnd had some queer sto
ries about the early days up there."
Herny'B Indifferent glance became
bright and fixed undor tho steadying
offect of Budden Interest.
"Hoen In tho Klondike?" sho re
peated. "What wns his nnmo?"
"Huford, James Dofay Huford. He'd
been an actor at tho opera house at
Dawson."
"Huford," said Herny, turning to
place a helping of poaso on tho plate
tho Chinaman hold toward her. "I
nover hoard of him. I thought ier
haps It might bavo been some actor
I'd seen play. I'd llko to know an
nctor In prlvato life. Thoy must bo
so different."
Sho ladled a second spoonful of
peaso on to her own plate and as sho
began to eat them, said:
"It must havu been Interesting hav
ing tho Cannons up there. When I
read In tho papor that they wero in
Antclopo too, 1 wns awfully glad be
causo I thought It would bo such a
good thing for you to get to know tho
old man well, its you would, snowed
In that wny together."
"I know him before. My father and
mother have been friends of his for
yonrs."
"I know that. You've often told me.
Hut that's a different thing. I thought
If he got to know you Intlmntoly and
liked you, ns ho probably would"
she glanced at him with n coquettish
Btnlle, but his faco was bent over his
plate "why, then, something might
como of It, something In n business
way." She again looked at him, quick
ly, with sidelong investigation, to so
how ho took tho remark. Sho did not
want to Irritate him by alluding to his
Btnnll means, nnywuy on this night of
reconciliation.
"It would bo so useful for you to get
solid with a man llko Hill Cannon,"
she concluded with something of tim
idity In her manner.
Dcsplto her caution, Domlnlck
seemed annoyed. Ho frowned nnd
gave his head nil Impatient Jork.
"Oh, there was nothing of thnt
kind," ho said hurriedly. "Wo wero
just snowed In nt tho same hotel,
Thcro wb'b no question of Intimacy or
frlendahlp about It, nny more than
thoro was between Judge Wnahburne
nnd me, or even the nctor."
Horny wns exceedingly disappoint
ed. Had the occasion been n less mo
mentous one sho would have ex
pressed herself freely. In her mind
she thought It waa "Just like Doml
nlck" to have such nn opportunity and
let It go. A slight color deepened tho
artificial rose of her cheekB and for
n moment sho had to exert some con
trol to maintain the sllenco that was
wisdom. Sho picked daintily nt her
food whllo sho wrestled with her lrrl
tntlon. Domlnlck showed no dcBiro
to resume the conversation, nnd a bI
lence of some minutes' duration rest
ed over them, until she broke It by
saying with a resolute cheerfulness
of tone:
"Roso Cnnnon wns thoro, too, tho
paper Bald. I suppose you got to know
her qulto well?"
"I don't know. I saw a good deal of
her. There was only ono sitting-room
nnd wo nil snt there. She wns thero
with tho others."
"Whnt'B she like?" said Dorny, her
curiosity on tho subject of this spoiled
child of fortune overcoming her recent
nnnoyance.
"You'vo Been hor," ho answered,
"you know whnt she looks llko."
"I've never seen her to know who
sho was. I suppose I'vo passed her
on tho streets and at tho theaters. Is
Bho cordial and pleasant, or does sho
glvo herself nlrs because she's Hill
Cannon's daughter?"
Domlnlck moved his feet under tho
Laim
"Really, Derny,
Don't
tablo. it wbb difficult for him to an
swer Herny's questions politely.
"Sho doesn't give horself tho least
airs. She's perfectly Blmple and nat
ural nnd kind."
"That's Just whut I've heard," his
wife said, giving her head an agree
ing wag. "Thoy say sho's Just as easy
and unassuming as can bo. Did you
think sho wnH pretty when you saw
her closo to?"
"Really, Dorny, I don't know," an
swored the victim In a tone of goaded
patience. "Sho looks Just tho Bamo
closo to as she does at a distance. I
don't notlco people's looks much. Yes,
I suppose bIio'b pretty."
"Sho has blondo halr.'V said Demy,
leaning forward over her plato In the
eagerness of her interest. "Did It look
to you ns If It wnB blenched?"
He ralsod his eyes, nnd his wife en
countered nn unexpected look of an
ger In them. Sho shrank a little, be
ing totally unprepared tor It.
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"How should I know whether her
hair was blenched or not?" ho said
sharply. "That's a very silly queatlon."
Herny was taken aback.
"I don't bco that It la," alio said
with unusual and somewhat stammer
ing tnlldness. "Most blonde-haired
women, oven If they haven't blenched
their halr( have had It 'restored.' "
Domlnlck did not nnswer her. The
servant presented a dish nt his elbow
and ho motioned It away with an Im
patient gesture.
Herny, who wns not looking nt him,
went on.
"Whnt kind of clothes did she wenr?
They say she's nn elognnt dresser,
gets nlmost everything from Paris,
even her underwear. I suppose sho
didn't have her best things up thcro.
Hut she must have had something,
h cause tho papers said they'd gone
prepared for a two weeks' trip."
"I never noticed anything she
wore."
"Well, Isn't that Just like you, Dom
lnlck Ryan!" oxclnlmed his wlfo, un
able, nt this unmerited disappoint
ment, to refrain from some expression
of her feelings. "And you might know
I'd be anxious to hear what she had
on."
"I'm very sorry, but I haven't an
Idea about any of her clothes. I think
they wero always dark, mostly black
or brown."
"Did you notice," almost pleadingly,
"what sho woro when she went out?
Mrs. Whiting, the forelady at Hazel's
millinery, says sho Imported a set of
sables, muff, wrap and hnt, for her
this autumn. Hazel says It was JiiBt
tho finest thing of Its kind you ever
laid your eyes on. Did she havo them
up thero?"
"I couldn't possibly tell you. 1 don't
know what sables are. I saw her once
with a fur cap on, but I think It be
longed to Wllloughby, an Englishman
who was staying there, nnd used to
hnvc his cap hanging on tho pegs In
tho hall. It's quite useless asking
me theso questions. I don't know any
thing about tho Bubject. Did you wind
the clock while I wns away?"
Ho looked at the clock, a possession
of his own, given him in tho days
when his mother nnd sister delighted
to ornament hla rooms with costly
gifts and In which ho had never be
fore ovlnced tho slightest Interest.
"Of course, I wound It," Herny said
with nn nlr of hurt protest. "Haven't
I wound It regularly for nearly three
years?"
This brought tho subject of Rose
Cannon to an end and sho was not al
luded to again during tho dinner. Tho
conversation roverted to such happen
ings In the city as Herny thought
might Interest her husband, 'and It
seemed to her that ho was moro
pleased to sit and listen to her chat
tor other sisters, the bank, tho thea
ters, and tho shops, than to dllato any
further on his adventures in tho
snow-bound Sierra,
When tho dinner wns over, they re
turned to tho front of the flat, where
Know," Answered
noxt to tho parlor thoro was a tiny
hall-room fitted up ns a smoking-
room and den. It was merely n con
tinuation of the hall, and "tho cozy
corner" which Herny had had n Polk
street upholsterer construct In It, oc
cupied most of the available space,
and crowded Buch visitors as entered
It Into tho corners. It had been Der
ny's Idea to havo this room "lined with
books" ns sho expressed It, hut their
joint possessions in this line consist
the Victim.
ing of some twenty-five volumes, and
tho fnct thnt tho contracted space
mado It Impossible to nccommodato
both tho bookB nnd tho cozy corner,
Derny had decided In favor of tho lat
ter. Sho now seated herself on tbo
divan thnt formed the Integral part of
this construction, nnd, piling tho pil
lows behind her, leaned luxuriously
back under the canopy of variegated
stuffs which was supported by two
formidable-looking lances.
Domlnlck sat In his easy cbalr. He
always smoked In this room and read
tho papers, and presently ho picked
them up from tho tablo and began to
look thorn over. Tho conversation
languished, became spasmodic, and
finally died away. Herny, leaning back
on tho cushions, tried several times
to revive It, but her husband from
among tho spread sheets of tho eve
ning press answered her with the in
articulate sounds of mental preoccu
pation, and sometimes with no sound
nt all, till sho abandoned the attempt
nnd leaned back under tho canopy In
a silence thnt wns not by nny menns
tho somnolent quietude of nftcr-dlnner
torpor.
The clock hands wero pointing to
hnlf-past nine when a ring nt tho bell
wns followed by tho nppenranco of tho
Chinaman at the door, stating that tho
expressman had come with Mr. Ryan's
valises. Domlnlck threw down his pa
pers and left tho room. As Horny sat
silent, sho' could hear the express
mun's gruff deep voice In tho hnll and
tho thuds of tho valises as ho thumped
them down at the stair-head. Doml
nlck answered him and thero wero a
fow moro remarks, followed by tho re
treating sound of tho man's heavy
feet on tho stnlrs and tho bang of the
hall door. Sho sat looking at tho clock,
waiting for her husband to return, and
then as ho did not como nnd tho hnll
seemed slngulnrly quiet sho lenned
forward and sent nn exploring glnnco
down Its dim length. Domlnlck was
not thero, but a square of light fell
out from an open doorway of his room.
"Domlnlck," sho called, "whnt nro
you doing?"
Ho came to the door of the room In
his shirtsleeves, n tnll figure looking
lean and powerful In this closer-fitting
and lighter garb.
"I'm unpacking my things, and then
I'm going to bed."
"Oh!" ahe answered with a falling
Inflection, leaning forward, with hor
elbows planted on her knees, craning
her neck to see more plainly down the
narrow passageway. "It's only half
past nine; why do you want to go to
bed so early?"
"I'm tired, and It will take me some
time to get thoso things put away."
"Can I help you?" she asked with
out moving.
"No, thanks. There's nothing much
to bother about. Good night, Demy,"
nnd ho stepped back Into tho room
and shut the door.
Demy sat as ho had left her for a
space, and then drew back upon the
divan nnd leaned against tho mound
of pillows. Sho mado the movement
charily and slowly, her faco set In a
rigidity of thought to which her body
seemed fixed and obedient. Sho sat
thus for nn hour without moving, her
eyes Btarlng before her, two straight
lines folded in the skin between her
brows.
So he wns still nngry, nngry and un
forgiving. Thnt wns the wny sho rend
his behavior. The coldness that he ex
haled that penetrated even her un
sensltlvo outer shell sho took to be
tho coldness of unappeased Indigna
tion. Ho had never before been just
llko this. Thero wns a something of
acquired forbearance and patience
about him a cultivated thing, not n
spontaneous outward indication of an
Inner condition of being which waa
new to her observation. Ho waa not
sulky or cross; ho was simply with
drawn from her and trying to hldo It
under a manner of careful, guarded
civility. It was different from any
state sho had yet seen him In, but it
nover crossed her mind that It might
bo caused by tbo influence of another
woman.
Ho was still angry that was what
Berny thought; nnd sitting on tho di
van under tho canopy with its fiercely
poised lances sho meditated on tho
subject. His winning back wns fnr
from accomplished. Ho was not as
"easy" as sho una always thought. A
feeling of respect for him entered into
her musings, a feeling thnt was novel,
for in hor regard for her husband
there had previously been a careless,
slighting tolerance which was not far
removed from contempt Dut If he
hnd prido enough to keep her thus
coldly nt nrm's length, to withstand
her nttempts at forgiveness nnd recon
ciliation, he wns moro of a man than
sho thought, and she had a harder
task to handle than she had guessed.
Sho did not melt Into anything like
self-pity at tho futility of her efforts,
which, had Domlnlck known of them,
would havo seemed to him extremely
pathetic. That they had not succeed
ed gave her a new impetus of force
and purpose, made her think, and
scheme with a hard, cool resolution.
To "make up" and gain ascendency
over Domlnlck, Independent and proud
ly Indifferent, was much more worth
while than to bully Domlntck, patient,
enduring and ruled by a sense of duty.
CHAPTER XI.
The Gods In the Machine.
On the second Sunday after their re
turn from Antelope, Dill Cannon re
solved to dedicate the afternoon to
pnylng calls. This, at least, was what
ho told his daughter at luncheon ns he,
she, and Gene snt over tho end of the
menl. To pay calls was not ono of tho
Bonanza King's customs, nnd In nn
swer to Rose's query ns to whom ho
was going to honor thus, ho responded
thnt he thought he'd "stnrt In with
Delia Rynn."
Roso mado no comment on this in
telligence. Tho sharp glance be cast
at her discovered no suggestion of con
sciousness in tho pench-llko placidity
of her face. It gratified him to see her
thus unsuspecting, aud in the mellow
ing warmth of his satisfaction ho
turned and addressed a polite query to
Geno aa to how ho Intended spending
tho afternoon. Geno nnd Rose, it ap
peared, were going to tho park to hear
tho band. Geno loved a good band,
and one that played in tho park Sun-
dny nfternoonB wns cspeclnlly good.
The Sundny before, Geno hnd heard it
play Poot and Pousant and tho Over
ture of William Tell, nnd It was groat!
That wr.s ono of tho worst things
about living on a rnnch, Geno com
plained, you didn't hnvo any music
except at tho men's house at night
when ono of tho Mexicans played od
an accordion.
Tho old man, with his elbow on tho
table, and a short, blunt-fingered hand
stroking his beard, looked nt his son
with hnrrowed eyes full of veiled
nmusoment. When ho did not Hnd
Gene disagreeably aggravating ns his
only failure, he could, ns It were, stand
away from htm and realize how hu
morous ho was It you took him In a
certain way.
"Whnt'a the Mexican play?" he
growled without removing his hand.
"La Paloma," answered Gene,
pleased to bo questioned thuB amica
bly by his nutocrntlc sire, "generally
Ho Camo to the Door of the Room In
His Shirt Sleeves.
La Paloma, but he can play Tho Heart
Bowed Down and tho Toreador song
from Carmen. I want him to learn
the MIserero from Trovatore. It's nice
to sit on the porch after dinner and
listen while you smoke."
"Sort of Court Minstrel," said hts
father, thumping down his napkin
with hlB hand spread flat on it. "Don
Eugenlo Cannon, with his minstrel
playing to him In tho gloaming; It's
very picturesque. Did you ever think
of having a Court Fool too, or perhapB
you don't feel as If you needed one?"
Ho arose from his chair before Gene,
who nover quite understood the
somewhat ferocious humor of his par
ent, had tlmo to reply.
"Well, so long," said tho old man;
"be good children and don't get Into
mischief, and Roso, see that your
brother doesn't get lost or so carried
away by the Poet and the Peasant
that ho forgets tho dinner hour. Adlos,
girlie."
A half-hour later he walked down
tho flight of marble steps that led In
dignified sweep from tho front door to
the street. It was a wonderful day
and for a moment ho paused, looking
with observing eyes at the prospect
of hill and bay which seemed to glit
ter in the extreme clearness of the at
mosphere. Like all Callfornlans bo
had a strong, natural appreciation of
scenic and climatic beauty. Preoccu
pied with thoughts and schemes which
were anything but uplifting, he yet
was sensitively resporislve to tho
splendors of tho view before him, to
tho unclouded, pure blue of tho vault
above, to tho balmy softness of the air
against his face. Somo one had once
asked him why ho did not llvo in
Paris as the Ideal home of the man of
great wealth and small scruples. His
answer had been that ho preferred
San Francisco because thero wero
more flno dnys In the year thero than
anywhere else ho knew of.
Now ho paused, sniffing tho air with
distended nostril and Inhaling it in
deep, grateful Inspirations. His eyo
moved slowly over the noblo prospect,
noted tho deep sapphire tint of the
bay, tho horizon, violet dark against
a pale sky, and the gem-llko blues and
amethysts of tho distant hills. He
turned his glanco In tho other direc
tion and looked down tho gray ex
panso of tho street, the wide, clear,
stately street, with its air of clean
spaciousness, sun-bathed, silent, al
most empty, In the calm quietude of
the Sabbath afternoon. The bustling
thoroughfares of greater cities, with
their dark, sordid crowds, their un
lovely, vulgar hurry, their distracting
nolBe, wero offensive to him. Tho
wonder crossed his mind, as It had
done before, how men who could cs-
capo from such surroundings choso to
remain In them.
Ho walked forward slowly, a thick
set, powerful figure, his frock-coat
buttoned tight about the barrel-like
roundness of his torso, a soft, black
felt hat pulled well down on his head.
His feet were broad and blunt llko his
hnnds, and in their squnre-toed shoes
he planted them firmly on tho pave
ment with a trend of solid, dellbernto
nuthority. His forward progress had
something In It of an invincible, resist
less march. Ho was thinking deeply
as ho walked, arranging nnd planning,
and there wns nothing In his figure, or
movements, or tho expression ofkhls
face, which suggested the sauntering
almlessnoss of nn afternoon Btroll,
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
How to Begin.
"What Is tho first step toward rem
edying tho discontent of tho masses?"
"Tho first stop," replied tho ener
getic campaigner, "Is to get out nnd
make speeches to prove to thorn how
discontented thoy are." Washington
Star.
vwWjiWimiiifiinir.,i ..tt.j.1,., .
