THE COURIER.
THE LINCOLN LIFE K
i
88 N
m$
For full information
Merchants Insurance
Left to its own devices, the boat
glided along quietly and then struck a
rock. The jar startled the girl, and
with a little cry she pushed the man
away from her. In another moment
they were both in the water. Miss Kent
rose first and reached out for the cap
sized boat, but in a second Arnold was
beside her.
"Lay you hand on my shoulder, Dor
othy. Don't try to swim; make no re
sistance. There is no danger it you do
as I say."
The girl obeyed him silently, and with
a few strong strokes he reached the
shore of a small island in the middle of
the stream. Be struggled up through
the tangled underbrush, that grew down
into the water, and pulled Dorothy after
him. Then he shook himself like a
great Newfoundland dog, and picking
Dorothy's bedraggled little figure up in
hiB arms, ran hurriedly through the
woods.
Miss Kent was proudly conscious of
the man's great strength, but she made
no comment until she catuo within sight
of a picturesque bungalow.
"Where are you taking me!'"
"To my shooticg-box, dear. I always
meant you should see it, but not under
quite such conditions as this.' He
laughed gayly. The relief of having
her safely on land again was so great!
He put her down on the steps and went
forward to unlock the door. "I am go
ing to build a tire and get you dry im
mediately, you poor little wet thing! I
am a pirate who has captured a princess.
Will it please your royal highness to en
ter?" Arnold threw open the door and held
out his hand to Dorothy. She rose and
let him lead her into the cosy room that
opened up before her. It was essentially
a man's room. (Jun's, pipes and fishing
tackle were jumbled together in sports
manlike confusiou. Some racing prints
hung upon the wall, and a row of steins
upon the shelf testified to the owner's
fondness for beer. Big Fayal chairs
stood invitingly about, near which were
little tablet littered with books and to
bacco. "You are to sit down, dear, be
cause you are much too wet, but I'll
stand an'1 turn ourselves about like
apples on a string. In the mean time,
you are to drink this." Aronld pro
duced a flask from the cupboard and
poured out a little whisky. "That will
take off the chill." Dorothy drank
obediently, moving about the room
while Arnold laid the fire with a skill
and dexterity born of much experience.
He was supremely happy and felt like a
boy on a holiday. It was such a joj to
know that Dorothy loved him, and then
to have her here in his own domain gave
him a happy sense of possession. So
filled was he wit& the keenness of his
own emotions that be did not notice how
quiet and passive Dorothy had suddenly
become. She was watching him in.
tently. No part of his personality es
caped her, and now in his role of host
he took no greater strength and fascina
tion. It seemed to Dorothy that in the
past half hour she had lost control of
the situation. She who alwayB prided
herself upon holding the lines in her
fingers! She had been carried into the
place where Arnold was master. Was
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ho dominating her. too? What impulse
tempted her to give him that kiss?
From '.hat moment she capitulated
Arnold rose from the hearth on which
the wood was crackling merrily, and
turned to Dorothy. "There, dear, you
will soon be quite dry. Why, you look
like a child, with all those curls about
you!" He ran his fingers through her
hair, which the dampness had curled in
to tight little rings about her head.
"I am not a child." In her desire to
assert herself Dorothy's voice sounded
petulant and rebellious. Arnold pul
led up a chair. "After all, you will have
to sit down, dear; you are very tired."
"But I'm not tired! Why should I
be? I've done nothing except be a fool?"
"Dorothy!"
"Oh, let me revile myself," she said
bitterly; it will save you the trouble of
doing it later!" She frowned slightly
and bit her lip as if in pain. There was
a strange tightening about her heart
that had given her much trouble of late.
Arnold sat on the arm of her chair
and leaned lovingly over her. "My poor
little prisoner, are you tired of the pirate
already?., "And if I were," she said,
with an attempt at her old manner,
"would you release me?" "I would
never keep you against your will, dear;
but all this is nonsense. Kiss me, to
prove it!"
But the girl shivered and drew away
from him. "Two months ago," she said
slowly, as if dragging the words out, "I
promised to marry Mr. Rand. 'Rand of
Wall street,' the papers call him. He is
not without honor in his country, though
I never thought of him as a prophet
She twisted her fingers nervously to
gether in an effort to gain control of her
self. The man Bat uiite still, his eyes
riveted on her face. "I never pretended
to love him; the subject was not men
tioned between us. He wants hB
establishment managed by a clever wo
man, and he thinks it worth twenty
thousand a year. I thought so, too
then. We had at least one point in com
mon." "Dorothy," the man broke in, reach
ing out for her nervous little hands, "it
is hideous to hear you talk so. Rand is
nothing in your life, nothing! You have
given yourself to me."
"Ah, you do not understand, and it
tortures me to go on explaining. After
I had sold myself into bondage, I got
out of town and came up here to breathe
a little. No one knew of the step I bad
taken; I could not endure the thought
of being discussed. And then you drop
ped in one day after that, and you rested
me. I found myself relyiug upon you
more than I would have believed it pos
sible to rely on any man, and I needed
the strength of your friendship. I never
meant you should love me."
"You could not help it, dear."
The girl slipped from the chair and
sank down on the hearth with a sob
that turned the man heart-sick. She
looked such a bit of a thing crouching
there with the fire-light dancing about
her.
"I tried to make you believe I was
shallow and frivolous. Always I have
treated you flippantly, until today. But
you wanted logo be nebth thesurface, and
now the gold you were searching for is
only dross after all."
Arnold drew tho girl up off tho floor
and put her into tho chair; her very
weakness appealed to him.
"You kissed mo not long ago, littlo
girl. Does that not count for any
thing?" "I was mad, reckless, what you will!
And 1 am paying the penalty!" She
shivered, and rubbed her band under
her breast, where tha pain waB growing
convulsive. Her clothing still clung
about her in wet, heavy masses, and tho
chill increased despite the glow of tho
fire in front of her. She seemed to havo
no strength to resist anything; circum
stances were proving too much for her
it was hardly fair play.
Arnold threw another log on the fire,
and poured out some whisky, ho be
lieved, cured anything, and Dorothy was
'n desperate need. Ho must get the
chill out of her before ho dared start
away, and already the twilight was fall
ing about them.
"Dear," he said gently, "you are ill it
has all been too much for you. Drink
this, and give way to it. If you sleep I
will roll you in a blanket and put you in
the bottom of the boat. I have one
under the house, you know, and in an
hour I can get you safely home."
But Dorothy shook her head and
pushed the glass away. "It poisons me.
Kneel down in front of me, dear, and
put your hand on my heart so. It
makes the pain easier." She spoke with
great difficulty, and a sharp spasm con
tracted her bo tbat she put her hands
over her face to hide the suffering, but
Arnold drew them away and laid them
about his neck. He put his arm around
her, and, with his other hand pressed
over her heart, held her away from him
a little, in a grip tbat was like a vice.
The firm support strengthened her for a
moment, and she began to speak, but
the man interrupted her.
"I can't let you talk, dear heart. Why
should you try? After a bit you will be
better, and then we shall have years of
conversation. Think what an oppor
tunity for you!" He tried to speak
lightly, but his voice sounded rough.
Tho girl looked steadily at him. Arn
old was appalled at the change in her
she had grown so strangely solemn.
"I love you." Bhe said, her words com
ing in gasps "you must let me say it.
I did not believe it until today, but I
have 1 st my self respect! I wonJer you
want to touch me!'
For answer he bent his head and
kissed her. With a cry she tightened
her arms about his neck, and then they
relaxed, helplessly; her head fell for
ward. Arnold jumped to his feet, pulling her
up with him.
"Dorothy! Dearest! Eor God's sake,
speak!" but th-3 girl lay quite still in his
arms and made no sound. She slept,
but not as ho had prophesied. The
Romancer.
A norelty in wafers, breakfast foods
and cereal cofTeo from the popular
Sanitarium Health Food Co.. Battle
Creek, Mich., for sale at the Kevstone,
133 and 142 South Twelfth street".
Oct. 17.
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Time Reduced
To the
CHICAGO,
ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC
KAILWAY.
The Rock Island is foremost in adopt
ing any plan calculated to improve speed
and give that luxury, safety and comfort
that the popular patronage demands.
Its equipment ib throughly complete
with Vestibuled Trains.
BEST DINING CAR SER
VICE IN THE WORLD,
Pullman Sleepers, Chair Cars, all the
most elegant and of recently improved
patterns.
ItB specialties are
FAST TIME,
COURTEOUS EMPLOYES,
FIRST CLASS EQUIPMENT
AND
FIRST CLASS SERVICE GIVEN.
For full particulars as to Tickets
Maps, Ratee.apply to any Coupon Ticket
Agent in the United States. Canada or
Mexico, or address.
JOHN SEBASTIAN, g.p.a.
Chicago.
Dec li!
ooocooooooo-
H. W. BROWN
g Druggist and
Bookseller.
Wtiltlnis'N
2 Fine Stationery
3 and
'. Calling Cards
127 S. Eleventh Street.
PHONE 68.
ooooooooooo
mm EXCHANGE NATI0NA1 BANK
LINCOLN, NEB.
I M.RAYMOXO.
President.
S.H.BURNIUM.
Cashier.
A.J. SAWYER
Viceo President
D. G. WIXO
..itnt Cashier
CAPITAL, $250,000 SURPLUS 525 000
Directors -I. M. Raymond, S. H. Burnbam
C. G.Dawes. A. J. Sawyer, Lewis Gregory
X Z Snell, G M Larabertson. D 0 Win. S W
?uraim.
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