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bad Bide a remark cnce that waa al
ways remembered: "One's tongue was
sat meant to tell but to conceal things."
No one could deny that she practiced
the theory.
Whether ahe meant now to marry
Guthrie was unceitain; it was said she
was likely to do a thing because it was
tin unexpected, and to consistent was
her inconsistency that for the same
reason she might do the ordinarily ex
pected.' The women said she was not
the same with Guthrie as with other
men; when asked how she differed the
question only elicited reiteration; the
fact seemed to be the reason, and the
masculine mind paused dazed before
such involved logic,
After dinner the sight before Christ
mas, as they were leaving for a supper
at an inn among the hill?, Miss Cranston
took one of the women aside a moment.
"I want jou to start without me,
Jean, Tor I have been detained. I shall
keep Chester with me and join you in
an. hour! Please go, and before you miss
us we shall be with you, shall we not,
Chester?" she said, turning to the man
who had come over to them.
"Whenever you like," he answered
gravely.
"You don't mind not being with
them?'' the woman asked as they watch
ed the departing eleigha. "1 am going
first a couple of miles up the mountain
with some presents for a little child. Her
father has worked on the place for years
aad she is my namesake dear little
tbing! I tried to go today, but was pre
vented, and tomorrow would not le
Christmas for her without a full stock
ing. Here is Jane now with the parcels
and John will bring the sleigh around at
once; we shall not be far behind the
others."
'You know J should rather be with
you Georgine; what are the others to
e?-
"They are clever, charming people,
Cheater."
"Your frienes would be, dear, but they
are not you.
No, lam I, worse luck! Are ths
parcels well stowed in, John? Then we
are ready."
The man stood back and the horses
started in a sharp trot that took all
Guthrie's attention for a few minutes.
The road wound through tne'woodsTbuf
showed clearly in the blight moonlight
that filtered through the trees.
"Georgine:"
Yes!"
"I must go back the day after tomor
row!" "Oh, I wish jou would not! Must you,
Chesterr
"That is for you to decide, dear."
'The snow creaked beneath the horses'
hoofs and the sleigh sped smoothly
along for an infinite t:me, it seemed to
Guthrie, before Mies Cranston spoke:
"I uiideretand, of course, but! I can
not, Chester."
"Is it impossible, dear?"
"I hava tried so hard to make it pos
sible; you do not know! I care for you
so, dear, but not that!"
"How k it?''
'1 love you dearly, Chester, and I
respect you that sounds odd, aoes it
not, 'respect?'" She gave a hard little
laugh; "the rord is nearly obsolete;
JJh de siecle has t.ken its place!"
"Georgine!"
"Have I shocked you? Forgive me.
But you do not Ixgin to know me,
Cheater. There is a part of my nature
that is never called out with you. You
are'honeat and good, my dear; cynicism
and skepticism have no part in your
betag, and, except the influence you
have over me, I am nothing else! '
"Admitting that to be true dear.which
I do not, you might change if you
woald let me help you."
-i am afraid to- Your standards and
ideals are too high, Chester; they are
beyoad me, aad J am what I am!"
"The best woman on earth!"
"That is just it!" ahe exclaimed. "You
have idealized me. Jt ia what you
think I am that you love, not what I
know myself to be. I am not speaking
lightly, Chester; there is no one in the
' world that knows himself better than
I."
"You are morbidly critical!"
"No, I am honest, and usually ono lies
to oneself for very obvious reasons. I
am wholly self-centred, Chester; except
for you there is no one I care for, and
not enough for jou, evidently, to forget
myself."
"Do cot talk 60, dear."
"You never saw me in this mood ba
fore, did you, yet it is the common one?
I am simply what society has made me.
Debutantes were really te be pitied,
Chester; perhaps they are now; I do not
know. But when I came out girls had
illusions; they believed the world a beau
tiful place where one had joys unlimit
ed, and that men were creatures that
only lived to love and give them pleas
ure. It was by experience they learned
that only externals are beautiful that
it is never safe t J peer below the sur
faceand while men may live to love, it
is themselves, not women, that come
first, and that the grea er tl e 'ore the
more satisfaction in the number of con
quests. Women are the same, too, oh
yes. Society seems to ba in a state of
en garde, and the man or woman that
cin parry and at the same time thrust
most successfully, excites its greatest
admiration as a clever person."
"Georgine!"
"It sounds vicious, does it not. and it
is! Plajing with edged tools! There is
a tremendous fssiinttion in the dueling.
It is never fatal; one's pride will pre
vent such an abruiditj ! It is only that
one's sweetness and freshness get worn
through, and in their place comes cyni
ciflu thbt is invila(rb!e to the most
subtle attacks. That is why women
cultivate cynicism, Chester, and if it is
used cleer!y and dtlcately it seems
j)igrHanf;6orae women keep it so always;
otheri make it bard and biutal and
their charm cet se!'
The man broke in aghast.
"How can you live jour life, Georgine,
when you make it Buch a terrible
thing? It is awful to hear a woman
talicso!"
"1 suppose it does smnd terrible;
that is why we keep our thoughts to
ourselves! But one must 'Jrce one's
weird,' you know, and I drink to 'a
short life and a merry on:! You do not
realize what I have done, Chester, in
talking so, but it will help you to know
I am not what jou think honest, and
good, and pure in thought."
The man leaned down, and kissed her
gently.
"You have just proved yourself honest
and good, dear; it is your surroundings
that are not healthy and they have
tainted your moral lungs; get away from
them!"
Miss Cranston laughed drearily.
"I have lived so long in them that I
could not exist in any other! The at
mosphere is a subtle poison that s'.imu
ulate?, and as it does, one drinks in
larger qualities. I wish I were a weepy
woman, Chester; I should love to cry
now, but somehow I never can! Just
sea those shadows in the woods, dear;
like lacf, are they not? I am glad my
last evening alone with you is so beau
tiful. You will go away day after to
morrow, and the next time we meet
everything will be different. Nextipring
I will drive through here with someone
not at all like you, Chester. Other men
Eeem to have unbounded belief in their
own cleverness, and our conversation
will undoubtedly le repartee, which
sounds well and means nothing. It
will enervate one's mind as the spring
weather does one's muscles. I I believe
there are tears In my eyes, Chester.
Fancy! One might think I had a heart
instead of only an organ that pumps
blood ! Tears maka one's eyes red, don't
they? It is so long since I cried that
really I have forgotten! Don't touch
the horses with the whip. deir;ee. they
will not stand it! I wibh I did not care
so much for you, Chester; why did you
make me honor and respect you? Per
haps I might have loved you otherwise
as other women love!"
"I do not want love without honor
and respect," the man said, sternly.
"No, I know you do not; tbatia why I
give them. That is arguing in a circle,
is it not? Perhaps some time I shall
love some man without those; women
can do strange things. I believe I shall
try! It would be novel and interesting,
perhaps, and so few things are that. I
tried smoking, but it left such a rank
odor in one's hair and clothes; and I
went to a gay supper once where the
women drank quantities of champagne,
and I poured mine op the floor. It
seemed rather beastly, I thought to de
liberately diiok too much, Decidedly I
shall cultivate a passion. Who, I won
der, would be the most entertaining!
Chestcrr
The whip had fallen with a slinging
lash acroee the horses' backs, and with a
bound that nearly tore the reins from
the man's bands they sprang forward
beyond control.
The woman spoke again quietly as
though nothing unusual as happening:
"The road is on a bluff here, Chest t,
and just above it turrs sharply. We
shall probably go over there; it is rocky
below:"
But the man's strength was concen
trated in an effort to pull in the ani
mals, an I he made no answer.
"If only we can be k lied and not hor
ribly ijured! Taere; there is the turn!"
Miss Cranston said, still with the came
cal n manner.
"Jump!" the man said. "It is death
to go over! ' He dropped the reins and
tore back the rug from her knees to
leave her free, but she only looked at
him and smiled, though her pallor wsb
ghastly.
"Peihars not," she whispered; "and
what does it n.atter?"
With a plunge the horses went over,
dragging the sleigh.
The searching party found them the
next morning. The woman was hud
dled fees down. Her neck was broken,
they said afterward. The mail's left
arm was about her waist, and the other
was stretched out as though to ward off
a blow. Hie face was drawn and Bt rain
ed, but hers was perfectly 6er-ne.
Death is sometimes easier than life.
The Dramatist.
ooooooooooo . . oooooooow
! i CYCLE PHOTOGRAPHS K
X ATHLETIC PHOTOGRAPHS i
' PHOTOGRAPHS OF BABIES
!;! PHOTOGRAPHS OF GROUPS g.
EXTERIOR VIEWS 9
s&fevyiA&uji
8
o
Q The Photograph
X. 129 South Eleventh
cooooooooooo
apber Q-
th Street.
oooooooooo-
H. W. BROWN
Druggist and
Bookseller.
Wlti.nscai
Fine Stationery
and
Calling Cards
127 S. Eleventh Street.
PHONE 68.
KKKKJ(
First publication January 30.
SHERIFF'S SALE.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, THAT
by virtue of an order of sale issued by
the clerk of the district court of the
Third Judicial district of Nebraska,
within and for Lancaster county, in an
action wherein Newport Savings Bank,
a corporation, duly organized, existing
and doing business under ami iy virtue
of the laws of the state of New Hamp
shire, is plaintiff, and Ernest A. Jones,
et. al., defendants. I. will, at 12 o'clock
p. m., ou the 2nd day of March, A. D.
1S97, at the east door orthe"ourt house,
in the city of Lincoln. Lancaster county,
Nebraska, offer for talc at public auction
the following described real estate to
wit: All of lottwenty-threp (23). in block
three (3), ir Lincoln Driving Park Com
pany's second sub-divisi m.all in the city
of Lincoln, Lancaster county, Nebraska.
Given under my bond this 27th day
of January, A. D.f 1897.
John J. Trompen,
.2 27 Sheriff.
BURLINGTON ROUTE PLAYING
CARDS.
Those elegant cards of the very best
quality only 15c per deck Fr sale at
B. & M. Dopot or city ticket effice, cor
ner Tenth and O streets. 4
Information.
that informs.
If you are going south and
want to know what the trip
will cost when you will
reach your destination and
whv jou should take the-
BURLING TON ROUTE to
St. Joseph, Kansas City, St.
Louis or any other south
ern or southeastern city
you should at once apply at
our depot or city office,
where maps and time tables
can be had. This will give
JUST EXACrLY the in
formation you need.
Georee W.
BonneU,
C P. AS I. A.
I
IMie Chicago,
Rock 'Island
Ss faoifioJ5r
Gives you the choTca of Two Route, one
via OLORADO and the SCENIC
LINE, and the other via our TEXAS
LINE and the SOUTHERN PACIFIC.
Our Texas line is much quicker than,
any other line through to
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
for
Personally cohducted excursions.
Roolc Island Exour.
Ions
Are the most popular, and carry th
largest business of any other California
Route. This signifies that jou get the
best attention and receive the best ser
vice. The lowest rate tickets to California
are available on these excursions.
Don't start on a trip to California un
til jou get our Tourist Folder, contain
ing iiihp showing routes and all informa
tion. -For rates and reservations apply
to and agent of the C. R. I. & P. Ry or
address aat
JOHN SEBASTIAN, i
General Passenger Agent,
4-1 Chicago, 111.
WANTED
SALESMEN-1
we want one-
Or ttrnman an
each county to take orders for Nursery
stock, and are willing to pay well for
good work. We agreti to REPLACE
FREE anything that dies from natural
causes.
We also have a choice lir.e of SEED'
POTATOliS. Giveusatrid.
THE HAWKS NURSERY COMPANr
Milwaukee. Wis.
fit'
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