By the World Forgot

time, will y

N

don't l

N

u do lo

es

t belie

e here if

s not a perfunctory kiss, either. It meant something to the woman, and she made it mean something to the man. Indeed, there was fire and passion enough in it to have quickened a pulse in a stone image. It answered its purpose in one way. There could be no real doubt in the man's mind as to the genuineness of that love he had jus

roughly in the chair behind the big desk before which they were standing and turned away. She suffered him thus to dispose of her without explanation. Indeed

caress; "if ever in my life I wanted to think clearly it is now and

can

n you wi

you must. It amounts

ou, or won't

you a thous

don't know and

's th

you how foolish you are, to overrule every

ept

are

her and

d a full measure, excuse me

ll it invincibl

rence what it's called, it

pose I

g plainly from a prac

ical in romance, in love

again once more. You don't love the man you have promised to marry; you do love me. Furthermore, he doesn't love you and I do--Oh,

me as

point. For a quixotic scruple, a mistaken idea of honor, an utterly unwarranted conce

sitive. How do y

ow that a girl like you can'

finality which bespoke extreme youth, and s

unhappy, I'll be unhapp

make hi

u he will miss what I would enjoy. He'l

tude for his

you up, and I won't. I shouldn't be asked t

k," said the girl smiling

saw you I loved you, and now you have lifted

g lang

eriously, I can't, I

understand. His father gave my

r could buy his fath

been friends ever since my father came here, a boy without mon

ere six years ago. If I could just have you without your millions on a

he's as proud as a peacock. The friendship between the two families has been maintained. The two old men determined upon this alliance as soon as I was born. My father's heart is set upon it. He has never crossed me in anything. He has been t

any broker in New York, and I've already got

one then and I liked him as well as any man I had ever met. Now that his fath

thing to build the family fortune, so you are go

the girl earnestly. "That motive m

who knew that the girl spo

devotion, obedience to a living man, promise to a dead man, his father, who

side of the big desk and smiting it heavily with his hand. "All that weighs

ped at the idea, "but you could never get further than the elevator, or, if you went dow

uldn't

there would be no submitting to force majeu

he last time, wi

peal a hundred times in the

onditions under

wo

are

talking about them

everything I've ever gone after heretofore.

it obstinacy

rance in me. What a

ent of tw

ho are

er and m

our own,

on, throwing up her hands. "I don't think I can stand any more of this. I kn

the man. "You know I can't be in yo

awing a yellow telegram slip from her

one, too," answered t

nd he are partners in business. I never

moment that I see you makes me more determ

ed the girl. "He wants the wedding to

s indece

t must be must be! I want to get it over and be done with it.

e piteous appealing figure was more than he

drowned in the South S

est friend," interposed the girl

love, and no friendship

her head and dr

really can't endur

d the man, turni

irl, "you mustn'

"but hear me. That wedding is s

es

him. I'll find some way to stop it, to gain time, to break it

exaggeration of a lover. She shook her he

id. "It is no use.

carry out the wildest and most extravagant proposition. He sat down at his desk to think it over,