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Beach, Rex Ellingwood, 1877-1949

"The Ne'er-Do-Well"

"
"Don't act this way," he ordered, roughly. "I'm terribly fond of
you, but I never knew--"
"You MUST have known."
"I knew NOTHING. I chose not to think. What I saw I forgot. I
supposed you merely liked me as I liked you."
"That night at Taboga!" she flared up. "What about that? Couldn't
you tell then? I fought--fought--fought--but I had to give up. You
haven't forgotten--those wonderful hours we had together?" She
began to sob, but steadied herself with an effort. "You say you
didn't know, then what about that afternoon in the jungle? Oh,
you're not blind; you must have seen a thousand times. Every hour
we've been alone together I've told you, and you let me go on
believing you cared. Do you think that was right? Now you are
shocked because I admit it," she mocked. "Well, I have no pride. I
am not ashamed. It's too late for shame now. Why, even my husband
knows."
With an exclamation he seized her by the arm. "You don't mean
that!" he cried, fiercely. But she wrenched herself away.
"Why, do you think, I made a man of you? Why did I force you up
and up and over the heads of others? Why are you in line for the
best position on the railroad? Did you think you had made good by
your own efforts?" She laughed harshly.


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