The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-11-13

! tuner"
Courtenay laughed.
81 don't care to 60 so far south; am
not enough of a salamander. Besides, /
am in a fair way to do better at home
with my pictures"
Howard frowned, puzzled and thought
full.
"And you actually give me the
chance? Will the firm take me in your
stead?"
"There's not doubt of it, if 1 recon-
mend you. Will you accept? There's
not enough time to do more than to de-
eide The ship sails tonight at eleven
o'clock from New York, and you've
only time to pack trunk and catch a
train to the city.
Howard's face suddenly flushed ex-
citedly.
"Yes, I'll do It'll Write me the neces-
sary introduction, and will write line
of explanation and farewell to Maude
Templeton, for you to kindly deliver
after Pm off. Pll be ready in no time;
and, Courtenay, thank you most heart
lily for your kindness"
He shook the artists aristocratic white
hand eagerly.
"All right old fellowl Come back
rich and be happy ever after. Write
your note, and I'll write to Finch &
Wing by you"
So, all on the hot impulse of the mo-
ment, Neal Howard went abroad, leav-
ing letter, half proud, and with a pa
thetic undertone of love in every word,
for the one girl he really and truly cared
for above all the world.
For Ferdinand Courtenay to deliver.
1 4. H.
the deck of the ship at midnight, and
Maud Templeton was sleeping and
dreaming Of the morrow, when her
lover would come back to her, Mr.. Cour-
tenay was lying on his lounge in the
moonlight, with the ashes of Neal How
ards farewell to Maud on the empty
hearth.
"And now shall have everything my
own way. Fair Maud will be comforted
in due season for what she shall believe
is her lovers detection, and i will be
the comforter? If it doesn't end as /
prophesy-in Maud's marrying me then
/ am not so shrewd as | fiatter myself
am. Port Elizabeth! Whew! Well,
he's welcome to all he can make, for me.
prefer the beautiful Maud and tenn
perate zone!"
A year had gone by, and away off,
down by the Cape of Good Hope, Neal
Howard was wondering what in the
world was the reason he had never re-
ceived an answer from Maud to the lit
tie farewell letter he left for Mr. Courte-
nay to deliver.
He had found his position not an I'M
pleasant one, and the climate did not
especially disagree with him. His sur
| Il ali oh f,,I
iness hours short, and he found himself
making money by the handful: and if
only Maud had answered his letter he
would have been almost perfectly con-
tent.
But Maud did not answer his letter,
for the very good reason that she never
lowed her recreant lovers departure,
Mr.. Courtenay was her comforter, be-
cause to him only Neal had confided his
intentions
And Ferdinand Courtenay made the
people round about nodded their wise
heads, and said that Maud was readily
consoled for NeaPs detection.
Of course, among the occasional letters
that friends sent to Africa, the news
|
Maud and Mr.. Courtenay were on the
most intimate terms, and Meals mother
in one letter, actually announced the
gossip of their engagement.
Ferdinand Courtenay proposed to
Maud and was promptly rejected, and
he entaway, disgusted and disappointed
and chagrined at his ill-luck; while
Maud, whose hopes were gradually dying
| ,+e oHe1a Lor
and leaving her depressed and silent
went on her lonely way, patiently as she
might for the never-ceasing pain at hel
true, loving, wounded heart.
Out at Port Elizabeth, Neal Howard
was leading his lonely, unloved life
trying to put the sweet memories out Of
his head and heart, after he had writer
almost savagely to those who had volun
teered their information of Maud, never
to mention her name or Courtenay'
again.
And SO, widely divided, these two
lived another year and another, he i'm
agining Maud's happiness as the wife
doubtless long ago of the man she loved
and Maud feeling sure that Neal hat
found his happiness in the distant coun
try to which he had gone. Until on,
day-one perfect October day-Maut
had gone out for little walk, the way
, she always went, because it was the way
Neal and she had been accustomed t,
s go. 1t lead past the village post-office
/, where for many weary times, wheneve
the papers announced the arrival of tn
foreign mails, Maud had asked if ther
0 was anything for her, until her sweet
I pale, tired face had made the post-mis
q tress' heart ache and tears come to he
: eyes.
To-day, Maud was in no mood to in
! quire. Why should she have been, whel
for months, and months, she had bee
slowly learning her lesson?
!, And so she was walking past, when
!, like an inspiration, it came to her tina
= she would inquire just this once more
just this once, because such swift
y strange yearning had come over her.
q And so she lifted her lovely, pale fac
= to Mrs. Morrison, standing inside he
st 'E1 dare say I am very foolish, but pc
haps there is something for me aft
l. all?"
II And, instead of the grave, pitif
shake of Mrs. Morrison's white-cappt
head and the gentle, sympathetic, n
a dear, not this time," Maud's heart stot
a still in almost suffocating emotion
"a see a smile broaden on the kind old fac
r "Well Maud, l shouldn't wonder
there was something at last. What
a you say to the biggest letter from fc
10 eign parts that ever came through tn
y. otlce, eh7 Come in back, dear, and G
" it'll" .s-n t#
IL To her dying day, Maud will remel
l Der just how she felt as Mrs. Morrisc
W spoke. Then she managed to force h
trembling limbs to carry her into t
ed little back Office, and there
Neal Howard sprang to meet her al
10 catch her in his arms. and kiss her ov
an and over, and explain in eager, passio
ld ate words, what terrible mistake the
had been