The Lamar register., 1900-08-15

suit Veronica. He only placed Sua
necessities of life in It, knowing that
1t would please her to make Il pretty.
He got servants, and saw that the
place was full of flowers; and though
his work engrossed him to the utmost.
yet he began to look forward to the
pleasant home life he had enjoyed IN
Santa Rosa.
II must not become selfish" he said
to himself "a wife like Veronica, so
loving and yielding. makes man sell
fish; but l will not be that" He
thought how he could make her life
fuller, by encouraging her to read and
to know more Of the outside world. /.
"Just now 1 fill up her life." he
thought Il may not always be
enough for her"
And then at last the day for her de-
parture came He had booked her
berth for her in one Of the best OF the
little coasting steamers-the best was
bad, as we reckon steamers-and then
he waited for his wife. The weather
was stormy, and he was rather un-
easy. Veronica would surely be bad
sailor, and she was not very strong
just then. He was SO little used to
think of weather and winds that he
was rather astonished to think how
nervous he had become. He put 1t
down to his love for Veronica.
Anyhow, he was down at the quay
early on the fourth morning, and was
still more uneasy at hearing that there
was no news of the steamer. He
haunted the quay all the next day.
rather to the detriment of his work,
and at night he could not sleep.
Thoughts OF veronica's fears and suf-
ferings obtruded themselves. He
blamed himself for leaving her, for
not having returned to fetch her, al
though he could not well have left.
She had always hated the water and
feared 1t, and he had loved it. The
next day he was down at the quay
again, trying to get some information
about the steamer. In little while
not he alone, but the owners OF the
boat. began to get frightened. They
could get no news. No other boat
seemed to have seen anything of her.
BY and by there were stories of some
of the wreckage of a steamer being
washed ashore, and at the end of
fortnight the haggard man who spent
his days at the quay looking out for
the boat which would never return to
the town had to give up all hope. The
steamer had assuredly gone down. and
all hands with 1t: and Veronica. his
wife, was lost with the others!
And so ended this brief little episode.
yxyfth hiG
gentle wife, and South America was
loathsome to him now He began to
iorg. with longing that had been
stifed during his brief married life by
the drawing out OF other parts OF his
nature. for England and things Eng
lish. The white, clear moonlight. the
scent OF the tropical flowers, the soft,
dark eyes and liquid accents OF the
Spanish women. the songs they sang.
the very guitars they played. remind
ed him OF his poor Veronica, now ly-
ing fathoms deep under the restless
sea.
But as she had never stirred the
passionate depth of his nature. SO her
death never drew out passionate grief.
He felt lonely. that was all; and the
glowing land, where everything was so
beautiful and yet seemed so ephem-
eral, became distastetul TO him, so he
gladly accepted Richard Dempster's
offer to manage the export part of his
business in London. and to return to
English shores.
In short time his South American
experiences almost faded out of his
mind. Veronica became a sweet mem
ory to him. which moonlight nights
freshened. He was very successful in
his work. and in four years time had
gained good position for himself. He
was ambitious. too, and began reading
for the bar. which he found he could
do together with his work for the Arm
And four years after he left South
America saw him respected and much
made of as any young man of twenty
six might be who is beginning to be
known rs a man who may become I'M
portant.
ITO be contiuued.)