The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-06
A West Indian
Romance.
WHATS IN A NAME"
Bv PHILIP LITTLE Copyright by Author.


| given him.
"You will 20 to Kingston tonight"
| he asked Jennings.
II will go tonight and sail tonight II
| 1 can find a vessel
Good. DO so. Draw on me TOT an
that you want and spare no means-ah,
| I need not tell you that. OF course. lie
| broke off suddenly. GO, go, and God
bless you. my boy. can hardly hope
| for success, and yet there may be
| chance. She might have left
How many were there in this family,
| sir? DO you know"
"De Ia. Touche. his wife and one daugh-
ter, that was all. He was fine man
| as ever walked. He will be sad loss
| IL he was there. But, after all, he is but
one out OF many"
| 1t Is to be feared that Ralph did not
pay much attention to the old man
praise OF de la Touche. After the first
! terrible shock had passed he had settled
down to thinking of just what he would
| have to do, and how he would do It. He
could not blind himself TO the fact that
| If Kate was In st. Pierre, and he did not
as yet see how It could be otherwise, tho
chances were very small, II any. that
she had escaped. The news was as yet
very meagre, and might be, he hoped.
exaggerated. but, upon tho other hand, It
could not be anything but terrible
tragedy.
| He went to his own room. after sending
for Rivers, and commenced to pack his
trunk, and prepare for instant departure.
His head whilred at times. and II was
| only by desperate effort that he pulled
himself together. Gradually, however,
he grew more calm and collected. and
continued his work systematically. BY
the time that sailor put in an appearance
he had nearly finished.
Doll q tarrfh1a I homo
that it Is not as bad as. reported You
must hope for the best. Tell me, what
can do for you. Do you wish me to so
with you?"
NO Rivers. want you to stop here
| and look after Mr.. Montague and the
plantation, IL you will. The latter sim
ply needs overseeing at present, as 1t Is
a slack time with us, and matters arc in
good running order. Mr.. Montague, on
the other hand, after such shock as
this, will need both companionship and
Watching Make him drive about with
you to the different plantations. and go
keep him Interested and employed. BY
doing this you will keep his thoughts
off Of himself and his'.-ne hesitated as
lump rose in his throat-''hia possible
loss" he continued, with an effort.
Rivers came close to him, and placed
a hand on each shoulder.
You have never said anything about
It to ME, Ralph, but the loss will be quite
as great to you. Am not right?' He
looked the younger man in the eye with
| n kindly, sympathetic, though somewhat
! sad SMILE
| Good God, Rivers, yes! Why disguise
| It? Loss! It will be irreparable. had
grown to love her deeply and, though
| I had had, It Is true. no definite answer
to my question. had at least hope; and
now-well, I must bear 1t like man.
though and go and see II can find her
hope against hope that she may have
been away from the city at tho time OF
the eruption. It is hardly probable. but
| It Is possible, and it may have been So
LET us hope so, Ralph. And now tell
me, what are you going TO do!'
IT shall go to Kingston tonight. II
steamer sails tomorrow I shall take II,
but II not I will charter the best vesse!
that I can find. That will be my next
move. cannot hang around waiting
| till a steamer sails. That Is out OF the
question. am almost sure to find one
whose owners are willing to let me have
| her. Money Is not 80 plenty IN these
islands that even steamer owners can
afford to put aside cash offer for the
| chance of cargo"
you will have no difficulty in getting
the steamer II there is one. Here is the
man with the trap to drive you across to
! the city. Goodbye, and good luck to
] ''A'
| you"
He wruns the young mans hand as
M, passed out on to the veranda. After
| few words with Mr.. Montague. prom
ise to cable any and all news, Ralph Jen-
| nings was off on tho journey in scar en-
-, - CHAPTER XIV.
It was long after midnight when he
| drove into the city, and quite useless.
as he knew, to attempt to do any bust
ness TIL morning. One OF the horses had
gone lame after a bad stumble. and Ralph
! would not urge the poor beast to do more
| than he could The drive had Gained
| him, and he saw matters In much
clearer light. He realized before he had
been on the road an hour that he could
not arrive much before midnight and
that 1t would be out OF the question to
expect that people would attend to him.
Moreover. he could not expect to sail until
morning. Altogether. his mind had res
gained It's equilibrium, and he was once
more the cool-headed. sensible, chap that
he had been before. except for the awful
dread that hung over him.
He went at once to the hotel and took
a ROOM but not to sleep. In two or three
hours no would be able to breakfast, and
find out If 1t were possible to take the
I, steamer or be compelled to hire a YES
sci himself. The night clerk knew little
or nothing about anything. and 1t was
with great difficulty that he was reused
sufficiently as 1t was to show Ralph to
his room. He was apparently half clerk
and half night Waterman, with much
! more strongly developed ability to sleeI
than to fill either of the other positions
Breakfast over, the young man seized
upon the first available carriage that he
could find, and started for the office OF
the steamship company. No vessel wai
sailing for two days. so he turned away
and went In search of a vessel for him
self.
AS he left the building and hurried
into his carriage, he thought that ht
heard his name mentioned, but upo1
looking around, could see nothing but &
small crowd of negroes, men and wo
men. evidently discussing the calamity
At last he found small and comfort
able steamer of moderate speed, and
quickly made his bargain While standing
upon the wharf, watching the prepare
tions which were bound to take some
time In this climate of moderation ht
n