St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-02-21
She BEGAN to turn over the papers

=.
Jelly.
"You could write this up" Dick
said, pointing to some headlines,
which denoted AN unusual occur
renee, judging by their size and
flaming character.
Betty slowly paled as she steadily
read the heading, although the char
acters seemed to jump, and turn and
waltz before her, and Dicks voice had
a far-away sound, as if he was talk
ing somewhere in the distance.
The account was sensational.
Beautiful young Mrs. Gordon For
roster was not the lady who went
over to Europe on the Umbria. There
seems to have been a mistake some
where. Gordon Forester is back in
America, but mystery surrounds the
whereabouts of his bride. The For
roster family are entertaining con-
spicuously, and talk vaguely of the
approaching return of the young
couple or of their wintering in Italy.
There is an air of mystery about the
whole affair, and the magnificent res
idence prepared so gorgeously for the
Gordon Forresters' winter season is
shut up, and the staff of servants DIS
missed. There is rumor of divorce
in the air, and much sympathy for
Mrs. Gordon Forester, whose beauty
and fascination made her one of the
most conspicuous features of Amer
lean society at home and abroad, and
for her aunt, Mrs. Stanford, who, on
the plea of ill-health, receives no one.
Young Mrs. Forrester's total eclipse
is the sensation of the hour"
When Betty came back to an under
standing of what Dick Turner was
saying, she was sitting in her office
chair, and he was rubbing her hands
in wild alarm and entreating her to
tell him to go for "hot Scotch" for
her, and to "brace up"
you've caught cold this beastly
weather, that's what's the matter.
And you've been working too hard.
know it because I've been watching
YOU. Where's that arctic coat OF
yours? It's turning cold as the deuce.
Just wait here moment"
Dick dashed out, and Betty had
time to pick up the gaily illustrated
paper, rich in cuts and illustrations,
and to read slowly the account OF the
strange disappearance of beautiful
Mrs. Gordon Forester, and OF the re-
turn of her husband to America.
"Here you are. Now just5drink that,
Stanford. 1t will do you "a world OF
good. There's a cab down stairs wait
ing for you. Come on. III sit by the
driver and see you safe home. Now
come on, do"
A slight moisture dimmed Betty's
brilliant gray eyes as she got up, held
out her hand to Dick, and let him help
her into her things, while, to please
him, she took a sip OF the steaming
connection he placed before her,
among a confusion Of cuttings, let
tiers, manuscript and papers, which
invariably litter a newspaper man or
woman's desk.
Dick Turner was not brilliant re-
porter, and he was decidedly ugly and
rather shabby. His mother and sister
could tell why.
But Betty felt sincere liking for
Dick, as he handed her carefully out
of her cab and watched her go in the
front door of the big, shabby house
where Mrs. Beezley kept boarders.
Once in her little parlor, Betty
threw herself on a sofa, and, hiding
her face, wept long and bitterly.
Meanwhile, young man was sit
ting in front of his fire, absorbed in
wretched and perplexing thoughts,
and looking worn and badly.
It was Gordon FORESTER and he
was on the verge of despair, because
all his efforts has thus far failed to
give him any clew to the whereabouts
Of the woman who had filled his
thoughts day and night, waking or
sleeping.
Detained by his lawyer for his sig
nature to important papers, he had
begged Betty to drive down to the
steamer and go abroad.
He had just caught the Umbria in
time. OF course, Betty was in her
stateroom. What an absurd mistake
he had made about that silly Carrie
Mason, taking her for Betty!
OF course, he blamed himself bitter
" for allowing Carrie and her mother
to keep him on deck until they
steamed out.
He would never forget his feelings
when he found that Betty's baggage
and maid were on the ship, but she
was not there.
In Havre, the answer to his cable
gram made matters worse.
He returned on the next steamer,
and was told by Betty's aunt and
guardian that she had reason to know
that his wife was safe and well, but
that she refused to see him again.
Nor could he ascertain her where
abouts, Mrs. Stanford solemnly de-
claring that she did not know it, and
in order to get occasional news OF
Betty's welfare had promised she
would not try to discover it, but
would wait until she had made up
her mind to come back to her.
It was inexplicable to Gordon, and
the six months which had passed
since that wretched day appeared to
him to be six years: or six thousand
If Gordon Forester had read the
anonymous letter received by Betty
gust after he had left her, he would
have better understood the situation
It said, "You are crossing on the
Umbria because Carrie Mason is go.
ing over on that boat. They were