The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-24

4 mun came In, bronaed and sunburnt.
A M,,i1,o grnolcd lin checrlly. Curteis ut
!. thnt moment was glad to see ANYBODY.
/ "irow nre YOU, Robertson9 he said.
"Been up north?' !, ~
4 1'he new conner, who was setting nm
self down in an e',sy chair, SHOOK MS
head. ~, ,,,n,
"ltvc been yachting with Wlllerto {, ana AZ "a
4 t,ommcrs)y. By.the-by, when i left
4 them, they we're just off to some desert
a leland Of yours, UP IN the Nortl, scn
4 somewhere. to shoot gray geese. Hum
+ ,nersy said you gave them permission
4 ,nsi vcnr. should hnvo been there my
self but my leave was up
i ,rbo paper which Curteis had been
4 holding slipped through his fingers. He
leaned little forward In his chair. HIS
7 face was white and strained.
"ITow~how long ag0-When dld you
4 lcavn thcm?''
A a.I,uosdoy week." Robertson answered.
porbey were within n dny's steam of the
/ n,aco then. I fancy they expected to got
4 there wednesday evening. Hammcrsly
2 said that lie Ind no Idea whether you
md any buildings ON the place or not
4 so they took tcnts
:. curteis moistencd his lips. They seem
cd unaccountably dry.
"WlIlerton and Hammcrly," he said
lhoarscly. who else?'
/ rFrank and ApplebS, and n chap Of no
! particular accol1nt--1'ye forgotten his
i name,'' Robertson answered. looking curl
/ ously over tho top OF his paper ut Cur
tells. "Rather warm lot I'm not n
sprig, but found them Just tritle too
advanced for my taste. Willerton show
\ ed up shockingly In that Wardlnw suit.
/ / don't wonder at his going away some
| where for n time. You OFF," .s
Curtcis left the room abruptly, In the
l hall he sent a telegram to the captain Oh
his yacht. Afterward, with shading I'm
gers, he took down n Bradshaw and be-
gan to study 1t. In an hour he WAS on
4 his way north.
Lets turn In" Hammersy said. Sawn-
ling. TITS evidently no good waiting (. ior
Wilcrton. He's up spoonlng the little
Curteis woman. and Lord knows what
.lthat'll lead toll" III
Whats that?" one Of the other men
asked, suddenly sitting up
] The measured beat or oars came ~
! them through tho darkness. a moment
later they heard the scrinchinE or
boats keel upon the beach. Hammers
1 ly pointed to light about half mile
out
There's yacht anchored there hc
remarked. Must have come In since 1t
got dark. Il wonder who on earth 1t can
! be.1.I hope to God 1t amt Cnrtcis," he
vent on ncrvously. '"Vllerton's making
I. ncrfcct ass of himself with that little
/ woman"
They heard the sound OF footsteps on
| the beach a man was passing the
camp on lis way to the bungalow Ham
! mersly sprang up.
4. at is curtels," he muttered. 'thcrcll
DO murder Hello. there! he shouted.
"Who's that?'
The footsteps stopped at once liam
| mnrsly 1T the two lanterns which hung
from the tent poles. They burnt stead
/ uy in tho wlndess air. and almost I'M
mediately dark figure stepped into the
little circle OF light
.curteis, by ali that's amazing" Ham
| mersly. exclaimed with wcll-assuncu
i hcartlncss Hope you dent think were
taking an informal liberty camping here?
Robertson said that you gave him per-
mission some time ago. and. by Joyc,
we've had wonderful sport! Johnson.
bring out the whisky and some GLASSES.
Curtcis shook his head. His eyes were
y travelling round the little circle, as though
seeking for someone.
you are perfectly welcome here he
said. shortly. "By-the-byc. where's VII
lerton?"
Hammersly also glanced around care
Iessly.
Somewhere about he answered. II
fancy he's turned in. heard him say
! that he was very tired
/ There was moments silence. Ham
mersly's heart sank. for in the dim light
he watched the sudden fire blaze in his
uuestioner's eyes--heard the quick, sob
4 binE breath which kept him speechless.
Then Curtes moved a step forward.
and the words seemed TO leap from his
lps-uuick, tense things.
SHOW me Wilcrtons tent"
my dear fellow Hammersly drawl-
ed don't disturb him ut this hour OF
night I remember now that he was
complaining OF n headache
20, go to hell.' Cnrteis suddenly ex-
claimed. Stand out Of tho way!
Hammersly was whzzed backward. for
Curteis was strong man, and Ham
mcrsly little more than Il boy. He
j caught UP one of the lanterns and lifted
the liap of each tent. Then, without n
4 word he dashed the lantern upon the
ground.
IF you dare to follow me- he said TO
! Hammersly, you or any of the others,
il will shoot you like a dog
The bungalow was sheltered from tho
I. wind by Il grassy knoll Curtcis, though
eNcIS uFpD VI blDpti III iio 49, af'N''.l
tingllng through his veins In q wild fever,
walked stcallhlly, and finally sank on
his knees
Ilc wns within few feet OF the broad
piazza. and there. pressed against the
side of the wall, his strainlng eyes saw
| plainly the figure OF q man,
The seconds suddenly expanded. The
man whose heart was wrung with hide
Gus fears seemed unconsciously to be-
| come possessed of wonderful grip upon
his thoughts. the mental clearness of a
dying man.
She was SO dear to- him, this dainty
little woman, with her cndearins ways.
her delicate mnnnerisms. her quaint, al
most wlstful beauty. And 1t was his
fault If hell had come TO her; his own
| stlpendous folly.
! He remembered his courshlp, all the
| sliyness of her wonderful girlhood. AZ
forwards the admiration she had every
| where excited, the burden Of his own
silence and aching heart. lie ought to
have been frank with her, have taken
her into his arms and pleaded for the
| old days together
| And instead no had let her go her