The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-09-13
The Man In
South America
By EDITH poANE
Copyright, 1903, by L. NJ. Doanc

1t was the dinner hour at the Ocean
House. Inside the spacious dining
room the hum of conversation and low
laughter of womens voices mingled
with soft strains of music At the open
windows the light curtains swaycd
gently IN the ocean breeze
y burst of infectious laughter came
from II gay party by one Of the Win
dove, and Robert Woodruff, seated
alone at IL nearby table. glanced up In
amused interest. Something vaguely
familiar about one of the group II girl
who sat with her back to him reused
his attention. lie was consumed with
II burning desire To see her face, but
some one WINS between them.
Just then the little party rose TO 70.
As the girl pushed back her chair she
turned, and with II glad thrill he rccog-
nizcd her Elizabeth. How often the
picture of that slender, almost faultleSs
figure, the appealing eyes. the odd lit
tie touch of huuteur In the expressive
face. hnd been In his mind during the
past dreary months. If only she had
given him chance to explain, now.
by the force Of his love, grown strong
through months of hunger. he would
compel her to listen. Perhaps she
would Ignore that foolish miSunder-
standing after these two long years
She was very near now-in another
moment she must pass him. lie rose.
and his fnce was very bright and eager
30 LII 4.
his chair. ON she came, pauslng n mo
ment Mt the table next TO his own.
Now she was SO close he could have
touched her, and his heart throbbcd
painfully Then slowly. deliberately,
coolly. without glance, she passed
him. her soft white draperlcs trailing
gracefully down the long room.
Outside In the corridor little Billy
Preston hurried past her. his fat. good
nntured face nglow.
See Bobby Woodruff" he painted
Must be In there names on the
rcglstcr-not In room must have come
| by late boat | missed him snilinEw
he gasped explalnlngly.
The smile on ElIzabcth's llpS-every-
body always smiled at Bobby faded.
With II quick shock Of comprehension
she glanced back into the dining room.
| So that WINS Robert Woodruff that
tall. splendid fellow smiling an answer
TO Billy's ELUSIVE greeting; he had
been so near and she had not known
Her henrt beat In great, sunoeatlng
throbs the lights were swimming he
fore her eyes, and In her ears rang
Billy's high pitched voice.
Here he Is, Miss Worthington.
Here's the prodigalr' he bubbled joy
ously. Excepting to himself Just be
cause the papers are full of that old
bridge he managed to build down there
In South America. Can't shake his old
friends like that, can he, Miss Worth
lngtOn? Doesn't he look fine, thought 2"
And BILLY bcamcd ccstatically.
II nm 80 glad 10 see YOU" she said
with tremulous little smile, trying to
speak steadily Her dark eyes were
full of tender light.
But there WAS no answering smile
on the stern face above her Miss
Worthington IL very kind" he said
courteously and bowling gravcly.
Her face was very white NJ she
turned proudly aside. She had lived
In the hope Of his coming and he had
comc-nnd did not care.
Later In the evening, SO late that the
long suffering chapcrons had already
begun 10 issue warming signals 10 their
unhecding chnrgcs, Billy finished n
waltz with Miss Worthlngton. Ills
companion had been slngularly silent
you look done up" he said anx
| lously. come out on the porch where
| Woodruff and the rest of the crowd
are"
"Oh, no-I"- she commenced IN n
| quick. pleading voice, then stopped ana
walked beside him with gentle dignity
BILLY drew her n chHlr within the
friendly circle ind she leaned CRATE
fully bact In her shadowy corner. The
sound of violins came softly from the
| distance; below them was the muilicd
beating of the surf against the rocks
an unusual spell OF silence lay upon
the little group.
Woodruff. tell us II story" said Billy
suddenly
'Yes, do About South Amcrlca"-
AN adventure, II love story"
choruscd the others The girl In the
shadowy corner said nothing, but
WoodrufI's eyes turned to her for one
brief instant before he spoke.
well II Isn't really II story; there
isn't enough Of H." he began. '"fhcre
was II fellow down there. | knew him
pretty well, better than any one else
did, | think. He lived IN South Amer.
lea had been there for II long time
and when we began on the bridge he
went out to the mountains with u8.
He was an odd sort Of II chap and
hadn't much to say TO the rest of the
boys He used to go off by himself and
smoke In the moonlight Some way II
was sitting here IN the moonlight that
made me think OF him
'Well, one night he told me his story.
He had been In love with girl In
Brazil, we will say. To hear him rave
about her you would think She was the
only woman In the world lie thought
she loved him she said she did but
they were not formally engaged be
cause, while she was wealthy, he had
only his profession. One day, when
affairs were OF this stage. lie received
two letters, one from Il syndicate OF
wealthy men offering him an oppor.
tunity that mcnnt an assured future
the other from the widow OF an old
friend. asking for an interview aud
saying that SHE would be nj his office
that afternoon She came and toll her
story. She had two little children and
1t seems they were pretty badly Off.
well, this fellow was 50 overjoycd
Mt his own good fortune because now
he could marry the girl that he prom
1sed to do what he could for the poor
woman. At that--she had been having
Il pretty hard time. you must remember
she broke down completely, fell on
her knees and thanked him, and all
that. OF course. the fellow was pretty
well embarrassed and tried TO lift her
/ IN apuin and inst no thpv wore i'm tha