Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1906-03-24
/ kRA Inc Wires Secret,
\ ~ A OR BITTER RECKONING
7 \&XZ0AMM By CHARLOTTE M. BRAEME
By CHARLOTTE M. BRAEME

10 on, ne Sdlu. ana waited Will |
knitted brows for what she had to say.
Ethel in her short life, had often had
unpleasant tasks to perform, but never
one so unpleasant as this.
"Out of your own mouth shall you be
judged" she began. smiling at him to
hide the trembling of her lips. You
say you have become so used to working
In company that you cannot move a step
by yourself; but l say you must take the
one needful step by yourself that will Sc
cure you good company to work in for
the rest of your life. Go to Paris at
once, seek out your wife, and give her the
protection of your presence. She will
yield. You must not judge her by her
words when you last met. You had her
at cruel disadvantage. Think what an
awful shock your sudden appearance
must have been to her! 1t Is very, very
hard for me to say this to you, after all
your kindness to US in the past; but you
will not misjudge my motive. l am
speaking for your good. By and by, when
you are quite happy with each other, you
will be thankful to me for sending you
away in this abrupt manner"
you wish me to go at once?' he
asked.
she answered, gently "You know l do
not wish you to go at all. True friends
are not so plentiful that one can af-
ford to play battledore and shuttlecock
with them for ones own pleasure. For
your own good, Captain Polling, 1 advise
your going at once"
you are one of the best women that
ever lived" he exclaimed, "and l am
proud to have had you for friend! l
ought to have known my presence would
give you pain, and refused Sir Godfrey s
invitation. Don't speak until I've fin
ished,' he went on, hurriedly, holding
up his hand to check any interruption. Il
, shall follow your advice to the letter.
| will thrust aside my own inclinations, and
! run over to Paris and see what Mrs.
Polling is doing, spend Christmas among
the Frenchmen, and perhaps in the New
= Year Captain and Mrs. Polling may have
the honor of receiving Sir Godfrey and
D Miss Mailing at the Wigwam."
= For once Ethel looked at him with
e her eyes trimming with tears; but she
did not dare make an attempt to speak
- He took her hand in his, and held it clos,
+ as he finished.
+ "You must make some plausible ex
j cuse to Sir Godfrey for my abrupt de
e parture in the morning; or, better still
l will wire from town. | shall write t
d you from Paris, if 1 may. And now
IS before l say goodnight, l must give yo
this letter. l received it two days ag
It from Dornton.. know it will please you
l. He and l correspond regularly; so
It shall keep you posted up in his move
e ments. Good-by, my true, honest littl
lie friend
IN She sat, as he left her, holding Jack
re letter in her hand, hearing his voice yer
family in the distance as he excuse
e. himself with the plea of fatigue to he
k father, and wondering how it had hal
TT pened that this interview, which she ha
brought about for the sole purpose
"a hearing news of Jack. had ended in
ri sudden a determination on the captain
ht part to seek his wife. She knew his r
20 solve was the result of her advice. an
N she hoped devoutly that good might con
n of it.
And Polling mounted the wide stat
-. very slowly deep in thought as he wen
ON "She is quite right, as she is alway
1t is the only thing to do and | new
10 saw it myself. My place is undoubted
n by my wife's side"