The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-10-16

NAAA NAAt O1NupahADf NHO Gun-LAiAutU
men, stamped with the cavalry seal, I
each clutched at a window-rest and ex-
changed smiles of quick understand
ing.
Great Scott" cried the major, Its
good to be back in Gods country aft
er two and half years in the Philip
pines! Lock at the girls in muslin!
Jimmy, let's charter the hanson for
the afternoon ana go round and see
things!"
His excitement met with no re-
Spouse. CHANGING at his companion, |
he suddenly checked the further out
burst on his lips.
What's up, Jimmy? No bad news.
| hopper"
Bad news! have had none at
ALL"
''Faithl there's plenty OF good fish
in the sea. Believe me, Jimmy, there
Is safety in numbers. l have run aft
er women all my life and never caught
one yet, so I have had all the sport
and none of the worry
Tenant agreed with him. He was
in no mood for discussion, nor did his
! friends cynical badinage appeal to him
| at the moment
| At last, when the major had
| gone of to a club Tenant stood ir-
resolutely in the foyer of his hotel
/ whilst pride and common sense wres-
! tied for supremacy.
Pride said: Why trouble your soul
about a woman who has utterly ig
Z Co. he nd
now treats your Homecoming with abb
solute indifference? Give her no fur
Their heed"
But common sense whispered: Find
out the truth before you decide. You
would have trusted Elsie Stapleton
with your life, your future, your honor.
Do not now condemn her unheard."
He was a hard man and an obstinate
one. Not readily, nor yet in stinted
measure had he bestowed his love, and
the catseless, merciless abandonment
to which he had been subjected had
scared his heart. Nevertheless, PRIDE
went under in the struggle, and he
started forth to ascertain from the
lady herself why he no longer found
favor in her sight.
When he reached the lady's house,
she was not there; indeed no one
knew where she was. Her father had
given up the house eight months ago,
and in New York.. where no man
knows his next door neighbor, the in
terval opposed a blank wall against
further inquiry 1t struck him as a
small coincidence that at the period
"a - hsa xrrac In
the widest part of the Philippines ano
temporarily incapacitated from writing
home. Letters from Elsie. breathing
love and hope, continued to reach him
by devious routes for some weeks
Then-sllencel
Being a determined man, he inter
viewed local tradesmen, policemen
post ofha.e officials, and finally doc
tor. Here he found a clew. Yes. ex
actly eight months ago, Miss Elsie
Stapleton, suddenly became very ill
received a shock. he believed. by un
expected news concerning a friend il
the Philippines, and was taken abroad
by her father. The girl was danger
ously i'll.
Abiaze with uncertainty. Tennan
went back to his hotel A man await
ed his arrival. an army officer, Xix
himself and it was sufficiently amaz
ing to read on the strangers card
Capt. ]. W. Tenant"
4 haze been chasing you round tn
, world he explained. MY business
important Can we have quiet tai
somewhere"
Jimmie led his namesake to a sit
ting-roon. Here the other Capt. Ten
4 nant seated himself, lit cigarette. an
S produced an envelope.
= DO you recognize the handwriting
t he said
{ Jimmie required no second glance
1t was Elsie's.
"HoN the deuce did this come int
your possession be demanded, fierce
ly.
Hold on! This affair may hav
caused you some trouble, but not ha
p so much as it has given me- Now. jus
! sit still and listen. My name happen
to be John Watson Tenant. My wifi
4 whom 1 recently married. and who ws
!. a millionaire's widow, happens to
A extremely jealous. She collects m
eorrespo adence. l don't mind, as
a. thought all the letters would be frol
duns. didn't count on receiving low
" letters, and deyilish well-written one
% at that, from a young lady name
II Elsie. BY Jove, didn't she make
hot for roe? Never word did she h
% on. though, for should have disco
. cred the mistake at once. To her thel
IS was only one ]. w. Tenant in exis
ence, and she did not believe me whe
as | showed her your name in the arm
Nv list. must admit that the last lett
#. appeared to justify her suspicious
We "The last letter."
nv Yes. am awfully sorry for 20
old man, but couldn't help it. Mi
II. Elsie evidently saw an account OF n
if marriage in some papers and thougl
We it was yours, as you had not write
re to her for some weeks. Then the f