Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-09-04
Copyright, 1904. by
Edward y. Clode

SllUdTC, WHO Sceuleu " nave hlOOdS Ill
full compass, said sweetly:
Convey my deep obligations to Mr..
Brand, won't you Charlie? Indeed, you
might go now and write out the text of
my message to your uncle. Some early
opportunity of dispatching it may Of
fer"
"All right he said in the calm way
which so effectually concealed his feel
ings. ''Shall 1 escort you to your
room?'
"By no means. / came here quite I'M
assisted. Miss Brand and 1 can chat
for a little while. 1t is most wearying
to be pent all day and all night in one
little room. Even the change to an
other little room is grateful
Pyne bowed, and they heard his
steady tread as he ascended the stairs.
"Quite a nice boy. Charlie" said Mrs.
Vansittart, coming forward into the
kitchen, with it's medley of queer look
ing, kissing, steaming contrivances.
"Yes. We think he is exceedingly
NICE" said Constance. She wondered
why the other woman seemed always
to stand in the shadow by choice. The
strongest light in the darkened cham
ber came from the CRATE. and Mrs.
Vansittart deliberately turned away
from it.
IF all goes we'll he will soon be my
nephew by marriage" went on the
other Il quilted New York yesterday
week in order to marry his uncle in
Paris. Rather disastrous beginning
to new career, is it not?''
Il hope not, indeed. Perhaps you are
surmounting difficulties at the COM
mencement rather than at the end"
''It may be. I am so much older than
you that am less optimistic. But you
did not grasp the significance Of my
words. 1 said I was to be married in
Paris.''
EYES," said Constance, still at a loss
to catch the drift Of an announcement
which Mrs. Vansittart seemed so anx-
ious to thrust upon her.
''Well, the Chinook was wrecked last
night. OF, rather, early this morning.
The name of the ship was not made
known throughout the world until long
after daybreak. 1t is quite impossible
that Mr. Traill should have reached this
remote corner Of England from Paris
in the interval"
For one moment the girl was puz-
zled. Then a ready solution occurred
to her.
"Oh, of course, that is very simple.
Mr.. Traill was awaiting your arrival in
Southampton, thinking to take you by
surprise, no doubt That is sure to be
the explanation. What a shock the
first telegram must have given himr'
How did he ascertain that his neph-
ew and / were alive?' ..s,t
"The very first thing father did was
to telegraph the names of all the sur
vivors. 1 know that is so because I
saw the message"
"Ah! He is a man Of method, sup
pose. You are proud of him, I heard
you say" -:
81 think there is no one like him in
all the world. We are so happy at
home that sometimes I fear it cannot
| last. Yet. thank God, there is no ex-
cuse for such nightmare terrors.''
Mrs. yansittart eooed in her gentle
! way.
Indeed, you have my earnest good
wishes in that respect" she said. ''Do
we not owe our lives to you? That is
! an excellent reason for gratitude, If a
selfish one. But some day soon you
will be getting married and leaving
the parental roof"
81 do not wish to die an old maid,' -
laughed Constance, yet 1 have not
discovered better name than my own
up to the present"
She fancied that Mrs. Vansittart
WINGED a little at this remark. Deem.
ing her visitor to be a bundle of nerves
she jumped to the conclusion that the
/ other woman read into the words some
farfetched disparagement of her OWL
approaching marriage.
! "Of course" she continued, affably
;actful. 'I will hold another view
when the right man asks me-"
Were you in my place." murmure6
! her visitor. apparently thinking ALOUD
rather than addressing Constance
you would noa be fearful of misfor
| tune? You would not read an omen Of
! i'll luck into this dramatic interruption
of all your plans? After many year:
! of widowhood 1 am about to be mar
ried again to a man who is admirable
in every way. He is rich, distinguished
in manner and appearance, a person o.
note not only in the States, but on the
continent. No woman of my year:
might desire a better match. VIII,
could not the way be made smooth fol
me? Why should the poor Chinook
out of the hundreds of mail steamer:
which cross the Atlantic yearly, bt
picked out for utter disaster? 1t is 6
warning-a threat from the gods!'
The unconscious Eit,erness Of hel
tone moved the girl to find words Of
! consolation.
II would not question the ways OF
Providence III the least" she said