Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-08-20
The Other Captain Tennant
By L0t}Ys TRACY
Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles.,

Nopyr'gnt, py Joseph B. Bowles.)
 A hanson darted out of the station. ana the occupants, two sun-tanned men. stamped with the cavalry seal, each clutched at a window-rest and ex- cnanged smiles of quick understand ing.
 Great Scott!" cried the major, its good to be back in Gods country aft CT two and half years in the Philip pines! Look at the girls in muslin! Jimmy, let's charter the hanson for the afternoon and go round and see things!"
 Ills excitement met with no re- sponse. Glancing at his companion. ne suddenly checked the further out burst on his lips.
 Whats up. Jimmy? No bad news. I hope?"
 Bad news! I have had none at all"
 Faith! there's plenty of good Ash Tn the sea. Believe me. Jimmy, there Is safety in numbers. I have run aft CT women all my life and never caught one yet. so have had all the sport and none of the worry"
 Tennant 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 tho major had gone of to club Tennant 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 woman who has utterly ig- nored you for six long months, and now treats your homecoming with ab- solute indifference? Give her no fur 'ther 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 hard man and an obstinate one. Not readily, nor yet in stinted measure had he bestowed his love. and the causeless, 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 blank wall against further inquiry. It struck him as a small coincidence that at the period of this change of residence he was in the widest part of the Philippines and temporarily Inexperienced from writing home. Letters from Elsie, breathing love and hope, continued to reach him by devious routes for some weeks. Then-silence!
 Being a determined man, he inter viewed local tradesmen. policemen. post office officials. and finally doc tor. Here he found a clew. Yes. ex- actly eight months ago, Miss Elsie stapleton, suddenly became very H. received a shock. he believed. by un- expected news concerning a. friend in the Philippines. and was taken abroad by her father. The girl was danger ously i'll.
 Ablaze with uncertainty. Tennant went back to his hotel. A man await cd his arrival, an army officer. like himself. and 1t was sufficiently amaz- ing to read on the strangers card: .sCapt. ]. w. Tennant."
 "I have been chasing you round the world" he explained. My business is important. Can we have a quiet talk somewhere?"
 Jimmie led his namesake to sit- ting-room. Here the other Capt. Ten nant seated himself. lit cigarette, and produced an envelope.
 Do you recognize the handwriting7" he said.
 Jimmie required no second glance It was Elsie's.
 "How the deuce did this come into your possession7" be demanded, fierce ,H.
 Hold onl This affair may have caused you some trouble. but not half 70 much as 1t has given me. Now, just sit still and listen. My name happens to be John Watson Tennant. My wife. whom I recently married. and who was . millionaire's widow, happens to be extremely jealous. She collects my correspondence. I don't mind, as thought all the letters would be from duns. didn't count on receiving love- letters. and devilish well-written ones at that, from a young lady named Elsie. By love, didn't she make it hot for mel Never a word did she let on. though. for 1 should have discov- cred the mistake at once. To her there vas only one ]. W. Tennant in exist euee. and she did not believe me wheu showed her your name in the army list. I must admit that the last letter appeared to justify her suspicions.s
 sThe last letter!"
 ~Yes. am avfuliy sorry for you. old man, but couldn't help it Miss Elsie evidently saw an account of my marriage in some papers and thought tt vas yours as you had not written s, her for some weeks. Then the fat eus in the fre-vith my wife. mean.