River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-08-16

A hanson darted out Of the station
and the occupants, two sun-tanned
men, stamped with the cavalry SEAL
each cIutched 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! Look at the girls in muslin.
Jimmy, let's charter the hanson for
the afternoon AMI 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,
| hope?"
bad news! / have had none at
ALL"
Faith! 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 l have had all the sport
and none of the worry"
Tenant agreed with him. He was
ia no mood for discussion, nor did his
friends cynical badinage appeal to him
at the moment.
At last, when the major had
gone Off 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 q woman who has utterly ig-
nored you for six long months, and
now treats your Homecoming with alb
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 hard man and an obstinate
one. Not readily, nor yet in stinted
measure had ne 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 re
started forth to ascertain from the
lady hersalf 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
tervai opposed a blank wall against
further inquiry. 1t struck him as
small coincidence that at the period
of this change of residence he was in
the widest part of the Philippines and
temporarily incapacitated 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 a 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 I'M
expected news concerning a friend in
the Philippines, and was taken abroad
by her father. The girl was danger
ously i'll.
Abiaze with uncertainty, Tenant
went back to his hotel. A man await
ed his arrival, an army officer, like
himself, and it was sufficiently amaz-
ing to read on the strangers card:
Capt. ]. w. Tenant"
Il 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 handwriting?"
he said.
Jimmie required no second glance
1t was Elsie's.
How the deuce did this come into
your possession" be demanded, fierce
ly.
Hold on! This affair may have
caused you some trouble, but not hall
so much. as it has given me- Now, Just
sit still and listen. My name happens
to be- John. Watson Tenant. My. wife
whom 1 recently married, and who was
millionaire's widow, happens to be
extremely jealous. She collects my
correspondence. | 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 Jovei didn't she make il
hot for me? Never a word did she let
on, though, for | should have discov-
cred the mistake at once. To her there
was only one ]. w. Tenant in exist
ence, and she did not believe me when
showed her your name in the army
list. l must admit that the last letter
appeared to justify her suspicious. =
1.-THE last letter."
Yes. I am awfully sorry for you,
old man. but | couldn't help it, Miss
Elsie evidently saw an account of my
marriage in some papers and thought
it was yours. as you had not written
to her for some weeks. Then the fat
was in the fire-wlth my wife, mean.
Since that document reached her shs
has made my life misery. comDaIled