Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-03-23
81 cliARLOTTR NJ. BRARMR

go on he said, and waited with
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 he
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 / say you must take the
one needful step by yourself that viii 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 win
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! II 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. 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 onceP' he
asked.
That is a very cruel way to put it,"
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, advise
your going at once"
You are one of the best women that
ever lived" he exclaimed, "and / am
proud to have had you for a friend! l
fought to have known my presence would
give you pain, and refused Sir Geoffrey'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. l
will thrust aside my own inclinations, and
run over to Paris and see what Mrs
FEELING 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
Miss Mailing at the Wigwam."
For once Ethel looked at him with
her eyes trimming with tears; but she
did not dare make an attempt to speak.
He took her hand in his, and held it close
as he finished.
You must make some plausible ex-
cuse to Sir Godfrey for my abrupt de-
parture in the morning; or, better still,
l will wire from town. shall write to
you from Paris, if 1 may. And now,
before l say goodnight, l must give you
this letter. received it two days ago
from Dornton. l know it will please you
He and l correspond regularly; so l
shall keep you posted up in his move
ments. Good-by, my true, honest little
friend"
She sat, as he left her, holding Jacks
letter in her hand, hearing his voice very
family in the distance as he excused
himself with the plea of fatigue to her
father, and wondering how it had hap
pened that this interview, which she had
brought about for the sole purpose of
hearing news of Jack, had ended in so
sudden a determination on the captains
part to seek his wife. She knew his re-
solve was the result of her advice, and
she hoped devoutly that good might come
of it.
And Polling mounted the wide stairs
very slowly, deep in thought as he went
"She is quite right, as she is always.
1t is the only thing to do; and 1 never
saw it myself. My place is undoubtedly
by my wife's side"