The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-08-23
The Other
Captain Tenant
BY LOUIS TRACY
tcopyright. By Joseph 3. Rowles5

III,
each ciutched at a window-rest and ex-
changed smiles of quick understand
ing.
Great Scott" cried the major, tits
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
tne afternoon and go round and see
| things!"
His excitement met with no re-
sponse CHANGING at his companion,
ne suddenly checked the further out
burst on his lips.
What's up. Jimmy? No bad news,
l hope?"
ALL" :
Faith! there's plenty of good fish
IN the sea. Believe me. Jimmy, there
Is SAFETY in numbers. I have run aft
er women all my life and never caught
one yet, SO 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 on to club Tenant stood ir-
resoiutely 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 fg-
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 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. 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 determined man, he inter-
viewed local tradesmen, policemen,
post office officials, and finally doc
tor. Here he found clew. Yes, ex-
actly eight months ago, Miss Elsie
Stapleton. suddenly became very III
received 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
ousIy Ill.
Abiaze with uncertainty. Tenant
went back to his hotel. man await
ed his arrival, an army officer, like
himself. and it was sufficiently amaz-
ing to read on the strangers card:
Capt. J. 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 2"
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 half
SO much as it has given me. Now, jus,
sit still and listen. My name happens
to be John Watson Tenant My wife.
whom 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. I didn't count on receiving love-
letters, and devilish well-written ones
at that, from young lady named
Elsie. BY Jove! didn't she make /.
hot for me? Never a word did she let
on. though. for l should have dfscov-
cred the mistake at once. To her there
was only one ]. w. Tenant in exist
ence. and she did not believe me when
I showed her your name in the army
list. I must admit that the last letter
appeared to Justify her suspicious"
1.-The last letter."