The Red Cloud chief., 1906-09-21

1 very briefly"
But this Is important" cried Mrs.
Vansittart shrilly. at Is Of the utmost
Importance to me-"
"'F'raid II can't be helped, ma'am,"
said Pyne clvilly. Anyhow, we're not
ashore yet, and 1 can't see that any
time will be wasted"
The electric bell tangled In the room,
causing Mrs. Vansittart to jump Wis
IDLY.
"Oh, what Is it?' she screamed.
"My father Is calling one of us up"
explained Constance. ut may be 8
message from Jack. You go, Enid"
Enid hurried away. She had scarcely
reached the next floor before Mrs. Van.
s~ittart, who seemed to have moods IN
full compass, said sweetly:
Convey my deep obligations to Mr.
Brand, won't you, Charlie? Indeed, you
might go now and write out the tex OF
my message to your uncle. Some early
: opportunity of dispatching it may of.
fer"
"All right" he said i'm the calm way
which so elfectually concealed his feel.
ings. "Shall l escort you to your
room?'
by no means. 1 came here quite TN.
assisted. Miss Brand and | can chat
for Il little while. 1t is most wearying
to be pent all day and all night in II
little room. Even the change to an
other little room is grateful"
Pyne bowed, and they heard his
steady tread as he assembled the stairs.
"Quite a nice boy, Charlie" said Mrs.
Vansittart, coming forward into the
kitchen, with its medley of queer look
ing, kissing, steaming co%ntrivances.
Eyes. 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.
Der came from the crate, and Mrs.
Vansittart deliberately turned away
from it.
"If all goes well he will soon be my
nephew by marriage" went on the
other. 81 quilted New York yesterday
week in order to marry his uncle in
Paris. Rather a disastrous beginning
to a new career, is it nOt?'
Il hope not, indeed. Perhaps you are
surrounding difficulties at the COM
mencement rather than at the end"
ut may be. | am so much older than
you that l am less optimistic. But you
did not grasp the significance of my
words. l said l 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, or, 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.. Trail should have reached this
remote corner of England from Paris
in the interval
For IL moment the girl was puz-
zled. Then a ready solution occurred
to her.
"Oh. of ours that is very simple.
Mr.. Trail was awaiting your arrival in
Southampton, thinking to take you by
surprise, no doubt. That is sure to be
the explanation. What Il shock the
first telegram must have given him!'
How did he ascertain that his neph-
ew and / were alive?"
"Tle very first thing father did was
to telegraph the names of all the sur
vivors. | know that Is so because I
saw the message"
".Ah! He is a man of method, l sup
pose. You are proud of him, l heard
you say"
II think there is no n like him in
all the world. We are so happy at
home that sometimes l fear 1t cannot
last. Yet, thank God, there Is no ex-
cuse for such nightmare terrors."
Mrs. Vansittart cooed in her gentle
way.
Indeed, you have my earnest good
wishes in that respect" she said. do
we not w III lives to you? That is
an excellent reason for gratitude, II a
selfish n 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 I have not
discovered a better mamie than my own
up to the present"
She fancied that Mrs. ysnsittart
WINGED a little at this remark Deem
Ing her visitor to be a bundle Of nerves,
she jumped to the conclusion that ths
other woman read into the words some
farfetched disparagement Of her own
approaching marriage.
"Of course" she continued, affably
%tactful. II will hold another view
when the right man asks me-"