The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1906-08-30


and the occupants. two sun-tanned
men, stamped with the cavalry seal
| each ciutched at window-rest anu ca
| changed smiles OF quick understand
ing.
Great Scott" cried the major. II )
| good TO be back In Gods country ant
| err two and a half years in the Philp-
| mines, Lock at the girls in muslin!
| Jimmy, let's charter the hanson ior
| the afternoon ana go round ana see
| things!"
His excitement met with no re-
| Spouse. CHANGING at his conlpahioh'
/ he suddenly checked the further out
burst on his lips.
What's I'D. Jimmy? No bad news,
! hope?"
bad news! have had none at
all"
Faith! there's plenty OF good hsD
In the sea. Believe me, Jimmy there
! is safety in numbers. | have run AT
err 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 ola MS
friends cynical badinage appeal 10 MIN
at the moment.
At last, when the major hau
gone of to club Tenant stood IT.
resolutely In the foyer OF his hotei
whilst pride and common sense wres-
tied for supremacy.
Pride said: why trouble your soul
about woman who has utterly ls-
nored you for six long months, anu
now treats your homecoming with aD-
solute Indifference? Give her no fdr-
ther heed"
But common sense whispered: r1nd
out the truth before you decide. you
would have trusted Elsie Stapletoh
with your life, your future, your honor
Do not now condemn her unheard.
He was a 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 hao
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
| l. i, oh hnr 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 anc
temporarily incapacitated from writing
home Letters from Elsie, breathing
love and hope, continued to reach hin
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 i'll
received a shock, he believed, by un
expected news concerning friend IL
the Philippines, and was taken abroad
by her father. The girl was danger
ously ILL.,
kbiaze with uncertainty, Tennan
went back to his hotel. A man await
ed his arrival, an army officer, Xix,
himself. and 1t was sufficiently amaz
ing to read on the strangers card
Capt ]. w. Tenant"
II have been chasing you round tn,
world" he explained, My business i
important. Can we have a quiet tall
somewhere"
Jimmie led his namesake to a sit
| ting-room. Here the other Capt. Ten
nant seated himself. lit cigarette, an,
produced an envelope.
do you recognize the handwriting?
!. he said.
Jimmie required no second glance
II was Elsie's.
How the deuce did this come int,
. your possession" be demanded. fierce
,, ly.
Hold on! This AFFAIR may hav
caused you some trouble. but not hal
, so much as 1t has given me. Now, Jus
sit still and listen. My name happen
to he John Watson Tenant My wife
whom | recently married. and who wa
millionaire's widow. happens TO b
extremely Jealous She collects m,
correspondence ! don't mind. as
, thought all the letters would be from
I duns. didn't count on receiving love
+ letters, and devilish well written one
, at that. from young lady name.
5 Elsie. BY Jove, didn't she make I
D hot for me- Never word did she 10
on, though, for should have discov
cred the mistake at once. To her thsr
was only one J. w Tenant in exis,
ence. and she did not believe me wha,
) | showed her your name in the arm,
list. | must admit that the last ;etts
q appeared TO Justify her suspicious
n The last letter."
5 Yes. am awnlly sorry for YIN,
Old man. but couldn't help II Mis-,
1 Elsie evidently saw an account of m,
). marriage in some papers and thonvb
y II was yours, as YOU had not writts,
o 10 her for some weeks. Then thu a.
/ was In the are-w1th my wife. na,,
a since that document reached her n,
has made my life a misery. ,,,r,n,u~l
3