Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-07-09
CHAPTER v.

~HEY were four days out from
port. Two days more and
they would sight Sandy Hook,
and Shirley would know the
worst She had caught the North Ger
man Lloyd boat at Cherbourg two days
after receiving the cablegram from
New York. Mrs. Blake had insisted
on coming along in spite of her niece's
protests. Shirley argued that she had
crossed alone when coming; she could
go back the same way. Besides, was
not Mr.. Ryder returning home on the
same ship? He would be company and
protection both. But Mrs. Blake was
bent on making the voyage. She had
not seen her sister for many years and,
moreover, this sudden summons from
America had upset her own plans.
The alarming summons home and the
terrible shock she had experienced the
showed her the newspaper article with
its astounding and heartrending news
about her father had almost Frustrated
Shirley. The blow was all be greater
for being so entirely unlocked for.
That the story was true she could not
doubt. Her mother would not have
cabled except under the gravest cir
cumstances. What alarmed Shirley
still more was that she had no direct
news of her father. For moment her
heart stood still. Suppose the shock of
this shameful accusation had killed
him? Her blood froZe in her veins, she
clinched her fists and dug her nails into
her flesh as she thought of the dread
possibility that she had looked upon
him in life for the last time. She re-
membered his last kind words when
he came to the steamer to see her off
and his kiss when he said goodby, and
she had noticed tear of which he ap-
peared to be ashamed. The hot tears
welled up In her own eyes and coursed
unhindered down her cheeks.
Suddenly she heard a familiar step
behind her, and Jefferson Joined her at
the rail. The wind was due west and
blowing half a gale, so where they
were standing-one of the most expos
| ed parts of the shlp-it was difficult to
keep ones feet, to say nothing of hear
ing any one speak.
Its pretty windy here, Shirley"
shouted Jefferson, steadying himself
against stanchion. Don't you want
| to walk little?
He had begun to call her by her first
name quite naturally, as II 1t were a
matter of course. Indeed, their rela-
tons had come to be more like those of
brother and sister than anything else.
Shirley was too much troubled over
the news from home to have a mind
for other things, and in her distress
she had turned to Jefferson for advice
and help as she would have looked to
: an elder brother
He was sorry for Judge RossmOre, of
course, and there was nothing he would
not do on his return to secure a with.
drawal of the charges. That his IA.
Their would use his influence he had nc
doubt, but meantime he was selfish
enough to be glad for the opportunity
1t gave him to be q whole week alone
with Shirley.
Thus events, combined with the
weather. conspired to bring Shirley
and Jefferson more closely together
The sea had been rough ever since
they sailed, keeping Mrs. Blake confined
to her stateroom almost continuously
They were therefore constantly In one
another's company, and slowly. un
consciously, there was taking root ir
their hearts the germ of the only rea
and lasting loye-the love born OF
something higher than mere physica
attraction, the nobler, more enduring
affection that is born Of mutual sym
patty, association and eompanionshiD.