New-York tribune., 1908-06-28

'4.. 'iitioIole TOOK the chance OF there
SLiiS II ie'lSt one person on board with a sparl,
oi humanity IN her soul: and -" he bowed TO her
M M, gracious gallantry, my surnaise was hap
ply justified i'''P
v NALDA hesltated, even in her wrath. The
man was an enigma. He haffied and
troubled her He had not denied one single ac-
Cu>aton made against him, but acknowledged.
win a sort OF lmpiSh iov his artifce in gaining
ioot room on the Spitfires decks On the other
Il''id' ms story was utterly absurd, while his
Ilethod OF telling II only cheapened its effect
ne mixed ms truth and fiction with a needless
spoon. then offered her the frothv scum TO
swallow or not At her own discretion This
last point troubled Nalda more than all the
rest tor She simply could not understand: so
she sighed IN sheer perplexitv and turned TO
MN with mcager hope OF explanation
Can You tell me, She asked, lust why YOU
adopted that tiippant and exaggerated way OF
1elllng me Your story,-that is. If YOU wanted
to be hecved:"
can, he answered frankly, and now there
was no suggestion OF levity in his tone instead,
there came upon hls fine Young features look
OF seriousness that caused her to wonder at him
even more. Also, he looked her squarelv in the
eyes When first | began my story YOU
listened with consideration; but soon l saw
that You disbelieved even when told YOU Of
my father who Is dead,-my friend OF friends,
whose love meant more to me than a million
encraldsi"
He paused and turned away his head gazing
IN silence out TO sea, and when he spoke again
his tone was tender and scarcely audible TO her:
y true mans memory OF his parents Is a
holy thing; and you hurt that memory. even
though You are possibly not TO blame" He
faced her once more, and squared his shoulders,
| Is II shaking of passing pang. and his tone
again was marked with dash OF carelessness.
Alter that dldn l care one pinch OF wind
whether You believed the rest or not. You
wanted tilppanCy, and You got II, with the
measure brimming over too! As for who OF
| what / am, ! haven't about me a scrap Of evi-
denoe to prove identity, and YOU probably
wouldn't accept il If had. No. there Is moth
ing | can offer You beyond the unsupported
word OF Bruce Morson,-va vagrant, pauper, by a
train OF circumstances too absurd for intelligent
respect. This, Miss Girard, Is all
HE rose from his seat; but Va1da stopped him
IA with a look Surely this was not acting
| 1t was too real; and Vet this very reality was
part OF the man seductive art. One slip, one
weakness. might mean her fathers downfall
while this plausible fox would add another
official feather to his cap, and laugh At another
| woman'S bald credulity. Still. II in shielding
| her fathers name She wounded a fellow
| creature TO the quick, it would hurt,-and the
memory OF her own lost parent, her mother
Was holy thing. No. cost what 1t might, sht
would give the man one final chance.
Mr.. Morson,' she asked, is Morson actu
| allV Your name?
Yes, certainly" he answered, with a smile
What else!"
She did not tell him what was in her mind
but put another question. " Do You give 1nt
your word that YOU have told me al the truth
concealing nothing, on Your honor as 4 South
EN- gentleTnan,'
Why, YES he answered simply, II thai
VIII make difference II Your trust,-on my
honor as Southern gentleman.
And here was paradoX-teIninine but still
a paradox The woman believed At the self
same time She doubted; but the woman IN he1
heart believed Thank You. she sald, anc
smiled on him kindly. We viii talk Il ovel
again tomorrow; but now you had better go
/ You VIII dine this evening with Captain Larris
| afterward with US.
The Southerner inclined his head, in ac-