The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-07-31

| uOu nc OuSnt W Euu dDOut.
His dear little paw is rather badly cut,
and there may be more broken glass
on the deck"
II hope not for our Chileans' sake"
laughed Courtenay. ~ heard Mr.. Boyle
telling them to sweep it up, and they
were hard at work when went to my
cabin"
ooh, is that where you hid yourself?
No wonder l could not find you. OF
course Joey knew where you were.
How stupid of mev'
"Please don't call yourself names,
Elsie. You don't deserve them. And,
by the way, may l address you by your
Christian name? 1t slipped out today
unawares. Not that l feel like apollo
giving, because l don't. There are
, times when the heart speaks, not the
guarded tongue"
Luckily the darkness covered the hot
blush which leaped to her cheeks. She
gave q nervous little laugh and strove
desperately to parry this wholly un-
expected assault.
Il shall be delighted if you always
call me Elsie. 1t sounds friendly, and
! think our circumstances warrant a
true friendship"
Excellent! suppose you know that
my name is Arthur"
| "Yes, but | had no notion of that
sort of exchange. You are the captain,
, times. l feel like q little girl when
you look at me and tell me not to be
naughty, SO Elsie sounds all right
but simply dare not call you Arthur
Just imagine what sensation it
would create in the salon! 1 should
feel creepy all over. And hadn't we
| better be-
"Elsie," said he, with q tender note
! in his voice which thrilled her like
chord of exquisite music, Il want to
! tell you something. The knowledge is
forced on me that there is another man
on this ship who wishes to make you
his wife, but l, too, love you, and l see
no reason why I should stand aside for
any man on Gods earth until you tell
me with your own lips that you prefer
him to me-"
"Oh!' gasped Elsie and "Ohv' again,
but not another word could she utter,
she who had been so voluble q moment
ago. The bittersweet pain of hearing
this sudden avowal was almost over.
towering. Her ideals of honor and
truth were shocked, but she was q wo.
man as well as an .idealist, and she was
stirred to the depths of her soul by the
knowledge that she had won the man
whose love she craved.
II want you to listen to me, Elsie"
he said, with a passionate intensity
that stilled the rising storm in her hos.
ON. "Dr. Christobal may have plead.
ed his own cause already. 1t is not
for me to cavil at him for doing that,
but 1 cannot lose you without word.
Whether you marry him or me or nei-
Their of us, I shall love you forever.
want you to know that. 1t is no new
discovery to me. l think my heart
went out to you when l carried you in
my arms through the gale, and since
| that hour you and have had expert.
| ences denied to most men and women
ere they reach the conclusion that they
| are fit mates for the voyage Of life. Do
| you feel that. sweetheart? Have we
known each other ten days or ten
years"
| His face was very near to hers now.
His arm was around her neck. 1t was
quite dark where they stood in the
shadow of the bridge He could not
IA4 Tor t,.,. l,,,N h. n,.1
her broken answer:
Are -quite-fair.in using such
words to me?"
Fair, Elsie. Fair. to whom"
"Because-oh, how can | tell you?
Are you free toto speak to me in this
way?"
elsie, am pledged to no other wo-
man, If that is what you mean. Who
has been telling you otherwise"
mo one. Indeed-indeed, alone am
to blame. You will be angry with me.
but could not help it,
She could say no more. If she had
uttered another syllable just then she
would have broken down completely.
Courtenay placed his hand under her
CLlu uuu lllleu IlcT ullTeSlSlluS lips u
his. He kissed her twice and laughed
softly, with q glad confidence that sent
wave of delight coursing through FL
sizes veins.
Sweetheart" he whispered, 81 am
sure you would not have allowed me to
speak so plainly If you were going to
send me away. Now, | don't want you
to bind yourself irrevocably tonight.
That would certainly not be fair.
don't know why am to be angry or
what 1t was you couldn't help, and
don't care q red cent. All want to
know is this-if the Kansas brings us
both back TO the outer world once
more, have as good chance Of win
ming your love as any other manY
"But l must tell you. | could not
look you in the face IL you did not hear
It. When / was left alone in. your
cabin the second time and the sea
came in, packet of letters fell out OF
some clothes which picked up from
the floor. There was one from your
sister. hardly knew what was do
J Ing but saw her name, 'Madge,' and