The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-12-23
CHAPTER XVII.
Continued.

t@ASStASAS
poor fellow; they thought, and they
therefore anticipated nj trouble
in the way of a refusal. Lord War
tlebury further proposed to ask Ger
trpde and Miss Somers to accompany
them, and another advantage of the
arrangement seemed to be the prob
ability of a few weeks cruise under
such favorable auspices being all that
was necessary to restore the patient
to his right mind. This plan was car
ried out to the letter. DR.. Mansell
met the soi-disant Lawrence Soames
on the arrival of the St. Malo boat,
with Lord Wartlebury's compliments,
and the invitation to lunch and i'm
part information, which was at once
accepted. The further information
to become one of the party was skill
fully led up. to in the course of con-
versation, and also accepted, and
then Lord Wartlebury had sent for
Miss Somers, who was awaiting Ger
trude's arrival to go on board the
yacht, when Mr.. Norton, to whom
Lord Wartlebury had been mentioned
as a friend by Gertrude, sent a note
to the latter, explaining the plight the
lady was in, and begging for mis- i'm
mediate assistance.
It was Lord Wartlebury himself
who gave Gertrude all this informa-
ton, with many details besides,
which he thought it right she should
hear. She listened in almost perfect
silence, commenting once or twice,
or uttering an ejaculation, but never
asking a question till Lord Wartle-
bury stopped. Then she faltered:
'Has my husband said nothing?
Did he never mention me?"
mo" DR.. Mansell told her. Ellis
memory is a blank. He has no recol-
lection whatever of wife or child, or
home or friends. In fact, he declared
he expected no letters, because he
had no one to write to him. He said
he believed he was a founding, a
self-made man, at all events, without
a relation that he knew Of in the
world. Lord Wartlebury mentioned
Mrs. Leslie, Somers, and said he
hoped you would make n of the
party on board the Star When he
heard the name he knit his brows in
a puzzled sort Ct way, az If trying to
recall something, and repeated Les
lie Somers' several times. I asked
him if he knew Leslie Somers, and
he said he was sure he knew some
thing about him, the name was SO
familiar, but he could not for the
life Of him remember what"
Gertrude sighed. How am Ito
meet him." she said.
Lord Wartlebury and DR.. Mansell
exchanged significant glances, and
each waited for the other to speak.
I'VE have been thinking" Lord
Wartlebury. began, at last, with some
hesitation, that perhaps you had
better not see hi m just yet, you
know-not until we have got well out
to sea, at least. There is plenty Of
room on board the STAR you need
not meet until it is desirable. And
-eh-the fact is, your husband re-
,quires to be kept quiet for a little"
Gertrude understood that there
was something behind this which
they were anxious to spare her the
pain Of knowing, and delicately for
bore't to ask. 1t had seemed all along
that the separation was the worst
thing she could have to bear, but now
her heart ~sickened at the prospect Of
being so near her husband, and per-
haps of having him look at her day
.ognizing her, and it might be with
openly expressed aversion to her
presence. 1t was a common thing for
mad people to hate those whom, in
their senses, they had loved best! Oh,
she thought, she could bear anything
but that! DR.. Mansell left them di-
rectly after dinner to go on board the
yacht, leaving Lord Wartlebury to
follow later with the ladies.
1t was beginning to be dusk when
they got on board. Gertrude and
Miss Somers were shown at ono to
their staterooms, which opened into a
small saloon known as the boudoir.
1t was intended for the use of any
ladies who might be on board, a safe
retreat in case of bad weather, and
there was an experienced stewardess
always in attendance. But the yacht
was perfect in all it's arrangements,
luxuriously fitted throughout, a float
ing palace, in fact, with room enough
for a hundred guests and a host Of
retainers.
Steam was up when they arrived,
rushing and roaring through the fun,
nels; there was a great hustle oil
preparation on deck, and almost be,
fore they had time to settle them.
selves in their new quarters, the
anchor was up and they were off.
On finding the little saloon bril-,
liantly lighted by electricity, Miss
Somers got out a piece OF work, and
placidly busted herself with it. Ger.
trude felt envious as she watched
her. If she could only occupy her.
self in some such way, she thought
and await the issue OF events calmly
how much better it would be for her!
But she seemed to have got past al
that. She could not even sit still fol
long, but got up and paced about, pre-.
tending to examine everything in the
cabin, yet seeing nothing, and ending
by moving restlessly to and fro with,
out even the pretense of an object