The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-29

| In bank, and with that and Few tnlnsS
in a satchell / left the house without any
one seeing me. AS l passed the library l
heard him stagger up and fall heavily
on couch. 1 took a night train for New
Orleans, and from there I sailed to the
Bermudas 1 finally cast anchor in La
Paz. And now what have you to say?
Can you open your mouthT'
Merriam came back to life.
FLORENCE" he said, earnestly, IT want
you. don't care what you've done. If
the world
Ralph" she INTERRUPTED, almost with a
scream, "be my world!'
Her eyes melted; she relaxed magnih-
Gently and swayed toward Merriam so
suddenly that he had to jump to catch
her.
Merriam and Mrs Conant were very
happy According to the strange mathe-
mates of the god of mutual affinity, the
shadows that clouded their pasts when
united became only half as dense instead
of darker. They shut the world out and
bolted the doors. Each was the other
world. Mrs. Conant lived again. The re-
membering look left her eyes. Merriam
was with her every moment that was pos
sible On little plateau under grove
, of palms and calabash trees they were
going to build fairy bungalow. They
were to be married in two months. Many
hours of the day they had their heads to-
gether over the house plans. Their joint
capital would set up a business In fruit
or woods that would yield a comfortable
support. Good night. my world" would
say Mrs. Conant every evening when Mer-
riam left her for his hotel. They were
very happy Their love had, circumstan-
TALLY, that element of melancholy in it
that it seems to require to attain its su-
premest elevation And it seemed that
their mutual great misfortune or sin was
bond that nothing could sever.
One day a steamer hove in the offing.
Bare-legged and bare-shouldered La Paz
scampered Down to the beach, for the ar
rival of a steamer was their loop-the-
loops circus, Emancipation Day and 4
o'clock tea.
When the steamer was near enough,
wise ones proclaimed that she was the
Paiaro, bound up-coast from Callao to
Panama.
The PaJafO put on brakes Illlc Oh
shore. Soon boat came bobbing shore
ward. Merriam strolled down to the beach
TO look on. In the shallow water the Ca
rib sailors sprang out and dragged the
boat with a mighty rush to the firm
single. Out climbed the purser, the cap
tain and two passengers, blowing their
way through the deep SAND toward the
hotel Merriam glanced toward them
with the mild interest due to strangers.
There was something familiar to him in
the walk of one OF the passengers. He
! looked again, and his blood seemed to
| turn to strawberry ice cream in his veins.
Bulky, arrogant, debonnair as ever, IL.
Ferguson Hedges, the man he nad Killed,
was coming toward him 10 feet away.
When Hedges saw Merriam his face
eushed a dark red. Then he shouted in
!, his old bluff way;
! Hello Merriami Glad to see you.
Didn,t expect to find you out here. Quin-
+: nv. this is my old friend Merriam of New
| York-Merriam, Mr.. Quinby.'
Merriam gave Hedges and then Quinby
4 AN ice-cold hand.
"Rr-r-r-rl' said Hedges. But you've
got a trapped iipperl Man, you're not
wei, You're as yellow as Chinaman.
MaIarial here? Steer us to bar, If there
10 such a thing, and let's take a prophy-
Merriam. still half comatose led them
| toward the Hotel Orilla del Mar.
| "Ouinby and l." explained Hedges, puff
! inc through the slippery sand, ARE look
Ing out along the coast for some invest
' ments We've just come up from Concep-