The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-07-29

Miss Thorne sat watching the rise and
fall of the railing against the purple hori-
BON line, apparently feeling herself quite
tree from any necessity for conversation
n effort.
1t was only after some minutes silence
that Mr.. Stewart spoke abruptly, II won
der if you would consider me very i'm
pertinent II I were to tell you that l have
been pumping the captain about youT"
About meT'
about your circumstances your his
tory"
She turned her gaze now to meet his
Hxed scrutiny, but her voice as she an
Bwered was but little changed from its
usual calm Indifference
"Oh, 1 suppose that is the usual way
with people at sea. There is so little else
than out neighbors to talk about, you
know"
Then l am to stand convicted of idle
ruriOsityT And there was an echo of
disappointment in his voice.
"Oh, no, we will call it by the more
polite name of kindly interest, if you
choose she scoffed. And may ask
II you found anything amusing or In
He saw now how she meant to take 1t,
and was ready for her.
well, perhaps amusing is hardly the
word
Thrilling, then? Surely you consider
II thrilling, the story of the virtuous or
phxn reared in the lap of luxury, but left
to look out for herself in the world, with
q sufficient, or rather insufficient in
come to keep her in a state of genteel
starvation, and bravely setting out to de-
vote herself to art, and to scale the lad
Ser of fame-that is what you heard,
lzn't it?'
well, something like that" he admit
bed.
You did not hear, 1 suppose" sh
went on, with a concentrated bitterness
In her voice, that that same heroine had
no illusions left as to that same art life
that she was going to; that she knew
the limitations of her poor little skill
and looked to nothing but ill-rewarded
drudgery; that she was well aware wha !.
art life in Paris meant to gently brec
Englishwomen that SIZE loathed its shah
BY Bohemianism, its isolation from all
that she had ever been or cared for.
That, / suppose, you did not hear?'
NO." he answered, thoughtfully. mo,
but perhaps guessed some of it."
Il wonder what else your inquiries
brought out?" And in her words he could
feel the restrained eagerness.
For all his studies impassiveness, her
quick eyes read the answer in his averted
gaze
l see. You heard how the man whom
| was on the point of marrying, backed
out when he found was not the wealthy
heiress of his Imagination"
Yes, I heard that" Stewart slowly
admitted. She laughed with that hard
little laugh which he had already heard
that day.
"Well, then, think we may consider
that you ere now in possession of the
main fact Of my history. That being
decided, you will perhaps tell me why you
have SO carefully led me into giving a
aketch of myself. Or, perhaps you mere
" wished to impart Christmas tale at
mosphere, suitable TO the occasion. PEG
pie in Christmas tales invariably con-
hde their past sorrows to the first person
they meet, don't they?'
Mr.. Stewart stood these taunts with
lmperturbability.
Il must confess that the Christmas
tale theory did not occur to me-" he said,
but perhaps you will allow me to 60 on
with my line of argument, and you shall
see what 1 am driving at, presently"
He paused, and his listener murmured
. polite Certainly" while a puzzled Gu
riosity began to dawn In her eyes.
1T is acknowledged, then, that /, by
forgiven methods, am acquainted with the
main fact ct your recent history. Now,
may / put another personal question, and
ask if you have, through the gossip OF
the ship, learnt anything of nine?" He
put this question with the most matter
cf-fact gravity, but Miss Thorne stared
and laughed. and even flushed little be-
fore she answered.
Really, l do think that your system
Of polite conversation is, to say the least
Of il, peculiar"
There is method in my madness. Have
patience with me. Won't you answer my
question:"
Il certainly cannot plead guilty Il
having put the captain through his PAGES
about you; but if it is any satisfaction
to you to know, Captain Kerr did make
you the subject of a discourse one after
noon"
ITO which you scarcely condescended tc
listen, / suppose. No matter. You must
have gathered the main fact, that I an
the latest edition of the Prodigal Son
going back to my feast or veall Pahl
always loathed veal -
eli L. -
out at the ever changing curve of The
long waves, and she watched his fac,
with a new touch of interest.
With a start he reused himself. "Yor
heard that, of course?" he asked.
II heard that. in consequence of YOU
eldest brothers death, you are going bacl
TO take your place as heir 20 your faith
sr's estates and baronetcy."
Perfectly correct. But perhaps you die
not hear that / am going back to a hom.
from which, ten years ago, / was relent
lessly driven out. There was no pity sol
the young fellow of % who had come {
eropper on the turf. He might not ever
exchange into a line regiment and hay,
another chance in life. No, he must g,
forth into those outer regions wher,
thrre Is weeping and wailing and gnash
Ing Of teeth among such as he and wors
-Matabeleland jungles, Klondike mines
what matter where they go or wha
they do, so long as they never troubl
again the Wrtuous ones at home
$50 / went and when, the other day
their messenger reached me. 1t was t,
find me in possession of one of the tides
ranches on the Saskatchewan. How
worked heavens. how l aid work befor
the opening up of the country brough
ne prosperity He looked down rehec
lively at the lean, brown hands that ha'
stood him in such good stead.
''But 1t Is hardly fair, in my innings
to burden you with such detail. onl
wished you to understand the humor Il
which EN- doing this Homecoming. NJ
mother, God bless her, was dead long be
fore my smash-up. 1t was my brother
wife, firmly believe, who made my faith
or so pitiless towards me. With what
rod of iron she ruled those two men!
fancy that she rules my father still, NOR