The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-08-26
CHAPTER YI.-lContinnedA !


and Was asking me most kindly about
my plans, and if he could help me in
any way. He asked me TO come and stay
with his wife, and to give him my Paris
address"
Il hope you reminded him of the man
in Chicago who made a large fortune by
minding his own business"
Mathilde was too intent on her own
line of thought to smile.
Il did nothing of the sort. l thanked
him sincerely for what l am sure was
pure kindness"
And you gave him the address,"
Stewards voice had in ii an echo of
carefully restrained wrath.
No, / gave him the address of a PEN
SION where l have stayed. but where they
know nothing of my movements now"
stewart laughed. "A much more fem
inlne method of saying the same thing"
We'll, will you have the kindness,
Then, to tell me what else you expected
me to do?' she retorted. with warmth
Our little alteration really sounds
quire matrimonial" he commended; then
Il think you acted with The tact and
discretion which l should have expected"
he went on soothingly. but now, what
comes next?" for ne was quick to see that
she had not yet approached tie main is
sue.
Next is new aspect of Affairs which
has just dawned upon me, and which, II
you cannot prove my view to be incor-
rect, VIII cause me TO give up the whole
thing at once. | was a fool not to see it
Defore-' She was speaking in a low, in
tense tone. and upconsciousIy quickened
her steps as she went on. DO you re-
member my saying the other day that
Captain Kerr had told me that you were
married man. Well, If he is under that
impression, other people out there must
be SO as well. That was what the mis-
slonary told your home people. 1t is
hardly TO be supposed that we can always
successfully avoid everyone who has ever
been there. Well then, when they meet
me. what do they think me?'
Mt. Stewart remained unmoved under
this flow of words.
am sorry that | failed the other day
In making you understand matters more
clearly" he said, gravely. "Your first
premises are altogether wrong. Nobody
In my own neighborhood dreams that
was ever married. They all knew her,
since hearing Mathilde Thorne's name he
had never spoken of the "habitantv wom-
an by that name-"to be the wife of An
tome, the lumberman. BY some strange
chance the missionary picked up a diff
ferent story, but he could not have gone
away with that impression if he had beef
anything save wanderer, here to-day
and gone tomorrow. He certainly never
was at my house, or saw either of us"
E..
Kerr" she interrupted: but, with a
checking movement of his hand, he went
on:
Il think that If you search your mem
DRY, you will probably find that this wa
what happened: Kerr. who, however,
was never but once in my part of the
country, most probably knew the whole
story, but in ticking with you most prob
Ably let ont something about my home
life which he could explain in no other
hypothesis than that of my being a mar
ried man There are few men who would
give another away by letting out the
truth, so he did what nine men liz ten
would have done, east the veil of respect
ability over my domestic arrangements.
Don't you think that it came about in
something of that fashion,"
Mathilde pondered a moment, as they
tramped steadily along, the mist driving
in their faces.
"Yes, l rather fancy that it did happen
In some such fashion, she agreed
thoughtfully. II remember that he was
talking of the isolation of households.
and instanced the graves that are seen
near some of the homesteads as an en-
bodiment of all the solitude of the land.
When rode up to Stewards door at
Prairie Dell, the white cross over his
child's grave on the hill gave me a chill
ct the heart, for fear such a cross should
mark my door, he said; and then /
asked him if you were married.
And he answered rather dryly that /
was?
Exactly So"
''There, you see. guessed rightly"
perhaps so, but / should feel much
happier if I were certain about it,
Stewart meditated bit before he said
-yery well, then; l will settle it with
him before we leave the ship"
Not in connection with me- she said,
with quick alarm.
Your name shall not be mentioned in
the matter" he promised, then went on
more gravely: Il really think il would be
better for both If you could bring you'll
self TO see that it is much against my
interest as yours, for amy slur to come
upon your name in the matter"
How am l to TELL" she broke out Wild
~, what are your real interests or
plans in the affair"
They had instinctively paused and
stood facing each other.
IF that is how you really feel" he
said. lit would indeed be better to give
up the whole idea" Then, with a sud
den change to his gentler manner, he
added: Don't be so hard on me; I'm sure
that after al! you trust me a little more
than you say. Come. shake hands on It.
won't you:' And, rather TO her own sur
prise. Mathilde found herself placing her
hand, or rather her fur mitt, in his.
The next morning Stewart seized
passing chance to tell her that he had
ascertained that Captain Kerr knew hir,
to be an unmarried man, but no leading
remark of Mathlde's had power to bring
force any details of the interview, save
that there had no mention of her name
In the matter.
To her sensitive watchfulness it seem
ed as though, at lunch. Captain Kerr's
manner had lost some of its friendliness.
but il was the last day of the voyage.
and the routine of the friendly, leisurely
sea life was over, so that she had no OPP
portunity to make sure of the fact In
the morning there was the excitement of
the half-hour's tarrying in Neville har-
Dor to land the mails.
The afternoon was occupied with the
business Of packing. paying wine bills,
and ali such small endings to the voyage,
for the captain expected to catch the mid
night tide at the Liverpool bar, and to
land his passengers at daybreak.
The Liverpool docks are never very
cheerful place, and they certainly were
not at their best in the late December
dawn. in that chill drizzle with which
Liverpool generally greets the wanderer.
Stewart had spoken his last confiden-
tial word to Nathilde: ITS better for
me to wait and come up By the next
train I will come to you tomorrow af-
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