The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-03-26

expressing his perpleXity over the
turn of events, and ended by abruptly
ringing for a timetable and sailing
list, which he consulted before again
addressing himself to his secretary.
Get out Of here as quickly as YOU
can" he ordered. GO 10 your rooms,
throw what stuff you need into a bag,
and take the first train you can get
for New York, | shall meet YOU at
the station here and give you such re,
ports Of conditions as | can write in
the meantime When YOU get to New
York. 60 as quickly as You can to the
Cunard dock, from which the Lucana
is due to sail early in the morning. !
shall hold her up until You arrive De-
hVer my letters in person to the HJr-
eign secretary's office in London. and
answer such questions as you can re-
garding this remarkable situation and
this incomprehensible government.
These matters are too important to
admit of delay and ordinary official re-
ports. Go qnickly," he concluded. al
most showing Hitler through the door.
III attend to everything here. Don't
let there be any delay on your part.
The secretary hurried away to
make preparations for his departure,
leaving the perturbed ambassador to
prepare his reports. He called cab
and drove TO his apartment. intent on
first telephOning to Miss Roberts His
man met him at the door and handed
him letter addressed in a familiar
hand, which he hastily tore open and
read as he stood in the open doorway:
Dear Guy: | have been called
away very suddenly and am going to
my father. He needs me now more
than ever. cannot alter anything
which told you last night, nor can |
add anything, save to say that some
time, somehow, God willing, we shall
be together. again, under circ,m-
stances where | can tell you all the
u utH. IL Will w ~ SOOu W NGlle W
the old address; for | shall not be
there. There will be no means of our
communicating, fear, for an in
definite time. 1t is always within the
realms of possibility, when war is on
land that friends may never meet
again. If such should be our case, |
pray that you will remember this
even up to the last loved you.
GOOd-by. NORMA" .
Stunned by this unexpected missive;
he hurried to the telephone, and in a
fever of haste and anxiety called up
her home, only to be told that she had
departed in the earlier hours of the
morning after receiving a message
presumably from her father. He
could learn nothing further of her He
was stopped as if by an insurmount-
able wall. He cursed the fate which
separated them and the order which
sent him away without giving time to
see her, and almost in open rebellion
thought fer moment Of refusing to
act as kings courier, resolving rather
to resign from his position and aban-
don his post; but he was bound by
the training of years and the demands
of duty, and at the last moment
boarded the train which was to take
him from the country and the woman
he loved
And even as he went the object OF
his soEcitude was speeding away into
the south on a special train
The train consisted OF only two
Pullmans and a dining car. Before it
in its southern fight the way seemed
always open, and hour after hour it
rushed onward, drawn by the most
powerful locomotives that could be OBJ
tanned. Norma was the only woman
passenger aboard. all the others were
grim.faced, sun-tanned men of the
sea- who had been summoned to Wash
ington from various navy yards and
ships within the month. Of all on
board she was the only civilian and
yet the one whom the government
seemed most anxious to transport.
The officers themselves gathered into
little groups, discussing the war
which had opened so abruptly, and
specializing as to why in such an i'm
portant crisis they had been ordered
from their posts of duty to report for
further advices and sealed instruc-
tons at SO unimportant and isolated
seaport as the small one on, the
coast of Florida to which they were
heading.
Another singular feature of this
journey was that all abo;s d. from the
distinguished admiral to the junior
lieutenant commander. were, by or
der, in the plainest of civilian dress.
That it had been the intention of the
war department to maintain their
identity secret was proved by the COM
ments of railway official who stood
near one of the coaches while waiting
for a change of locomotives
You understand, don't you," he
said to man apparently train dis
%4k ST. .tl 4 h haS