Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-11-11
CHAPTER Xr-(COntinuedl

"Certalnly, sir, I'm under your or ders." he said, but we have the ladies on board, and they might not like a storm"
 Nonsense" snapped Pinckney. "YOu're too cautious. We leave to- night and dine on board. Get up steam at once."
 The captain saluted.
 Certainly. sir" he said. "The re- sponsibility is up to you"
 Mrs. Durant and Frances came down into the courtyard a few minutes lat CT, just as Pinckney was reading a cable that a messenger boy had hand ed to him.
 Bad news?' asked Mrs. Durant anx- iously.
 Pinckney looked up.
 "Only that I must return at once," he said.
 What's wrongg" asked the other two together.
 The man smiled at their alarm.
 'TNothing very wrong" be said. "In fact. this cable brings good news. The government has notified us tt % ahead on the Rhinestrom gun or6er."
 'Then the Sommers gun. of which you were afraidT' suggested Mrs. Durant
 Plnckney looked at her in his most superior manner.
 We were never afraid of the Som mers gun," he said. ''It was only his influence in Washington"
 It was Frances turf' to flush an- grily.
 "There was no reason to be afraid of that" she declared, as haughtily as though her own fathers honor had been irhpugned. Lieutenant Som- mers would scarcely do anything dis honorable"
 The man shrugged his shoulders. He could not, even though it were policy, suppress his hatred of Som mers.
 Pm glad you think so," he sneered. ''I don't think; l know," retorted the girl haughtily.
 Pinckney smiled with triumph.
 Well, it makes no difference now, anyway" he said. "We get the order for the Rhinestrom gun because the Sommers gun has proved a failure"
 Frances face grew suddenly white as she turned away quickly. The Sommers gun failure! What blow it must be to him! Probably he didn't know 1t yet How she would like to comfort him, and she could not! He would not listen to her. If she only could see him now! She was still so engrossed with her own thoughts that she scarcely heard Pinckney's ques- tion:
 "Can you leave tonightT
 "1 think so. easily" agreed Mrs Du- rant. What do you say, FrancesT' The girl turned wearily. After all what difference did it make? She would not get a chance to see Som. mers. His ship might not arrive for week more. And, if she did see him, what could she say? It was all no use. She might as well agree tC what slhSy NohlCts why btluSblt longer? So she nodded indifferently.
 "All right; I'll go whenever you wish"
 Pinckney smiled his triumph, and Mrs. Durant beamed
 m hurry right upstairs and pack" she said. we can leave in an hour" 2 When Pinckney and her mother had gone Frances sat down at a table by herself to think. She was so lonely, and everything was so hopeless! There was no chance of seeing Sommers, no chance of their ever coming together again.
 And she loved him. She knew that now. The clutch at her heart when she heard of his misfortune made it very clear to her. It was no use to try to deceive herself any longer. She loved him. She wanted him, for he was the one man in all the world who could make her happy. Now she was miserable, and he was failure.
 Pardon me, Miss Durant."
 At the cool, penetrating voice Fran. ces looked up. A big man with a shrewd face and clear, cold gray eyes Au- g aL-