Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-11-11

IONlUE tllt CUstlIE vi iiIC SUM
iners gun. three months that
had brought many changes to
hose whose lives had been for a short
limo tangled in the intricate maze Of
pride. love and ambition.
The gun had been taken TO the prov
ing grounds and there had stood the
test. The naval board was enthusi-
ast.c over It. All that remained was
for the weapon t. prove its efficiency
on shipboard at tnrgct practice and It
would bc adopted by the government.
Orders on the Rhnestrom gun were
st.ll held rp pending the result Of tar
get practice.
Lieutenant Sonmers had been or.
dered back to sea duty. Apparently
lie had achieved his ambition. The
future looked bright for him in his
chosen profession. Fellow officers en-.
We'd him. He was considered won.
dcrful young man. and bright future
IN tho service of his country seemed IN
store
All this on the side OF ambition. but
on the other side life was not so
bright. lie knew that no matter how
high he might rise In his profession
happiness could not be his. He had
lost irrctrievably the cirl Ee loved,
and satisfied ambition roeant little TO
him compared to that.
On the morning after the sensational
events in the furnace room Sommers
had called Mt .he Durant house, Fran
ces had refused TO sec him. He wrote
her letter and 1t was returned to
him unopened. Finally be managed to
meet her on the street. but she passed
him by without speaking
Next morning the young officer re-
ported back in Washington for duty.
And how about the girl? She had
hurried away from the works that
night burning with shame and raging
with anger She determined never to
zee Sommers again. She hated him!
She knew she did, And to make it
sure she told herself 50 1ver and over
again.
The next day she VAS still enraged
when he called. II cost no effort to
have him tuned from the door. When
his note arrived she started impul
sivs,y to open II. then checked her.
SELL. She would be firm; she would
punish him.
And so with some slight effort she
handed the letter to the servant with
Instructions to return It to Lieutenant
.cnrIers at his hotel
Passing her old lover on the street
HAD been an effort. but that. too, she
managed to do. 1t took the last Of
her anger. however. The reaction had
come. She began to regret. then to
forgive and finally to long once more
for the one man who. she felt sure.
Guild make her happy.
A little discreet questioning had
brought out the cause Of his anger
She found out the real reputation OF
Pinckney among the work people. The
discovery shocked her.
She understood then why Sommers
lad been so enraged She saw it was
aot against her or brought about by
any doubt Of her, but merely fierce,
uncomfortable rage against l'inckney
that he had dared-a man OF his kin:
to put her in Il position that his cha
acter at once made questionable,
When she had finally come to real
UNDERSTANDING Tue SITl lohEt'l 10 WIIlP,
but Sommers by that time WAS away
on sea duty. and she could not reach
him. Against her own iud. ment she
had !onged for and expected some
word from him But the naval oil
GERS pride was too great 10 pursue Il
further intrusion after so signal Il re-
buff
Then fhp Girl hptln m
and to worry. Her parents noticed
the change without realizing the cause
NO one had any suspicion OF the real
relation between Frances and the
rouns naval officer That good
Night on the vine covered porch wa;
secret-a tender memory locked III
her heart and In his, to be brought OF,
by each, regarded fondly aud mournoh
over when alone.
Sommers had his work. but Frances
mad nothing TO distract her mind. No
Tonder she grey pa.cr and gcrmpd to
'oSe interest in everything. Mr. and
Yrs. Durant became alarmed. Thry
consulted doctors. Dul there was notl,
,ha wrong physically with their
Slaughter. Finally Ole big expert pro-
posed sea voyage, ard for the frs,
time Frances showed some sign Of in
terest Mr.. Durant paid double
size bill cheerfully. thinking tina: doc
tor Il wonderful nan.
The Durant yacht, the lrvessa. was
got ready rs quickly as possible. air.
I,urant could not 20 himself. and he
decided IL would be n good plan to
scnd his wifi. and daughter away for
cruise in charge Of Plnciney.
Now for month they crulscd. bui
Frances sh.ywcd little sign Of interest.
Pinckney was the only one who
seemed to get real enjoyment out Of
the trip. lie now felt that victory
must In the end be his,
lie was not deceived by the result
II the first test Of the Somlaers gun
II had stood the first test safely. bu,
In his heart the consrirator knew that
soon the badly tempered gun must
fail. perhaps with shocking results
That nattercd little to him, The
worse the accident the greater the dis
grace of .,onners and the surer the
result In his favor. The government
must then accept the Rhincstrom gun
md probn! IS would Give n bigger or
Aer than r'tr.