The Delta independent., 1910-06-03
CHAPTER ~.

! the trees or the parks ana Squdi co
shrouded in mist and dripping with
moisture the pavements shining with
wet and the cutters running full.
Altogether thoroughly wretched
day, and very proper morning for ly-
ing late abed with ones pipe and the
Sunday paper. So thought Wilfrid
Stennis, thanking the gods for the
one blessed day in seven made for
tired men, when 1t was not necessary
to turn out and hurry downtown
1t was characteristic of the desultory
and fragmentary reading habits OF the
young man that he regularly consumed
-assimilated would be too strong
word-the hybrid contents of the av-
erage Sunday sheet: News, scandals,
fashionable and sporting intelligence,
foreign affairs, and editorials. Re-
ligiously would he wade through every
numbered section, from the 'Lost-and-
Found column to the Shipping
Items"
On this particular Sunday he had
pursued the usual routine, saving the
Personals to the last. chuckling over
their various gaudy bats for the un-
wary, anu II ehiS ohNSe'oAA
ate blonde young lady with a good dis
position and a ditto figure ever sue
ceeded in meeting or catching her
elusive affinity.
He had lazily made his way about
halfway down the first column when
he came to the following:
INFORMATION wANTED.-CONCER
81. ,,shar living
Martha Meleen. formerly of Cardiff,
Wales, who emigrated to the United
States about 1861 or, should she have
married and is now deceased. of her de-
scendants, If any. A liberal reward VIII
be paid on application to Carboy Passa-
want & Cozine. Temple Court, New York
city. Welsh papers please copy.
Wilfrid Stennis read it idly at first
and with unseeing mind. Then the
name Martha Meleen" caught his
truant attention. and with bated
breath, pipe suspended in air. he read
the thing through again, taking in
every detail.
Martha Meleen!" he calculated half
aloud. letting the paper fall; moth
er's maiden name, by all that's holy!
wonder what's up?"
He jumped out OF bed, walked to
the window. and took survey of the
dreary vista of Washington square
and its arch. all ghostly in the fog.
| in order to clear his mental vision
and confirm the impression that he
was really wide awake. Then he
picked up the paper and again read
the notice all through.
Hanged If know what to make of
it," he exclaimed, hurrying into some
clothes.
Taking the paper. and carefully
creasing 1t at the proper place. he
went across the hall. and after knock
ing at certain door, unceremoniously
entered without being bidden. A young
fellow of about his own age was oc-
cupied precisely as Stennis had been
a quarter of an hour before-their
ideas of comfort on a wet Sunday evil
IDENTIFY coincidirg to a hair.
Here, Matt, old man. read this. and
tell us what you think of it," said
Wilt
The "old man." who happened to be
Stennis junior by three or four years,
took the paper handed to him and
read the momentous advertisement
through twice. Then, handing back
the sheet:
well, what about it," he said.
"The name-my mother, you know"
exclaimed Stennis; her name was
Meleen before she was married. She
was from Cardiff, too, now i come to
think of IT."
1.-The devil you say" calculated
Stanley Matthews. dropping a pair OF
pajama- clad extremities over the edge
of the bed. Read 1t out loud, will
you?"
| Wilfrid complied.
Seems as II you were the descend.
ants right enough: guess you're the
fellow they're after. VIII. When are
you going to surrender yourself?"
| "Nonsense!" exclaimed Stennis
testify. What does 1t mean, any.
how"
Doesn't say anything about return
and all will be forgiven does IT." in
quired the incorrigible Matthews.
you go to the devil!" said the
badgered Wilfrid as he flung out Of
the room. banging the door.
'Ill take 1t around and show 1t to
Eunice," he said to himself; its jus,
about time to catch her coming home
from church; she'll be able to guess
what 1t means" Which was q very
sanguine estimate of the girls powers
at divining the hidden Significance In
purposely blind advertisement such
as that which Messrs. Carboy Passa
want & Cozine had cautiously inserted
Naturally. Eunice was no wiser
than wifi at solving the temporary
mystery. but his excitement proved
contagious. and with an unwontet
flush in her pretty cheeks she scanned
the lines over and over again.
"Oh, we can't tell what 1t signifes!'