The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-11-11

its affairs He came armed with letters OF In.
PRODUCTION that opened the most exclusive
homes Of the aristocratic English families to
him. Among the many young girls that he
met was the village belle, the afianced OF the
Young Scotch American. It was another vara'
ton of that old triangle, the woman and two
men, From the first the friends OF young Thomp'
son could see that his cause tas hopeless his
afianced wife and the young stranger spent more
and more of their time together Little rumors
began to find their way about the village. The
gossips, ever ready in small town. were soon
busy, Thompson, moody and hurt by her sys'
tematic neglect was the last to hear and the last
to countenance the whispered talk that was go
ing the round OF the village loafing places
There was a great hue and cry along the
quiet old streets one summer morning. Ihomp-
sons bride to be had disappeared. Her mother
had gone to her room to awaken her and FOUND
her gone. She had gone with the young man
ager of Albions latest business house, and from
that day to this neither of them have been heard
from
Young Thompson changed in day from
cheerful, happy lad to a grim-faced man. He
became moody and silent He neglected his work
and never went near the home to which he had
eypected to lead his bride. Less than month
after the fight of the clippers there was more
excitement in Albion 1t was reported that Ed
ward Thompson had disappeared The strain and
the shame of living in town where every man,
woman and child knew the story Of his fitting
had proven too much for his sensitive, highstrung
nature
While life flowed on in the same uneven cur.
rent in the village of his nativity he was wander
ing here and there among the emerald islands,
the lagoons and the coral reefs OF the seas that
behold the Southern Cross.
All the islands that lie off the familiar track
Of the steamers knew him first and last IN the
three or four years that he spent with the traders
and copra buyers The Philippines, the Ladrones,
the Solomons and dozen other island groups OF
the southern Pacific were visited by him In the
epic years of his Odyssey. Finally he and his
trading companions touched at the island OF MAI
keva in the Fills One Of the eternal civil wars
that are always disrupting the peace of the little
island kingdoms was brewing in Naik"va when
the tramp schooner dropped anchor inside the rec
of coral that formed the harbor breakwater.
new claimant had risen for the throne and h
and his followers were demanding the scepte
!, and the head of the old king
Thompson had left Illinois. had put the state
behind him to escape the constant reminder o
, his lost love that he saw in every woman. TIL
wandering life of three or four years had cleanse
, his heart of but little bitterness against woman
l kind He had put the old life behind him an
dreamed only or adventure and never or Drlgf
D eyes and loving lips. 1t was a mixed crew
( Kanakas, Malaysians and half-castes aboard tn
T. little trading schooner. They cared but little IL
= the kings and chieftains of the islands, but
J. was part of their policy to be polite to the n
b tive rulers. An audience was arranged with Il
native sovereign and part of the ships compar
O attended laden with cacoes, mirrors and bra
q rods as gifts 1t was In the royal hut ThOmpst
q first SOW the Princess Lakanita She stood at Il
is side of her fathers throne when the white nj
e entered the palm hut for their talk with the 0
e king.
v. Some indefinite attraction seemed to draw t
NJ white adventurer and the brown-sknned prince
Il to each other. They met many times while t
v schooner was taking on Its load of native prt
IA ucts There was more than little Spani
IS blood in the veins of the old kings daughter.
,e mother was hafcaste Spanish woman a
much of the languorous beauty of the maids
az old CASTLE was the heritage of this barba
m princess of the remote Isle Of Naikeva. In
or half twilight OF the cocoanut groves he heard