The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-11-25

us anars tie came armed with letters of IN
roducuon That opened the most exclusive
noAies ol the arlstocratic English families to
hlni' Among the many young girls that he
met was the village belle the afianced Of the
young Scotch-American 1t was another varia.
ton OF that old triangle, the woman and two
men, From the first the friends of young Thomn
son could see that his cause t.as homeless His
amanced wife and the young stranger spent more
ana more OF their time together. Little r1Imors
oeean 10 md their way about the village The
gosslps, ever ready In a small town, were soon
pussy thompson, moody and hurt by her sys.
tematic neglect, was the last to hear and the last
to countenance the whispered talk that was 20
Ing the round of the village loaflng places
Ihere was great hue and cry along the
quiet Old streets one summer morning ThomD.
sons bride to be had disappeared Her mother
mad gone to her room to awaken her and found
ner gone She had gone with the young man.
ager Of Albion's latest business house. and from
that day to this neither Of them have been heard
from
Young thompson changed In day from a
cheer1ul happy lad to a grim-faced man. He
oecafhe moody and silent He neglected his work
ana never went near the home to which he had
expected 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 iilting
naa proven 100 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 iagoons and the coral reefs of the seas that
behold the Southern Cross
All the islands that lie Off the familiar track
or the steamers knew him first and last in the
'hree or Tour years that he spent with the traders
and copra buyers. The Philippines, the Ladrones
the Solomons and dozen other island grouns ~
the southern Pacific were visited by him IN the
epic years OF his Odyssey. Finally he and his
tfadihg companions touched at the island Of Mai.
keVa IN the Fills, One Of the eternal civil wars
tnat are always disruptng the peace of the little
isiand kihgdoms was brewing in Naiknva when
tne tramp schooner dropped anchor inside the reef
OF coral that formed the harbor breakwatar
new claimant had risen for the throne and he
and his followers were demanding the scenter
and the head Of the old king
thompson had left Illinois, had nut the states
oehind MIN to escape the constant reminder ~
hiS iost love mat he saw In every woman. The
wandering lie OF three or four years had cIeansed
MS heart Of but little bitterness against woman.
KIND lie had put the old life behind him and
dreamed only OF adventure and never of bright
eyes and loving lips 1t was a mixed crew ~
kanakas, Malaysians and halfcastes aboard the
httle trading schooner. They cared but little for
the kings and chieftains of the islands but II
was part OF their policy to be polite to the ma.
i've rulers. An audience was arranged with the
native sovereign and part of the ships comnanv
attended laden with calicoes mirrors and hraes
rods as gifts. 1t was in the royal hut Thomson
hfst SOW the Princess Lakanita. She stood at tbe
side of her fathers throne when the white mon
entered the palm hut for their talk with tho o1d
king. ''n INC oia
some indefinite attraction seemed TO draw Tho
white adVenturer and the brown-sktnned nrtncoso
% each other. They met many times while tho
schooner was taking on its load of native prod.
lcts' Ihere was more than little snanieb
blood IN the veins of the old kings daughter How
mother was half-caste Spanish woman and
much OF the languorous beauty of the maids -
I'D CASTLE was the heritage of this barhario
rincess of the remote isle of Nakeya In tho
ah twilight OF the eocoanut groves he heard her