Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1910-10-20

run TO the river Plate7as sailors will
persist in miscaIling that wondrous
Rio de la Plata-she might be signaled
from Madeira or the Cape Verde is
lands. But shipmasters often prefer
to set course clear of the land till
they pick up the coast of South Amer
lea. If she were not spoken by some
| passing steamer there was every pos
sibility that the sturdy old vessel
would not be heard OF again before
reaching her destination.
But David Verify heard of her much
sooner, and no thunderbolt that ever
rent the heavens could nave startled
him more than the manner of that
hearing.
Resolving to clinch matters with re-
gard to Iris and her elderly sister, he
invited '.Owd Dickey" to supper on
Sunday evening. The girl endured
the mans presence with a placid dig
nifty that amazed her uncle. On the
plea of headache she retired at an
early hour. leaving Bulmer TO gloat
| ONCA udDDlDtSS
primed to the point of dementia.
| he was quite willing to accompany
Verify to the bank next morning A
pleasant spoken manager sighed his
relief when the visitors were gone.
and he was free to look at the item
bills discounted" on veritys page in
the ledger. More than that, a lawyer
was instructed to draw up a partner
ship deed. and the representatives of
various shipbuiluing firms were asked
to supply estimates for two new YES
| sells.
Altogether Dickey was complaisant
and David enjoyed busy and sue
cessful day. He dined in town. came
home at late hour and merely grin
ned when q servant told him that Mr..
Bulmer had called twice. but Miss Iris
happened to be out on both occasions.
Nevertheless at breakfast on Tues.
day he warned his niece not to keep
her admirer dangling at arms length.
"E's queer owd coGger." explained
the philosopher. "Play up to i'm a bit.
an you'll be able to twist i'm around
your little finger ! b'lieve he's goin
dotty, an you can trust me to see that
the marriage settlement is o. K"
Twill you be home to dinnerT' was
her response.
NO. Now that the firm Is in smooth
water again. must show myself bit
It's all thanks to you, lass, an I'll not
forget It, Goodby"
Iris smiled. and Verify was vastly
pleased.
81 am sure you will not forget" she
said. "Goodby"
There's no understandin' wimmin."
mused David as his victoria swept
through the gates Of Linden House
Sunday afternoon Dickey might ha
bin dose of rat poison. Now she's
ready to swaller i'm as If 'e was a
chocolate drop"
Again he returned some few minutes
after midnight. Again the servant an
nOunced MIR. Bulmer's visits. three Of
them, and again Miss Iris had been
absent. In fact, she had not yet come
home
Not 'ome" cried David furiously
IVY, it's gone IL. Were the-w'ere
Is she?'
No one knew. She had quilted the
house soon after Verify himself and
had not been seen since Storm and
rage as he might and did. David could
not discover his nieces whereabouts
But enlightenment came on Thursday
morning A letter arrived by the first
post. 1t was from Iris
My Dear Uncle-Neither you nor Mr.
| Bulmer should have any objection to my
passing the few remaining weeks OF my
| liberty In the manner best pleasing to
| myself. On Sunday evening in your pres
ence Mr. Bulmer urged me to fix an early
date for our marriage. Tell MIN that
shall marry him when the Andromeda
returns to England from South America
You will remember that you promised last
year to take me to Rio de Janeiro and
Buenos Aires this summer. 4 have been
| learning Spanish so as to help our sight
seeing. Unfortunately business prevents
! you from keeping that promise, but there
| Is no reason why / should not go. 1 an
| on board the Andromeda and will prob
| ably be able TO explain matters satisfac-
torily to Captain Coke. The vessel is due
back at the end of September. / believe,
so Mr.. Bulmer will not have long to wait.
1t is more than likely that Captain Coke
| will not know | am aboard until Thurs
| day, and have arranged with a friend
| that this letter shall reach you about the
| same time. Please convey my apologies
| to Mr.. Bulmer and accept my regret for
any anxiety you may have felt owing to
my unaccountable absence Your affec-
tionate niece, IRIS YORKE.
David narrowly escaped an apoplec-
tic seizure. When he recovered his
senses he looked ten years older The
instinct of self preservation alone
saved him In his frenzy from blurting
forth the tidings OF the girls flight.
Incoherent with fear and passion. he
contrived to give orders for his car
riage and was driven to his office.
Thence he dispatched kilograms to ev-
cry signaling station at which by the
remotest possibility the Andromeda
might be Intercepted. and the text OF
every message was. "Andromeda must
return to Liverpool instantly"
But the wretched man realized that
he was doomed. Fate had struck at
him mercilessly.