The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-01-15
CHAPTER XII.
FRANCES GOES TO, SEA. !.

CHAPTER XII. e,. y
. FRANCES GOES TO SEA. :,
THREE months had passed fol.
=: lowing the casting Of the Som
mers gun, three months that
had brought many changes to
those whose lives had been for short
time 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-
astic over it. .All that qemained was
for the weapon to prove its efficiency
on shipboard at target practice and 1t
would be adopted by the government.
. Orders on the Rhinestrom gun were
still held up pending the result Of tar
get practice. .'
Lieutenant Sommers had been Or
dered back to sea duty. Apparently
he had achieved his ambition. The
future looked bright for him in his
chosen profession. Fellow officers ems
Wed him. He was considered Won
derful young man, and bright future
in the service Of his country seemed in
store. \
All this on the side Of ambition, but
on the other side, life was not 50
bright. He knew that no matter how
high he might rise in his profession
happiness could not be his. He had
lost 1rretrievably the girl he loved,
and satisfied ambition. meant little to
him compared to that es,*s :-;;:.::: j.. 4.
On the morning after the sensat ional
events in the" furnace room *Sommers
had called at the Durant house. Fran
ces had refused to see him. He wrote
her a letter, and it was returned to
him unopened. Finally he 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
see Sommers again. She hated him!
She knew she didl And to make it
sure she told herself so over and over
again. 49, ..@>.. - T..
The next day she was still enraged
when he called. It cost no effort to
have him turned from the door. When
his note arrived she started impul-
sively to open 1t, then checked her
self. 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
Sommers at his hotel.
Passing her old lover on the street
had been an effort, but that too, she
managed to do. It. 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,
could 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
had been SO enraged. She saw it was
not against her Or brought about BY
any doubt Of her, but merely fierce
uncomfortable rage against Pinckney
that he had dared "a man OF his kind
to put her in a position that his char
acter at once made questionable.
When she had finally como to real
understanding the girl longed to write,
but sommers by that time was away
on sea duty, and she could not reach
him. Against her own Judgment she
had longed for and expected Some
word from him. But the naval ON
GERS pride was too great 10 pursue .
further Intrusion after 60 signal ) 10
bun. y tz s3 .5s... ss. ".
Then the girl began to grow pale
and to worry. Her parents noticed
the change without realizing the CAUSE.
No one had any suspicion 81 the real
relation between Frances and the
young naval of1cer. That good
night On the vine covered porch was
. secretza tender memory locked 81
her heart and In his, 70 be brought out
BY each, regarded fondly and mourned
over when alone, ..5ss5s3.5S.ss
sommers bad his work, but Frances
had nothing to distract her mind. No
wonder she grew paler and seemed to
lose interest In every hingl MI. and
Mrs. Durant became alarmed. They
cousulted doctors s. but there was moth
9,,rr I. !, ~. n