Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-01-06

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aStlc over 1t. All that remained was
for the weapon to prove it's efficiency
on shipboard at target practice and it
would be adopted by the government.
Orders on the Rhinestrom gun We're
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 en-
We'd him. He was considered a won.
derful young man. and a 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 sc
bright. He knew that no matter how
high he might rise in his profession
happiness could not be his. He had
lost irretrievably the girl he loved,
and satisfied ambition meant little to
him compared to that.
On the morning after the sensational
events in the furnace room Sommers
had called at the Durant house. Fran.
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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 did! And to make it
sure she told herself so over and over
again.
The next day she was still enraged
when he called. 1t cost no effort to
have him turned from the door. When
his note arrived she started impul-
sively to open it, then checked her
self. She would be firm: she would
punish him.
And so with some slight eff-rt 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. 1t 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 m 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 ONE to a 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 Off
GERS pride was too great to pursue a
further intrusion after so signal a re-
buff.
Then the girl began to grow pale
and to worry. Her parents noticed
the change without realizing the cause.
No one had any suspicion Of the real
relation between Frances and the
young laval officer. That good
night on the vine covered porch was
a secret-a tender memory locked in
her heart and in his, to be brought out
by each, regarded fondly and mourned
over when alone.
Sommers had his work, but Frances
had nothing to distract her mind. No
wonder she grew paler and seemed to
lose interest in everything! Mr.. and
Mrs. Durant became alarmed. They
consulted doctors, out there was moth
ing wrong physically with their
daughter. Finally one big expert pro-
posed a sea voyage, and for the first
time Frances showed some sign of in
terest. MI. Durant paid a double
size bill cheerfully, thinking that doc
tor a wonderful man.
AhS oAo JdShl, CuC 4Afcood, was
got ready as quickly as possible. Mr..
Durant could not go himself, and he
decided it would be a good plan to
send his wife and daughter away for
a cruise in charge of Pinckney.
Now for u month they cruised, but
Frances showed little sign of interest.
Pinckney was the only one who
seemed to get real enjoyment out Of
the trip. He now felt that victory
must in the end be his.
He was not deceived by the result
Of the first test Of the Sommers gun.
1t had stood the first test safely, but
in his heart the conspirator knew that
soon the badly tempered gun must
fail, perhaps with shocking results.
That mattered little to him. The
worse the accident the greater the dis
grace Of Sommers and the surer the
result In his favor. The government
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