The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-11-09
CHAPTER XVI.
TILE RETIRN

III I'd lIld Glt1Gr4M &c
or myself ventured a comment upon
this extraordinary story. Even then,
we found very little to say. Nothing
could be done to divert the blow: moth
ing even to lessen it's severity. Burr
Curtiss n Marcia Lawrence must en-
dure their fate with such courage as
they could; must forget; at least must
strive to soften love into affection. How
would they regard each other, l won-
dered? Would the mere fact of re-
vealed relationship alter their old feel
ing, or would love survive to torture
them? They had in common no broth
erly and sisterly Instincts or exper-
fences; they We're unchanged; they
We're still maid and lover, as they had
always been.
Ihe days passed, and in the stress
OF work at the Office, the memory Of
became less vivid, until 1 began to hope
that. in time, it might really cease to
worry me.
But n morning. Mr.. Royce looked
up from his papers, his eyes shining.
The umbria reached Liverpool this
wholly steady. ITS all over by this
time. ] wonder how they bore it?'
"Bravely. I've no Doubt I answered,
but trembled at thought of it. How
lad she unlmon courage to tell
him?
He'll come home. l think" added
Nh Royce. pursuing his own thoughts.
They could hardly stay abroad to-
gethe-; their relationship, of course,
VIII always remain q secret"
The office boy entered and laid a
little envelope at his elbow. He tore
1t open and read its contents at a
glance.
It's a cable from Curtiss,' he said,
and passed it over to me.
Oceanic delayed. engine break
4 n M ~ I tan1 slp~n1lll .---~~1
five hours after Umbria. Missed Mar
cia but searching for her. Gable care
Hotel Adelphi."e.
Mr.. Royce sat for q moment drum
ming %nervously upon his chair arm.
He hasn't any chance of finding her
in a place like that" he said, at last.
Most probably she's o II on to Lon
don"
Or to some place on the continent.
There must be many places where
she'd feel at home"
What would we better do? Shall
we write out the story and mail it to
Curtiss? He'll get it in a week"
Gle won't stay at Liverpool a week.
! objected. The letter might go
astray, and be opened by some one
who had no right to read it"
I'VE might cable a mere outline"
l thought 1t over; but somehow my
point of view had changed. Now that
/ knew the story, 1t seemed to me
that il was Marcia L~awrence's right
to decide what step should be taken
neXt. Once she had recovered her self
poise, She would see what course was
best. and / was certain that she would
be brave enough. strong enough, tc
follow it unshrinling to the end.
Let US watt l said. "A little de-
lay cafi do no harm; just rs haste car
do nc good"
Yes; / believe that's best agreed
our Junior. Nothing we can do vii
help them. They must work out tbs
problem for themselves
Besides" ! added. I've Il feeling
that Miss Lawrence will herself de
tide to meet it squarely. She'll realize
that Curtiss has a right to know the
ltory. I believe that she'll soon COM
aome again, ready to face him ant
Tell him everything. She'll see tina
there's her mother-she'n think of hel
of her misery and loneliness. She
won't leave her to live by herself il
that great, gloomy house. We're SAFE
in leaving the future IN her hands
But IN the days that followed,
came to doubt more and more wheth'
er this policy was the best one. Hat
I not been thinking too much of Mis-
J Lawrence, and too little of our client
! Perhaps If he knew the secret, h
wonld no longer wish to pursue her
he might prefer to wait, to give tim
opportunity to heal the first rawnes
Of the wound. indeed. il was con
! ceivable that love might change t
F.. loatting. In that case. it were bette
[ TO have the crisis over with at once
t to apply the knife before the sore ha'
, O. chance to harden or grow deeper
Such heroic action might effect
cure. But 1 kept these doubts to my
S self; there was no use disturbing on
junior with them. could see how n
was suffering on his friends behalf
could guess his fear that som
t dreadful tragedy would mark the enc
y The days passed, and we heard n
n more from Curtiss, not a word to tie
us how the search la progressed
Godfrey came in to see me once Q
twice, but he had nothing new to tell
aud of course l had nothing to tie
- him, At last, he expressed the opin
, ion that we should never solve tn
mystery; and as the public a for
gotten it long since, he oecldea |
waste no more time upon 1t.
Another visitor | had one Afternoon
when DR.. Schuyler's card was brougE
in to me. I ordered him shown in 6
once. and as 1 shook hands with min
noted that he seemed greyer an
older thar when I had seen him las
Yes he said, with a smile inter
nreting my glance; its this troubl
which has been weighing upon me. ~
tried to shake 1t off. but I can't"
sit down" / said. I'm glad t
see YOU. And l wouldn't allow IT
affair TO worry ME, il l were you"
That's easy enough to say. he re
torted. with a little shake Of the hca'
But remember, Mr.. Lester, Mr.
Lawrence and her daughter were tw
Of my dearest friends. II this trae
edy has wrecked their lives. Is the'
any news?" GO.
None at all. except that Curt!
missed the Umbria at Liverpool. ar
has not been able to find Miss Law
renee"
I'm inclined to think so myself
@There's one thing, though he addt
suddenly. "Curtiss has no reason to
ashamed of his BIRTH"
Z looked at him with quick interes
Then you've discovered
Yves: the minister who married Ma
Jarvis and Boyd Endicott. L couldr