Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1911-03-02
BY CLAUDE PAMARES.

meet people bul SDulelu!L ~ ittF
quiet. restrained glance attracted him
and later. when be saw her on d. X
struggling with steamer rugs. II seem
ed only civil to offer her assistance
Henceforth they fell into the WAY 81
being together They read and criti
cised each others books and mhgh
zines. they spent much time pacing lhe
deck. and now had come the last night
Of il all She was leaving the ship az
Plymouth; he was going on to Cher
bourg. The man was the first To
speak.
"And am never TO see you again. p
he asked.
She shook her head.
at is very unlikely"
"You mean be demanded
81 mean that it Is best not" was the
quiet answer. but he bent rebelliously
closer.
Listen" he said determinedly. u
know that it is far too soon TO speak.
that you have known me barely a
week. yet when you talk this way
say that we shall not meet again
"You know nothing of me either.
broke in the woman hurrIedly-"who
am or whence l come"
81 know you are the loveliest and
sweetest woman in the world" he said,
with a stubborn frown. land that r.
"No. no." cried she sharply. Then
she lifted her head. 81 have not told
you the whole truth,v she said, a
quiet dignity in her bearing. Il am
indeed Mrs. Raymond, and my hus.
band is dead butt am also Russell
Bancroft's sister"
"Bancroft's-sister." He repeated
the words incredulously. "Bancrofts
sister" His voice betrayed only an
amazed bewilderment, but the WON
an, sensitively alive to every intona-
ton. heard or fancied certain hidden
repugnance beneath the surprise. Her
| breath fiuttered: then she pulled her
self together.
$50 am sure you will agree with
me that any further friendship be
tween us is impossible" she said clear
ly. "Good night and goodby."
Before he could divine her intention
she had stepped toward the compan.
| ionway. The next moment she was
gone. The man turned to the rail.
"Bancroft's sister" he said again
his eyes resting vaguely. unseeingly
upon the tumbling ters-"Bancrofts
sister"
/ Below in the narrow little cabin Mrs
Raymond threw herself upon the bunk
The heavy tears hung upon her lashes
He hated her, then. She wondered al
really could wonder that the very
name of Bancroft should be dlstasteful
in his ears? She knew the whole
wretched story. The two men had
been chums at school, roommates al
college She recollected the tall lad
whom Russell had brought home fol
an occasional visit. Then had come
Cortwright's engagement. The cards
were out, the wedding dress finished
Bancroft was to be best man. And
then two days before the day SET
Bancroft, the trusted, the beloved
friend, had fed with his chum's bride
leaving a wild, incoherent note in
which they pleaded their unconquer
able affection.
Child as she had been. Mrs. Ray.
mond well remembered the tremen
dous excitement it had stirred, her
passionate sympathy for the half
stunned Cartwright. But the affair
slid into history, like everything else
After that Russell and his wife lived
abroad. She herself had grown up
married and become q widow. Her
marriage had not proved exactly a
success. yet she had mourned her hus
band deeply and sincerely. never con
sidering the possibility Of her marry
ing again Then had come this steamer
acquaintance with a man singularly
congenial in tastes and ideas. Her
learning of his identity had been q
shock. She felt that in honesty she
must reveal herself Yet every day
she let pass made the task more difi
cult. And now what she had most
feared had come to pass--he shrank
from the sister Of his faithess friend
The woman on the bunk started up
in sudden fierceness. It was. not fair.
What part bad she In that old deed
She must see him again-explain. She
did not know exactly what to say. but
the impulse carried her out into the
corridor. II was not late. Perhaps he
would join her again on deck.
But "a she turned into the passage.
way which led TO his door and lifted
her hand TO knock swift realization
Of what she was about TO dc swept
over her with an Intolerable rush OF
shame. What! Appeal to the pity OF
any man? For had he truly loved her
he would not have let her go.
Dominated by this reasoning. she