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

the office again that either MI. Royce
or myself @NentIlred a 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 and 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 act 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 stu maid n lover, as they had
always been.
The days passed. and in the stress
OIL work at the Office, the memor of
Burr Curtiss n his fortunes gradually
became less vivid, until I began to hope
that, III time, it might really cease to
worry me.
But one morning, Mr.. Royce looked
up from his papers, his eyes shining.
morning" he said, in a voice not
wholly steady. It's all over by this
time. l wonder how they bore it?'
"Bravely, I've no doubt" l answered,
put l trempied at thought of it. How
lad she m courage to tell
him?
"He,n come home. 1 think" added
Mr. Royce, pursuing his own thoughts.
They could hardly stay abroad to-
gether; their relationship, of course,
WIZ always remain a secret
The office boy entered and laid a
little envelope at his elbow. He tore
it open and read it's contents at a
glance.
It's a cable from Curtiss," he said,
and passed it over to me.
Oceanic delayed, engine break
down" | read. Reached Liverpool
five hours after Unbria. Missed Mar
cha but searching for her. Gable care
Hotel AGelphi.".
Mr.. Royce sat for q moment drum
ming %nervously upon his chair arm.
III hasn't any chance of finding her
In a place like that" he said, at last.
Most probably she's gone 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"
II won't stay at Liverpool a week"
l objected, The letter might go
astray, and be opened by some one
who had no right to read it,.
w might cable a mere outline"
l thought 1t over; but somehow my
point of view had changed. Now that
/ knew the story. it seemed to me
that it was Marcia Lawrence'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 unsllrinking to the end.
Let us wait" | said. "A little de-
lay car do no harm; lust as haste car
do 40 good"
Yes; l believe that's best" agreed
our Junior. Nothing we can do will
help them. They must work out tbs
problem for themselves"
Besides / added. I've q feeling
that Miss Lawrence will herself de-
tide TO meet it squarely. She'll realize
HAT Curtiss has a right to know the
Itory. l believe that she'll soon come
tell him everything. She'll see that
it's cowardly to stay away. Their
there's her mother-she'n think of hel
of her misery and loneliness. She
won't leave her to live by herself II
that great. gloomy house. We're safe
in leaving the future IN her hands
But IN TIE days that followed.
came to doubt more and more wheth,
err this policy was the best one; Hat
l not been thinking too much Of Mis-:
Lawrence, and too little of our client
Perhaps If he knew the secret, hi
WOlllt nc iOllS5I WISH ~ Pun iCi
he might prefer to wait, to give TIM
opportunity to heal the first rawnes'
Of the wound. Indeed, it was con
ceivable that love might change tt
loathing. In that case, It were bette
to nave the crisis over with at once
to apply the knife before the sore hat
q chance to harden or grow deeper
Such heroic action might effect
cure. But I kept these doubts to my
self; there was no use disturbing on
Junior with them. l could see how h
was suffering on his friends behalf
could guess his fear that som
dreadful tragedy would mark the enc
The days passed, and we heard n,
more from Curtiss, not q word to tel
us how the search had progressed
Godfrey came in to see me once 0
twice, but he had nothing new to tell
and of course 1 had nothing to tel
him. At last, he expressed the opin
ion that we should never solve tn
mystery; and rs the public had for
gotten it long since, he decided t
waste no more time upon it.
Another visitor [ had one afternoon
when DR.. S~chuyler's card was orough
in 10 me. l ordered him shown in a
once. and as L shook hands with hin
noted that he seemed greyer an
older than when I had seen h!n .as'
Yes" he said, with a smile inter
preting m glance; it's this troubi
Which mas bEGl Wt!SilliS tPcii iltS. L y
! tried to shake it off, but I can't"
"Sit down." l said. I'm glad t
see you. And 1 wouldn't allow tn
affair to worry me. If We're you"
THAT'S easy enough to say he re
torted, with a little shake of the heat
But remember, Mr.. Lester. Mr.
Lawrence and her daughter were tw
Of my dearest friends. And TINS trae
edv has wrecked their lives. Is Their
| any news"'
None at all. except that Curtis
missed the umbria at Liverpool. an
has not been able to find Miss Law
renee
perhaps that was best" -.
I'm inclined to think so myself
I agreed.
suddenly. "Curtiss has no reason TO {
ashamed of his birth
I looked at him with quick interes
.Then you've discovered
..yas, the minister who married Mar
Jarvis and Boyd Endicott. l ouldn