El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-31
The HeraId's Daily
Shert Stery
The School of Understanding

orr new life together. 1t was my kiss
of farewell to the old life MY joy
Gus farewell to the work l was so
gladly leaving. I shall pray every
day that You will understand and come
back to me-"
The six months in New York proved
a mi5era BILE time to Jack Eldridge- lie
missed his wife terribly Night after
night in his dreams her image came
and pleaded with him, her grey eyes
full of love-eyes he knew didn't lie
But the remembrance of Rolfe era
hame's beauty was always there,
shadow between them. Mentally, ne
compared himself with the figure in
the picture that rose before hlm' rome
as he had seen him that night, look
ing into his wife's eyes
It was the second day out from
New York that he first noticed Baby
I,Estrange-she had made a mental
note of him some hours previously, as
she scanned the passengers with an
experienced eye. He found II Won
derfully easy to strike up an &C
quaintance; in fact, it was done al
most before he had definitely made up
his mind that it would be desirable
1t was about the third day that he
found her in tears and begged her TO
cOnfide in him.
1t was a pathetic little tale and
Baby L'Estrange told it very we'll
Someone had offered to teach her bac-
carat She had tried to learn ii, want
ing to please her husband. She was
so slow. so stupid She had lost, "Oh,
a tremendous sum-nearly 80 POUNDS
She was in despair.
Jack Eldridge never quite knew how
it happened. but cheque was written
and changed hands. He was left with
the memory of blue eyes swimming
with tears a pathetic little face, peril
Four days later he was standing with
a fellow passenger leaning over the
steamer rail. He was giving a very
divided attention to his companion
For one thing he disliked him, for an
other his attention was intensely fixed
elsewhere upon a group of passengers
who had already landed. The fellow
travellers loud voice penetrated in
snatches.
We'll, I'm glad we've seen the last
of that young woman" The fellow trav-
eler indicated with a wave the spot
where Baby LEstrange'S blue cambria
handkerchief fluttered in the breeze
What do you meant" Johns voice
was barely polite, his eye was still
following the blue cambria.
"A very amusing, but dangerous.
party. You'll pardon my saying 50.
sir, but l was frightened at one time
mat sEe'd got a hold on you. She's
as artful as she's pretty. she is. Tells
debts, etc, and il generally ends IN d
cheCue and kissing, I've done two
trips with her and never seen her fail
They say her husband, an actor chap,
Rolfe Grahame-is only wanting proof
to file a petition against her. One of
these days the innocent writer of
cheques will find himself in the
SOUP"
IN the what?" murmured Jack
weakly.
..XVaI IN III. ,5i,-oroe .O,rt II 90,
like it better"
1t seemed to John that his COM
paaiOa's eye was fixed on him with
direct accusation.
away abruptly of course it would
be easy to explain.
He had never meant to kiss Baby
l. l-Strange, the woman herself. 1t was
just chi9alroUs manhood unconsciously
responding to the appeal of ideal wOm-
an in distress. He tried to put it into
words, to say something OF the sort
TO the man at his side. but the fellow
traveller only winked again.
You tell EN- the tale he Knocked
You just try"
John realized the utter futility of
trying to make another understand the
lnnermost workings of ones mind
Suddenly q wave of illumination swept
over him. There was one to whom he
could tell his tale and be believed,
wife,
1t took John a week to trace his
wife---a week of nightmare, in which
he figured as correspondent with Baby
LEstranSe, his partner, arguing with
a disbelieying jury. whilst the travel
ing companion. as first witness for thee
prosecution, winked at him and re-
iterated: You tell EN- the tale, my
boy. You just try it,"
When he found the town where his
wife was playing and gained her ad-
dress, he sent a wire that brought her
instantly to his hotel. without thought
or consideration, as he had intended
il should.
But she went into his outstretched
arms. Have 1 really got you baoh?
Oh, Jack" she laughed happily. 1
believe you've really forgiven me
that you understand"
But he never told her quite the truth
about where he found The School u
| understanding"