El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-11-02

- APTA1N ERIC PALGFsANEi'
p E., paced modify up and
~ down the breezy Spa at Salt
borough. It was his first furlOugh at
home for seven strenuous years HAY
ing made a careful study of aviation
during two furloughs spent in Ameri-
ca, he was deputied while in England
to test and select a certain number
of machines for dispatch to South
Africa
But last night at the CIevedale Hunt
ball he had met the girl who, seven
years before had sObbed in his arms
and clung passiOnately TO him while
they swore eternal fidelity TO each
other on the eve of his departure
abroad
He had been constant to his vow
but she2 He had been out OF England
about six months when the news
came to him. India, and at first he
found il impossible Of belief That MS
Helen, could in six short months, have
so far put him out of her mind as to
marry a wealthy, middle aged, hum
drum ironmaSter.
Last night he had met ,her. spoken
TO her All the old mad infatuatiOn
had come back upon him, but with a
poignant stab the truth had come
home to him. She had been dazzIed by
the glitter of gold
And now Palgrave was cursing him
self for a weak minded fool He had
weakly promised to take afternoon
to her husband
At one of the many bends in the
road Palgrave came suddenly upon
{ sweet little pink checked maiden
"And what is your name, my wood
land fairy2" asked Palgrave.
rs Fairy Thorpe" returned the
child clearly.
Her chnd-and the middle aged iron
masters! Palgrave put the child
abruptly almost roughly, from him.
and strobe on.
I thought you might come this
way" said Helen chattily- This is my
little daughter"
cOldly. They entered the <drawing
room and sat down, but the converse
ton was all on one side.
Fairy looks like me; don't you
think sO2"
''Um-yes: oh. yes"
What's the matter with you? You're
( not a bit like you used to be- You
were
WHAT"
quite nice. But now-do tropical
suns have this effect in only seven
years?"
seven years, Helen" said Pal
I grave pointedly, are life time under
Now You must come along to tea;
mustn't he, Fairy?"
But the child, hid her face in her
mothers skirt and made no reply.
} tered great broad shouldered,
bearded Hercules just coming in.
This, Captain Palgrave," said Mrs.
( Thorpe, kindly and happily, is my
/ husband
Pleased indeed to meet you, Cap
] tain Palgrave," doomed out the sin
cere bass voice, especially as, I be-
Heve, You are an old friend Of my
Rather" chimed in Mrs. Thorpe;
Eric is one of my oldest friends
and best
We'll when you have concluded
your visit at the Syminsgton,s: You
must come on here and stay with us
for q while I'm away good deal in
the daytime, but Helen would always
( be here"
The loving trust that big man
placed in his wife was sublime. Pal
grave felt that he would be a black
guard to take advantage of it, and
his common sense and better instincts
urged him TO decline the preferred
Z hospitality.
'it-its awfuIly kind of yod. Mr.
/ Thorpe" he got out at length, but
really I must be seeing about these
machines, and"
What nonsense. Eric" broke in
Mrs. Thorpe. why, only last night
YOU told me you weren't going to
! bother about aeroplanes for at least
} two months yet"
John Thorpe chuckled.
Its no good. captain" he said,
( you can't back out of that"
Palgrave hesitated, wavered and
was lost.
He duly took up his temporary
abode at the Grange. and two hearts
were vaguely troubled thereby, nei-
Their OF them, strange to say. belonging
{ to any Of the three principal actors in
this story. one belonged to little
Fairy. who hated Palgrave with all
! the tunreasoninE intensity of her
I childish soul. The other was owned
by Mrs. FothergiI, the hoUsekeeper.
( who had been nurse and foster mother
to Mrs. Thorpe; in fact. the latter
still declined to address her as any
thing but Mama" Helen was the
apple of her eve.
She was well aware of the relations
I that had existed between Eric Pal
grave and her mistress in years gone
by.
Mrs FotherEill saw trouble in the
offing. Captain Palgrave and Mrs.
| Thorpe were always together
Helen" said he one day, tell me
why didn't you answer my letters"
Eric she said, with eyes full of
reproach, you know you never