The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-03-15

PTRloFl l9ll by BOZ
o'clock that evening, with only a
handful Of passengers for the trip to
Naples. George had wired from Da
mascus to Cairo to have his luggage
sent on, and he saw 1t put aboard him.
self. Without letting Fortune know
he had also telegraphed the hotel to
forward whatever she had left; but
the return wire Informed him that
Mrs. Chedsoye had taken everything.
! They were leaning against the star
board rail, watching the slowly con-
Verging lights Of the harbor Fortune
had borrowed q cloak from her stew
ardess and George wore the multi Of
the drst-odicer. The captain had Of
fered his, but George had declined.
He would have been lost in It's ample
folds
I can not understand why they
made no effort to find you" he unused.
1t doesn't seem quite human"
! Don't you understand? It Is sim
PIE. My mother believes that Horace
and l ran away together If not that,
ran away myself, as that day
threatened to do. In either case, she
saw nothing could be done in trying to
lind out where I had gone Perhaps
she knows exactly what did happen.
| doubtless she has sent on my things
to Mentone, which, Of course, I shall
never see again. No. no! can not
go back there. I have known the
misery of suspense long enough" She
lowered her head to the rail
He came quite near to her. His
arms went out toward her, only to
drop down. He must wait. 1t was
very hard. But nothing prevented his
putting forth hand to press hers re-
assuringiy, and saying: Don't do
that, Fortune It makes my heart
ache to see q woman cry
y am not crying" came in muf1ed
tones. Il am only sad, and tired,
tired"
Everything viii come out all right
in the end" he encouraged. "0f course
you are tired. What woman wouldn't
be, having gone through what you
have? Here; let's sit in the steam
eT-chafrs till the bugle blows for din
ner. I'm q bit tagged out myself
They lay back in the chairs, and no
longer cared to talk The lights twin
kied, but fainter and fainter, till at
last only the pale line between the
sky and the sea remained. She
turned her head and looked sharply at
him. He was sound asleep. Poor
boy!' She murmured softly. How
care-worn y There was something
grotesque in the mask Of desert tan
and shaven skin. How patient he had
been through it all, and how kind and
gentle to her! She remembered now
Of seeing him that night in Cairo, and
OF rsmarking how young and fresh he
seemed In comparison to the men she
knew and had met. And she must
leave him, to go into the world and
fight her own battles. If God had but
given to her brother like this! But |
brother he never could be, no, not
even in the pleasant sense OF adoption.
She did not want pity. -. To |
think Of his getting those things for
her in Damascus! Pity sug-
gested that she was weak and help |
less, whereas she knew that she was |
both patient and strong. What |
did she want? She glanced up and |
down the deck. 1t was totally desert
ed save for them. Then, clad in the /
beauty Of thousand stars she
leaned over and down and brushed his /
hand with her lips
And George slept on Only the blare
Of the bugIe brought him back to mum
dane affairs. He was hungry, and he
announced the fact with gusto They
would dine we'll that night. The cap
tain placed Fortune at his right and
George at his left, and preached bot
tie of fine old Johannisberger. And
the three Of them had coffee In the
II the other passen-
gers had any curiosity, they did not
manifest it openly.
Upon finding that they had no real
need OF staying over In Naples, the
captain urged that they take the re
turn voyage with him. He saw more
han either of the young people, with
hose blue Teutonic eyes OF his.
George promised to let him know with
n q dozen hours OF the sailing. Ger
ainly Fortune would decide one way
,r the other within that time.
Both had seen the Vesuyian bay
many times, with neyer-failing love
md interest. They sailed across the
Jay in the bright clearness of the
morning.
You are going back with me-"
George announced in tone which In
erred that nothing more was to be
laid upon the subject. But, for all
lis confidence, there was a great and
leavy fear upon his heart as he asked
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