Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-07-05

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-
assuringly. and saying: Don't do
that. Fortune. 1t makes my heart
ache to see a woman cry"
Il am not crying" came in muffied
tones Il am only sad. and tired.
tired"
Everything will come out all right
in the end" he encouraged. "Of course
you are tired. What woman wouldn t
be. having gone through what you
have? Here; let's sit in the steam
er-chairs till the bugle blows for din
ner I'm a bit tagged out myself"
They lay back in the chairs, and no
longer cared to talk. The lights twin
killed., 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!" There was something
grotesque In the mask Of desert tan
and shaven skin. How patient he had
been through 1t all, and how kind and
gentle to her! She remembered now
of seeing him that night in C1iro, and
of remarking how young and t,esh he
seemed in comparison to the man 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 chose things for
her in Damascus! y 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 a thousand stars" she
leaned over and down and brushed his
hand with her lips.
And George slept on. Only the blare
Of the bugle brought him back to mum
dane affairs. He was hungry, and he
announced the fact with gusto. They
would dine well 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
smoking-room. II the other passen-
gers had any curiosity. they did not
manifest 1t 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
than either Of the young people, with
those blue Teutonic eyes Of his.
George promised to let him know with
in a dozen hours of the sailing. Ger
tainly Fortune would decide one way
or the other within that time.
Both had seen the Vesuvian bay
many times, with never-failing love
and interest. They sailed across the
bay in the bright clearness of the
morning
You are going back with me-"
George announced in a tone which In
ferred that nothing more was to be
said upon the subject. But, for all
his confidence, there was a great and
heavy fear upon his heart as he asked
for mail at the little inclosurc at
Cooks, in the Galleria vittoria. There
was a cable; nothing more.
Nov, Fortune -"
Have ever given you permission
to call me by that manner"
Have II"
NO"
Then / give you that permission
now"
What do you brighten a man like
that for?" he cried. What / was 60
ing to say ."
Fortune"
was this: Here is the cable from Nor
timer. I'm not going to open it till
after dinner tonight. Wen go up to
the Bertolini to dine. You'll stay
there for the night, while I put up at
the Bristol, which Is only little ways
up the Corso. I'm not going to ask
you question till coffee. Then we'll
thrash out the subject till there isn't
a grain left"
She made no protest. Secretly she
was pleased to be bullied like this. 1t
proved that among all these swarming
peoples there was one interested in
her welfare. But she knew in her
heart what she was going to say when
the proper time came. She did not
wish to spoil his dinner She was also
going to put her courage to its SUI
preme test; borrow a hundred pounds,
and bravely promise to pay him back.
II che failed IN nav ~ ~ would he hp-