The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-15
'. 6. Chapnan

V. 6. Cnapnan
 marked to Miss strong, sT should be quite certain that he was--erA not quite right, don't you know.
 ssIf 1t were not so pathetic it would be ridiculous" said the girl sadly. T, who have known him all my life, know how he worships Jane, but to others it must seem. that he is perfectly callous to her fRtea It is only that he ia so absolutely impractical that he cannot conceive of so real thing as death unless nearly certain proof of 1t is thrust upon him '
 ffsYou'd never guess V hat he was about yesterday, 2 continued Tenning ton. q was coming in alone from little hunt when I met him walking rapidly along the game trail that was following back to camp. His hands were cinsped beneath the tails of his long, black cont, and his top hat was. set firmly down upon his head as, with feyes bent upon the ground, he hasten ed on, probably to some sudden death had not intercepted him.
 = Why, where in the world are you bound. professor 2, T asked him. T am going into town, Lord Pennington, he. said as seriously as possible, to com plain to the postmaster about the rural free delivery service we are suffering from here. Why, sir, haven't had piece of mail in weeks. There should be several letters for me from Jane The matter must be reported to Wash ington at once
 sAnd would you believe It. Miss Strong continued Pennington, T had the very deuce of a job to convince the old fellow that there was not AOnIy no < rural free delivery, but no town and that he was no&even on the same con- tinent as Washington nor in the same hemisphere.
 W hen he did realize he commenced to worry about his daughter I think 1t is the first time that heNreally has appreciated our position here or the fact that Miss Porter may not have been rescued 7
 E T hate to think about it. said the girl. and yet can think of nothing else than the absent members of our.
 ssLet us hope for the best. replied Pennington You yourself have set < US each splendid example Of bravery, < for isn a way your loss has been the [ greatest.s' ?
 .sYes,Y she replied T could have loved lane Porter no more had she been my own sister. Pennington did not show the sur ' prise he felt. That was not at all what he meant He had been much with this fair daughter of Maryland since the wrecko of the Lady Alice, and 1t had recently come to him that he 1 had grown much more fond of her | than would prove good for the peace | of his ninds for he recal He'd almost con | zfo q Thuranl had imparted to. him that he 1 and Miss Strong were engaged. He wondered if, after all, Thuran had been quite accurate in his statement. | He had never seen the Slightest indica- tion on the girls part of more than ordinary friendship
 And then in M. Thurans 1oss if they are lost, you would suffer se- were bereavement,' he yentured. 1 She looked up at him quickly. M. Thuran had become a very dear friend, ' she said q liked him very
 much. though I have known him but s short time
 linen you were not engaged to mar I ry him ?' he blurted out.
 Heavens, noi' she cried. t'I did not care for him at all in that way
 There was something that Lord Ten nington wanted to say to Hazel Strong. He wanted very badly to say 1t, and I to say it at once, but somehow the words stuck in his throat. He started I lamely a couple of times, cleared his l throat became red in the face and l finally endsd by remarking that he hoped the cabins would be finished be- 1 fore the rainy season commenced.
 But, thsugh he did not know if, he had conveyed tc the girl the very mes sage he intended, and it left her happy happier than she had ever before been in all her life.
 Just then further conversation was interrupted by the sight Of a strange and terrible looking figure which emerged from the jungle just south of the camp. Remington and the girl saw it at. the same time The English I man reached for his revolver. but when the half naked. bearded creature called l his name aloud and came running to- ward them he dropped his hand and advanced to meet it.
 None would have recognized in the filthy. emaeiated creature. covered by a single garment of small skins, the immaculate M Thuran the party had last seen upon the deck of the Lady Alice.
 Before the other members of the lit
 tie community were appraised of his presence Pennington and Miss Strong
 questioned him regarding the other oc- I cupants of the missing boat
 ..They are all dead,'' replied Thuran seThe three sailors died before we made land. Miss Portef was carried off into the jungle by some wild animal while was lying delirious with fever Clay
 ton died of the same fever but q few days since And to think fTat alI this time we have been separated by but 3 few miIes-searcely days march! Ii is terrible.''
 CHAPTER xxvll.