The Forrest City times., 1914-06-12
CHAPTER XVI.
Vivian Airs Her Opinions.

r He went back to America with the firm intention to clear up the mystery surrounding Hetty Castleton, no mat ter how irksome the delay in achiev- ing his aim or how vigorous the meth ods he would have to employ. Sara Wrandall, to all purposes, held the key; his object in life now was to in duce her to turn it in the lock and throw open the door so that he might enter in and become a sharer in the secrets beyond.
 A certain amount of optimistic cour- age attended him in his campaign | against what had been described to him as the impossible. He could see no clear reason why she should with hold the secret under the new condi-
 tons, when so much in the shape of happiness was at stake. It was in this spirit of confidence that he pre- pared to confront her on his arrival in New York, and it was the same un- bounded faith in the belief that noth- ing evil could result from a perfectly just and honorable motive that gave | hlAi lhc HStUeu courage. He stayed over night in New York, and the next morning saw him on his way to Southlook There was some thing truly ingenious in his desire to , get to the bottom of the matter with out fear or apprehension. At the very worst, he maintained, there could be | nothing more reprehensible than a passing infatuation, long since dis | pelled, or perhaps a mildly sinister episode in which virtue had been tri- umphant and vice defeated with un- pleasant results to at least one per son, and that person the husband of Sara Wrandall.
 Pat met him at the station and drove him to the little cottage on the upper road
 ''Ye didn't stay long," said he reflect lively, after he had put the bag up in front He took up the reins.
 Not very" replied his master. After a dozen rods or more. Pat tried again
 Just siventeen days, make 1t"
 Seems longer"
 Perhaps you'll be after going back soon."
 Why should you think that, Pat rick?"
 l Because you don't seem to be takin | much interest in your surroundn's here," said Pat loftily. He delivered smart smack on the crupper with his stubby whip, and pursed his lips for the companionship to be derived from whistling.
 T suppose you know why l went to Europe said Booth, laying his hand affectionately on the mans arm.
 Sure l do,' said Pat forgetting to whistle. And was it bad luck you had sor?"
 A temporary case of it, I'm afraid"
 Well" said the Irishman, looking up at his employer with the most pro- found encouragement In his wink. If it's amy help to you, sor, I'll say that I've never found bad luck to be any thing but timporary. And, believe me, I've had plinty of it. Mary was dom near three years maxim up her mind to say yis to me"
 And since then you've had no bad luck?' said Booth, with a smile.
 "Plinty of it, begob, but I've had some one besides meself to blame for it. There's a lot in that, MT. Bran. don. Whin man marries, he simply divides his luck into two parts, good and bad, and if he's like most men he puts the bulk av the bad luck on his wife and kapes to himself all he can aV the good for rainy day That's what makes him strong man and able to meet trouble when 1t comes. The beauty av the arrangement is that bad luck is only timporary and wom. an enjoys talking about it, while good luck is wid US nine-tenths of the time whether we know it or not and we don't have to talk about it."
 This was fine philosophy, but Booth dlscerned the underlying motive.
 Have you been quarrelng?" T have not" said Pat wrathfully But l won't say as much for Mary The point av me argument is that I | have all the good luck in hayin' mar. ''~a HNi' anu oAS CldiHlS 10 have had all the bad luck in marvin me. Still as l said before, 'tis but timporarv The good luck lasts and the bad don't She'll be after tellin' me so before sundown. That's like all women You'll find it out for yourself wan q, these days, MT Brandon. and yeu be dom proud we're man and can enjoy your good luck when ye get it. The bad luck's always fallin behind va and ye can always look forward to inc good luck. So don't be downhearted SheH take you, or me names not what it ought to be-
 Booth was inclined to accent tbis unique discourse as a fair-weather sign
 Take these bags upstairs. Pat said he on their arrival at the cottage and then come down and drive mo over to Mrs. Wrandall's."
 Will ye be after stayin' for lunch with her, MT Brandon?" inquired Pat climbing over the wheel.
 T can't answer that question now D