The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-09-24
CHAPTER XIII.
Ships That Pass.

just tnen he nearu tle others
calling to him to hurry-the
train was coming to a stop at the little
platform. Like a man daZed he gath
r UP his ulster. He would tell them
about the cablegram when they were
all on the train. Then he ran out upon
the platform just as the engine whis-
tied twice in the final warning that
precedeS the first rumbling jerk of coup
ling pins. The others were on board,
leaning out from the platform Of Il
Pullman. crying to him to hurry. Quite
five minutes elapsed before they were
settled in their seats, nor was it until
then that Clayton discovered that Tar
zan was not with them.
"Where is Tarzan?" he asked Jane
Porter. in another carr"
mo she replied; 'at the last min
ute he determined to drive his machine
see more Of America than Is possible
from a car window. He Is returning
to France, you know"
Clayton did not reply. He was try
ing to find the right words to explain
to Jane Porter the calamity that had
befalen him-and her. He wondered
just what the effect Of this knowledge
would be on her. Would she still wish
to marry him-to be plain Mrs. Clay
ton? Suddenly the awful sacrifice
which one Of them must make doomed
large before his Imagination. Then
IN ~ thn Question VIII Toruon nlaivn
his ownf The apeNman had known the
contents of the message before he calm
ly denied knowledge of his parentage.
He had admitted that Kala, the ape,
was his mother. Could it have been
for love Of Jane Porter?
Was 1t DOT reasonable to assume that
he meant never to claim his birthright?
If this were so, what right had he,
William Cecil Clayton, to thwart the
wishes, to balk the self sacrifice Of this
strange man? If Tarzan Of the Apes
could do this thing to save lane Por-
ter from unhappiness, why should he,
to whose care she was ~tntrusting her
whole future, do aught to jeOpardize
her interests?
And 30 he reasoned until the first
generous impulse to proclaim the truth
and reiinquish his titles and his estates
to their rightful owner was forgotten
beneath the mass of sophistries which
self interest had advanced. But during
the balance Of the trip and for many
days thereafter he was moody and dis
traught Occasionally the thought OBJ
truded itself that possibly at some later
day Tarzan would regret his magma
nimfty and claim his rights.
Several days after they reached Bal
timore Clayton preached the subject OF
en- early marriage to Jane.
What do you mean by early|' she
asked.
Within the next few days. I must
return to England Mt once-I want you
to return with me, dear"
81 can't get ready so soon as that
replied Jane. ut will take n whole
month at least"
She was glad, for she hoped that
whatever called him TO England might
still further delay the wedding. She
utiu ulduc IL Ddu DdlSdIh, pub a. IA
tended carrying her part Loyalty to the
bitter end II she could manage to Sc
cure a temporary reprieve, though she
felt that she was warranted in doing
so. His reply disconnected her.
Very well, Jane" he said. Il am
disappointed, but / shall let my trip TO
England wait a month. Then we can
90 back together"
But when the month was drawing to
a close she found still another excuse
upon which to hang a postponement.
until at last, discouraged and doubling.
Clayton was forced to go back TO Eng
land alone.
The several letters that passed be-
tween them brought Clayton no nearer
to q contamination Of his hopes than
he had been before, and so it was that
he wrote directly to Professor Porter
and enlisted his services. The old
man had always favored the match.
He liked Clayton, and, being of an old
southern family, he put rather an ex-
aggerated value IN the advantages OF
a title, which meant little or nothing
to his daughter.
clayton urged that the professor ac-
cept his invitation to be his guest in
London, an invitation which included
the professors entire little family
Mr.. Philander. Esmeralda and all.
The Englishman argued that once
Jane was there and home ties had
been broken she would not so dread
the step which she had 50 long hest
tated to take. So the evening that he
received Clayton's letter Professor
Porter announced that they would
leave for London the following week.
But once In London Jane Porter was
no more tractable than she had been In
Baltimore. She found one excuse after
another, and when finally Lord Ten
nington invited the party to cruise
around Africa In his yacht she ex-