The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-06-27
CHAPTER XVI.
Vivian Airs Her Opinions.

Chief among Booths virtues was his
undertaking loyalty to a set purpose
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 air' ~ how vigorous the meth.
| DDS he have to employ. Sara
Miranda. IL purposes, held the
key; his O.Jsct 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-
ions. when so much in the shape of
happiness was at stake. 1t was in
this spirit of confidence that he pre-
pared to confront her on his arrival in
New York, and it was the same IN
bounded faith in the belief that moth
ing evil could result from a perfectly
just and honorable motive that gave
him the needed 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
PEELED, 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
I'VE 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 dozen rods, or more, Pat
tried again.
Just seventeen days, I make It,"
Seems longer"
Perhaps you'll be after going back
soon"
why should you think that, Pat
rick?"
Because you don't seem to be takin'
much interest in your surroundin'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.
Il suppose you know why | went to
Europe" said Booth, laying his hand
affectionately on the mans arm.
Sure | 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 freshman, looking
up at his employer with the most pro-
found encouragement in his wink, eff
it's amy help to you. sor, I'll say that
I've never found bad luck to be any
thing but temporary. 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
II. There's a lot in that, Mr.. Bran
don. Whin a man marries, he simply
divides his luck into two parts, good
and bad, and IL 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 a rainy day. That's
what makes him a strong man and
able to meet trouble when 1t comes.
The beauty av the arrangement is that
bad luck is only temporary and a WON
an enjoys talking about it, while good
luck Is wild us nine-tentFs of the time.
whether we know IL or not, and we
don't have to talk about it,"
This was fine philosophy, but Booth
discerned the underlying motive.