Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-08-14

Ciueut lnat came 10 pass IN D per1eCtly
natural way. Her deck chair stood
next to his. and he was not slow In
making himself agreeable. 1t did not
occur to her till long afterwards that
he deliberately had traded positions
with an elderly gentleman who occu-
pied the chair on the first day out.
Before the end Of the voyage they
were very good friends.
When we landed in New York, he
assisted me in many ways. After.
wards. on learning that l was not to
go to California, / called him up on
the telephone to explain my predica-
ment. He urged me to stay in New
York; he guaranteed that there would
be no difficulty in securing a splendid
position In the east. l had no means
of knowing that he was married. l
accepted him for what l thought him
to be: a genuine American gentleman
They are supposed to be particularly
considerate with women. His conduct
toward me was beyond reproach. I
have never known q man who was 90
courteous. 30 gentle. To me. he was
the most fascinating man In the world
No woman could have resisted him.
am sure of that"
She shot a quick. appealing glance
at Booths hard-set face. Her LID
trembled for a second.
Il fell madly in love with him." abe
went on resolutely. II dreamed of
him. l could hardly wait for the time
to come when l was to see him. He
never came to the wretched little lodg-
ing house have told you about. IL
met him outside. One night he told
me that he loved me, loved me pas
sionately. IL said that would be
his wife. Somehow it seemed to me
that he regarded me very curiously
for a moment or two. He seemed to
be surprised. uncertain. l remember
that he laughed rather queerly. It
did not occur to me to doubt him. One
day he came for me, saying that he
wanted me to see the little apartment
he had taken, where we were to live
after we were married. l went with
him. He said that II I liked 1t, could
move In at once, but l would not con-
sent to such an arrangement. For the
first time l began to feel that every
thing was not as 1t should be. IL
remained in the apartment but a few
minutes. The next day he came to
me, greatly excited and more demon
strative than ever before, to say that
he had arranged for a quiet, Jolly
little wedding up in the country.
Strangely enough, ! experienced q
queer feeling that all was not a. It
should be. but his eagerness. his per.
sistence dispelled the small doubt
that had begun even then to shape
itself. l consented to go with him on
the next night to an inn out In the
country. where a college friend who
was a minister Of the gospel would
meet US. driving over from his parish
a few miles away. I said that l pre-
ferred to be married in church. He
laughed and said 1t could be arranged
when we got to the inn and had talked
1t over with the minister. Still un-
easy. l asked why 1t was necessary
to employ secrecy. He told me that
his family were in Europe and that he
wanted to surprise them by giving
them a daughter who was actually re-
lated to an English nobleman. The
family had been urging him to marry
a stupid but rich New York girl and
he-oh. well he uttered a great deal
Of nonsense about my beauty, my
charm. and all that sort of thing"
She paused for a moment. No one
spoke. Her audience of judges, with
the exception Of the elder Mrs. Wran-
dali. watched her a. II fascinated.
Their faces were almost expression.
less. with a perceptible effort, she
resumed her story. narrating events
that carried it up to the hour when
she walked into the little upstairs
room at Burton's inn with the man
who was to be her husband.
ITO REr CONrTTNYYuD>