Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-01-10

| OutWdhus gCu
the scene indif-
ferently. II was very beautiful
yet, in an exotic way; but he was
weary with it all, and his heart faint
with hunger for home.
That was why he had weakened at
the eleventh hour and accepted Dora's
| nvitation-because he had been so
long away from home.
She chose to break the silence with
a careless question:
What vessel is that?"
Jack glanced down toward the har-
| Dor. A fussy steamer was putting in
to its anchorage, like a fat, white
ghost with bright, staring eyes.
TITS the mail boat" he told her.
She's in late. Tomorrow" he con-
tinued in a half whisper, shell be
going on to Gibraltar and connecting
with the liner for homel"
YES" said the girl. abstractedly,
and lapsed again into her silence;
for she was considering how she
might say to him that which she
longed to say.
Nov" said Jack. presently, with
out daring to look at the girl-whose
eyes never for an instant left his
strong. clean profile-"now, tell me
| everything, please. Nora-all the
news about everyone know"
She obeyed quietly, in low voice.
1t seemed a long account, but Jack
! did not tire In the least.
| ~And-and Gwynne and Beth Som
ers? They're married long since, /
suppose?"
mo. I din't mention It, Jack, be-
cause"
II understand-and thank you. But
not married! must know, Dora"
"Tom Gwynne," she said, after a
pause, SIS dead"
Dead" he whispered, incredulous-
ly. Dead" He drew a long breath.
Please" he cried. "please tell me!
Don't you see I'm tortured, Dora?
know you only wish to spare me,
but-you see, there was a girl, and
and"
This makes it different" said the
girl, quietly. Nov you can ask her,
Jack" She went on, while he listened,
aghast at his slip. That's why l
wanted to tell you-for the girls
sake You didn't think that we who
knew you, believed you guilty-did
you? Because we didn't, and that is
why was glad. oh, so glad, to find
you, and to be the first, the very first
to tell you! You see, after you sacri-
feed everything, Jack. and ran away,
trying to save your chum, to make US
believe that you had-stolen the
money, and not Tom Gwynne."
"But you mustn't blame him." Ben
ton broke In quickly HE didn't
really know what he was doing"
81 know" She nodded decidedly
IT know that you sacrificed all to
save your friend. And when Tom
discovered what you had done. when
it was too late, he told Beth. OF
course that broke the engagement;
and II was only a little later that
Tom was thrown from his auto some
how-we never really knew what had
happened. He left a signed confes
sion; but we didn't know where you
had buried yourself, Jack"
a ooh, you don't know, you dom
know" ne cried brokenly, what this
means to me, Doral"
"Ah but I do" she told him
gently. II know, very well. That's
why I came here. Jack-to find you
I'd heard 1t was a place where peo
pie went when they were In trouble
and wanted to tell you, because
because"-again there sounded tha
pitisul little quaver in her voice
because the girl is waiting for you.
Then I'll gol" he cried. TN go
Dora. Dora, don't know how t.
. thank youl I'm on in the morning
by that mail steamer. Homel You
won't mind my hurying on to pack
win you? She sails at sunrise-anC
Just think. in ten days I'll see Beth
And when he was gone she stooS
for long time motionless. dry of eye
and lip. staring at the corner arount
which he had disappeared. FINAL.
she stretched forth both arms.
"Oh. my dear, my dearl" she sobbes
as II her heart would break-but gen
tly. that none might hear.