Meade County news., 1915-08-12
CHAPTER xvIII-contlnued.
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He saw her walk bravely the length
of the dining-room, out into the office.
What a misfortune! Argument was
out of the question. Elsa was not
child, to be reasoned with. She was
woman, and she had come to a wom-
ans understanding of her heart. To
place before her the true angles Of
the case, the heartless Punishment
from the world she knew, the regret
which would be hers later, no matter
how much she loved the man.
Sle pushed back his chair, leaving his
coffee untasted
He possessed the deep understand
ing of the kindly, heart, and his one
thought was Elsa's future happiness.
Gould he save her from the day when
she would learn Romance had come
from within? No. All he could do
was to help find the man.
He sent five cablegrams to Saigon,
to the consulate, to the principal ho-
tels-the most difficult composition he
had ever attacked. But because he
hAo LOA 6ObLCh " oChu IHO blAIu "
meet the packet boat, against the pos
sibility Of Warrington changing his
mind and not landing, his labor was
thrown to the winds.
Meantime Elsa stopped at the office
desk. 81 left a note for Mr.. Warning
ton who has gone to Saigon. see
it in his key box. Will you please re-
turn it to me?"
The clerk did not hesitate an in
stant. He gravely returned the note
to her. marveling at her paleness.
Elsa crushed the note in her hand and
moved toward the stairs, wondering
II she could reach her room before she
broke down utterly. He had gone. He
had gone without knowing that all
he wanted in life was his for the TAX
ing. In her room she opened the note
and through blurred vision read what
she had so happily inscribed the
night before Paul love you. Come
to me. Elsa" She had written it,
unashamed.
She flung herself upon the bed, and
tnere martina 1Ound ner.
Elisa, child, what is it?" Martha
cried, kneeling beside the bed. Child,
what has happened?"
Elsa sat up, seized Martha by the
shoulders and stared into the faithful
eyes. well, l love this man War
rington and he loves me. But he has
gone. Can't you see? Don't you un-
derstand? Have you been as blind as
/? He is Paul Ellison, Arthurs
brother, his twin brother. And they
obliterated him. 1t is Arthur who is
the ghost, Martha, the phantom Ah,
have caused you a good deal of
worry, and | am going to cause you
yet more. l am going to Saigon; up
and down the world, east and west,
until l find him. Shall go alone,
or will you go with me?"
Then Martha did what ever after en-
deared her to the heart of the stricken
girl-she mothered her. ELSA, my
baby OF course l shall go with you,
always. For you could not love any
man If he was not worthy"
Then followed the strangest quest
doubtless ever made by a woman.
From Singapore to Saigon, up to
Bangkok, down to Singapore again;
to Batavia, over to Hongkong, Shang-
hal, Pekin, Manila, Hongkong again,
then Yokohama. Patient and hopeful,
Elsa followed the bewildering trail.
She left behind her many puzzled ho-
tel managers and booking agents; for
It was not usual for beautiful young
woman to go about the world, inquir-
ing for a blond man with a parrot.
Sometimes she was only a day late.
Many cablegrams she sent, but upon
her arrival in each port she found
that these had not been called for.
Over these heart-breaking disappoint-
ments she uttered no complaint. The
world was big and wide; be 1t never
so big and wide, Elsa knew that some
day she would find him.
In the daytime there was the quest:
but, ah! the nights, the interminable
hours of inaction, the spaces of time
in which she could only lie back and
think. Up and down the coasts, across
islands, over seas. the journey took
her, until one day in July she found
herself upon the pillared veranda of
the house in which her mother had
been born.