Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1915-06-04
CT APTER xvI.I-continued.

b
He her walk bravely the length
81 the ining-room, out into the office.
What misfortune! Argument was
out of he question. Elsa was not
child, 4 be reasoned with. She was
woman and she had come to wom-
ans III Outstanding of her heart. To
place sfore her the true angles of
the ca e, the heartless Punishment
from Il world she knew, the regret
which ould be hers later, no matter
how M eh she loved the man.
He pus ed 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.
Could 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
had forgotten to send the sixth to
meet the packet boat against the pos
sibility Of Warrington changing his
mind and not landing, his labor was
thrown t. The winds.
Meantime Elsa stopped at the Office
desk. 81 left note for Mr.. Warning
ton who has gone to Saigon. see
it in his ley box. Will you please re-
turn it to me?"
The clerk did not hesitate an in
slant He grayely returned the note
to her, narveling at her paleness.
Elsa crusted the note in her hand and
moved toward the stairs, wondering
If she coud 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. Lisa" She had written it,
unashamel.
She fiurg herself upon the bed. and
there Martha found her.
ELSA, hild, what is it," Martha
cried, kneling beside the bed Child,
what has lappened?"
Elsa sa up seized Martha by the
shoulders and stared into the faithful
eyes. well, love this man War
rington aid he loves me. But he has
gone. Gait you see? Don't you I'M
dn~c+oDde Have w., k1oo,, &c Mind a =
II He S Paul Ellison, Arthur's
brother, lis twin brother And they
obliteratel him. 1t is Arthur who is
the ghost Martha, the phantom. All,
] have aused you good deal of
worry, and l am going to cause you
yet more. l am going to Saigon; up
and dowI the world, east and west.
until l find him. Shall go alone.
or will ysu go with me?"
Then Martha did what ever after en-
desred her to the heart of the stricken
girl-she mothered her. ELSA, my
baby! O. course shall go with you.
always. For you could not love any
man il he was not worthy"
Then fsIlowed 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, Pelil, Manila, Hongkong again,
then Yokohama Patient and hopeful.
Elsa followed the bewildering trail.
She left behind her many puzzled ho-
tel managers ard 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
thai these had not been called for
Over these heart-b breaking disappoint-
ments she uttered no complaint. The
world was big and wide; be it never
so big and wide, Elsa knew that some
day she would find him.
In the daytime there was the quest;
but, ali! 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.