Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-07-16

you. and here W are throwing our.
selves upon the mercy and hospitality
OF Lady GreystokA"
n have been trying to convince
them" said that lady. who bad now
Joined the party at the foot Of the
veranda steps, ''that the obligation u
all upon our side It taxes our inge-
nuity and the generosity Of our friends
to keep the house. even half full Of
congenial companion"
II was not until after dinner that
night that Mr.. William Curtiss had an
opportunity to draw Miss Victoria
Custer away from the others upon
some more or less hazy pretext that
he might explain for her ears alone
just why hs had suddenly found Bea.
trice, Neb.. such desolate place
and had realized chat 1t was impera-
tive to tho salvation Of his life and
happiness that he travel halfway round
the world In search Of certain slen-
der bit Of femininity.
This usually self possessed young
man Hammered and hesitated like q
bashful schoolboy speaking his Friday
afternoon piece. but finally he man.
aged to expel from his system more or
less coherently the fact that he was
very much In love with Victoria Gus
ter and that he should never again eat
or sleep until she had promised to be
his wife.
There was strong appeal to the girl
In the masterful thing the man had
done in searching her out in the wilds
of Africa to tell her of his love. for 1t
seemed that he and Butzow had forced
their way with but handful Of car.
riers through very savage section OF
the Jungle because 1t was the shortest
route from the coast to the Greystoke
ranch.
| Then there was that about him
which appealed to the same attribute
Of her nature to which the young giant
of her dreams appealed-a primitive
strength and masterfuiness that left
her both frightened and happily help
less in the presence Of both these
strong loves, for the love Of her dream
man was to Victoria Custer real and
living love.
Curtiss saw assent in the silence
which followed his outbreak, and, tax
ing advantage of this tacit encourage
ment, he seized her hands in his and
drew her toward him.
"Oh, Victoria" he whispered, tel.
me that thing wish to hear from your
dear lips! Tell me that even tenth
part of my love is returned and I
shall be happyr'
She looked up into his eyes, shining
down upon her in the moonlight. and
on her lips trembled an avowal Of the
love she honestly believed she could
at last bestow upon the man Of her
choice
In the past few moments she had
thrashed out the question Of that other
unreal and intangible love that had
held her chained to a dream for years,
and In the cold light of twentieth CEN
tury American nationality she had
found It possible to put her hallucina-
lions from her and find happiness In
the love Of this very real and very
earnest young man.
Billy" she said, "1"-
But she got no further.
Even as the words that would have
bound her to him were forming upon
her tongue there came q low. sullen
rumbling from the bowels of the earth
the ground rose and fell beneath
them a. the swell Of the sea rises and
falls.
Then there came q violent trembling
| and shaking and q final deafening
crash in the distance that might have
accompanied the birth Of mountain
ranges.
With a little moan Of terror the girl
drew away from Curtiss, and then.
before he could restrain her, she had
turned and fed toward the bungalow.
At the veranda steps she was met
by the other members Of the house
party and by the Greystokes and nu-
merous servants, who had rushed out
at the first premonition OF the coming
shock.
Barney Custer saw his sister running
toward the house and. knowing her
terror of such phenomena, ran to meet
! her.
Close behind her came Curtiss, just
in time to see the girl swoon in her
brothers arms.
Barney carried her to her room.
where Lady Greystoke. abandoning the
youthful Jack to his black nanny.
Esmeralda. ministered to her.
! nm. d.