The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-09-11
CHAPTER WI.
Condolences.

7
That night Martha wrote letter
During the writing of 1t she jumped
at every sound; a footstep in the hall.
| the shutting OF a door. voice calling
in the street. And yet, Martha was
! guilty Of performing only what she
| considered to be her bounden duty.
| Ny Dear Mr. Arthur: . . | do moi
know what to make OF It. His likeness In
| you Is the most unheard OF thing He II
! a little bigger and broader and he wears
his beard longer That's all the differ
ence. When he cai9e the boat that
night, 1t was like hand clutching at nv
throat. And you know how romantic
Elsa is. for all she believes she IL prosaic
l am certain that she sees you In this
stranger who calls himself Warrington.
II only YOU had had the foresight to fol-
low us, sailing or two later! And now
they'l be together for four or five days.
down to Singapore. ! don't like IT,
There's something uncanny In the thing
What II she did forbid you to follow
There are some promises women like men
I break You should have followed.
Neither Of has the slightest idea
what the man has done to exile himself
IN this horrible land for ten years. II"
still behaves himself Ike II gentleman
and re must have been one In the past
But he has never spoken OF his home.
OF his past. Of his people We don't ever
know that Warrington is his name And
you know that's q sign that something Is
wrong l wonder II you have any rela-
tives by the name of Warrington? be-
gin to see that mans face IN my dreams
am worried For Elsa Is a puzzle.
She has always been one to me have
been with her since her babyhood. and
vet I know as little Of what goes on tn
her mind as a stranger would. Her IA
Their, you know. was soldier. OF fierce
loves and hates: her mother was hand
some statue. Elsa has her fathers scorn
for convention and his independence.
clothed In her mothers impenetrable
mask. Don't mistake me. Elsa is the
most adorable creature to me. and I wor
ship her: bat ] worry about her. I be-
lieve that it would be wise on your par'
to meet US In San Francisco. Give my
love and respect TO your dear beautiful
mother And marry Elsa fast AS ever
you can
The day OF sailing was brilliant and
warm Elsa sat In chair on the deck
Of the tender, watching the passengers
as they came aboard A large tourist
party hustled about. rummaged among
the heaps Of luggage, and shouted
questions at their unhappy conductor.
She saw Hooghly standing In the
bow A steamer trunk. kit-bag. bed
ding bag, and the inevitable parrot
cage, reposed at his feet. He was
watching without interest or excite
ment the stream passing up and down
the ganeplank II his master came. |
very we'll; II he did not. he would get
off with the luggage How she would
have liked to question him regarding !
his master! Elsa began to offer ex- |
cuses for her interest in Warrington. |
He was the counterpart OF Arthur Eli |
son. He had made his fortune against |
odds. He was mystery. Why shouldn't !
he interest her? Her mind was not |
ice, nor was her heart stone. She
pitied him. always wondering what
was back OF 1t all She would be IN
Singapore; after that their paths would
widen and become lost in the future.
and she would forget all about him,
save in a shadowy way. She would |
marry Arthur whether she loved him
or not. She was certain that he loved
her. He was, besides. her own sort:
and there wasn't any mystery about
him at all. He was as clear to her as
glass. For nearly ten years she had
known him, since his and his mothers
arrival In the small pretty Kentucky
town. What was the use OF bunting
4 fancy? Yes. she would marry Ar
thur. She was almost inclined TO cable
him 10 meet her in San Francisco.
,TO RE CONTINUEDJ