Middletown transcript., 1916-05-27
hAPTED
- XXVF

A sharp attack Of fever followed
Gerrys exposure and immersion. The
old woman of the inn knew no medica
ments, but she knew fever. She piled
blankets on Gerry and let him sweat
1t out. On the third day nature. assist
ed by his magnificent physique, finally
routed the attack.
He called the old woman. He asked
her If she remembered him. She peered
Mt him. mo, master" she said. "I do
not remember you. You are like the
foreigner who was drowned, but he
is dead"
Gerry shook his head. mot dead"
he said, "only disappeared"
You are not he," said the old wom-
an. "He could not talk words that
one could understand"
Gerry nodded gravely. He felt as
though words could never make him
smile again. 81 have learned" he said
Now tell me what became Of the
things l left here" He went through
the list
The old woman checked off each
item and then shrugged her shoulders.
She led him to a little dark room
whose only light came from the inter
stices Of the tiled roof AS his pupils
expanded he began to make out one
after another of the bags that had
made up his travelling kit.
There is q letter." she said, and
went off to fetch it. Gerry dragged
the bags out into the light. Their locks
were all sealed with the seal of the
American consulate at Pernambuco.
He started knocking off the brittle
wax. The old woman came back with
the letter and handed 1t to him. He
tore it open. 1t was a note from the
consul saying that by order of Gerry $
wife his things had been sealed and
left at the inn, telling him where to
find the keys. The room. he learned
from the old woman, had been paid
for regularly, at first by the month,
then by the year. She felt no resent
ment at his return, only resignation.
you are the only guest I've had since
you went away" she said quantity and
with a sigh.
Fear nothing" said Gerry kindly.
'You have been faithful. You may
consider the room engaged by me for
the next ten years"
He carried his bags into the room
overlooking the river and then lay
down. He was too tired after the fe-
yer to open them. He knew that the
opening of those dust-covered bags
with their rusted metal fittings was
going to be another ordeal.
The next day Gerry sat before his
unpacked bags. He had turned out
floor, the table and the chairs was
piled such an array Of linen and shoes
and suits Of various cut and weight as
be had once deemed the minimum with
which a man could decently travel
Now they seemed to him wasteful and
futile. The clothes did not carry his
mind back as he had expected. The
starch in the linen had gone yellow
He had always hated yellow collars
The suits struck him as belonging tC
someone else-all except one. One
sturdy suit of tweed had a cut that
was different from the others. OF al
the clothes it alone seemed to have
b personal note-the note he had ex
pected to find in the bags and had
shrunk from.
Then he remembered. This suit had
been made by his own tailor. He had
worn it during a flying visit to Red
Hill. He had had it on the day be
eft New York. He had worn it thai
morning in Alix' room. Red Hill came
back to him, Alix stood before him
Through the suit he saw her room. the
shimmering blue Of her dressing gown
Her crown of hair and her thin finger:
busy with 1t. He felt again the niI
f the dear air as it had streamed II
hrough the open window.
The worst of the food was over
Gerry engaged a search party. All day
ong they sought for Margarita and hel
ehild. Towards night they found them
he little boy tight clasped in his
nother's arms. Gerry laid them ten
erly in the canoe and in silence the
arty crawled back up the river tt
PlIanhas. No one looked curiously al
be burden they carried up through