Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1916-11-04

moment to ask her mother Oh aon-
Mrs. Alden was seated at herieaNsk,
so absorbed in a note she was "rit-
ing that she was not conscious OF the
girls presence until Ruth stood behind
her
Then she started almost guiltily,
and quickly turned the half-written
sheet over so as to hide its contents.
Secrets, eh?" cried Ruth and play
fully tried to wrest the note away go
as to see to whom II was addressed;
but her mother objected sc stoutly
that after a moment she desistsO fsom
her effort.
But there were other and seeming
ly more momentous things to claim
! her attention just then. The pros
poets" upon which their marriage to
a certain extent depended were show
J inp a disconcertinSly balky tendency,
and Fleetwood, who had been over TO
( Boston in regard to them, had writ
| ten a rather gloomy letter the day be
fore. telling her that it might be six
/ or eight months before they should
materialize.
He was expected back from his trip
/ that night. and in order to salve
his disappointment and sig1alize his
home coming. she was arranging a
little fete Just for the two Of them.
Meanwhile. her mother having fin
ished the note she was writing,
called a messenger boy and dispatched
il to the address upon the envelope.
Then she called up Batson Kendrick
on the telephone and assuring herself
that no one was within hearing, held
long and cryptic conversation with
him over the wire.
That evening. Fleetwood Blair, on
returning from Boston. found the note
she had written lying on the table al
his bachelor lodgings and was read
lily deceived into believing it was from
Ruth.
Tearing it open hastily. Blair read
Fleetwood Dearest: You must not lei
yourself be disappointed over the Boston
| matter. | would wait for you unit
! Doomsday. if necessary. And. besides i
may he all for the best. Last night Bat
son Kendrick was playing chess will
mamma. and I overheard him say tina
| NJ needed a man for some mportan
work in Alaska. IF Blair were at liberty
he would be Just the man" he said. "anC
the lob would be worth a thousand dol
lars a month to him, but | will not risl
sending any new bridegroom on this at
fair. The chap who takes it has got t.
J have all his interest in the work
| rather think. though, that he is goinI
to approach you with offer. and IL n
does, | would certainly accept the com
, mission, and agree to remain single dur
: ing the time you are engaged upon 4,
, You could quit him. of course. the mo
, ment the Boston people decide to z
ahead, and in the meantime. so long a
We have to wait anyhow, you may q
: well be drawing that salary.
, am sending this TO your rooms so tina
you may be prepared in case he ap
proaches you this evening, as ! under
stand from mamma that he is to be a
= the house TO finish their game Mean
: time, | am waiting and longing for yo
every second Devotedly. RUTH
: Blair gave vent to a low whistle a
I he finished
Little did he dream how CAREFUL
, baited was the trap into which he wa
e walking with his eyes open.
D On arriving at Mrs. Alden's, he wa
e shown into the drawing room, wher
: he found Kendrick and also, some
4 what to his surprise. Estelle Abbot
He greeted the girl pleasantly, bu
S the two had hardly an opportunit
r to exchange more than a half a doze
:, words before her uncle seized upo