Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-09-29

daughter, and now she proposed to
adopt Evelyn Ames for her own.
Blake, who had fallen in love with the
beautiful s~castawdy, smiled secretly
and thought that ii he had his way
the stranger would be his mothers
daughter, but she would also be his
wife.
And in the meantime the Workings
could find no trace of the nameless
vessel on which Evelyn had sailed for
Rio Janeiro, There had been no yes
sells lost, and Investigation showed that
there was no physician by the nam of
Ames who might be the father of Eve
Ign. They advertised and wrote letters,
and in the end they were no wiser than
before.
Then one fair morning. while the sun
shone on the summer seas and the
wind murmured among the palms,
Blake Worthing told Evelyn of his,
love. Blushingly she gave her heart
and hand into his tender keeping. Mrs.
Worthing. delighted at the outcome,l
gathered them both to her heart.
1t was when the engagement had
been two weeks old that a blow came
to Blake Worthing. He was prepar-
ing to go to Barnacle, where the Of
fees of his fruit industry We're stu
ated, when he heard a sharp scream
from the front veranda.
He dashed downstairs and found
Evelyn gazing, pale and wide eyed, at
the ocean
Dearest, what Is the matter?' he
asked
She shuddered and hid her face In
her hands.
'Oh. Blake. l have remembered"
Remembered? That is splendids
dear. Tell me-"
my name is Evelyn Ames Mortimer
my father is DR.. Ames Mortimer of
New York-and, oh, Blake, how can T
tell your" Her slender shoulders shook
with sobs.
"Tell me-" he gently urged.
II cannot marry you" she breathed
"Why notT'
81 have remembered"-tragically-
you have remembered what?'
"That l am already engaged"
"You are engaged? You were en-
gagged when you sailed away? And
you had forgotten that?'
She nodded listlessly.
.sThen you do not love me-" he said,
rising and drawing his hands away
from her grasp.
But she chung desperately to him.
"Ah. l dol do love you, Blakel That
Is the misery of it all. l look back and
think of Frederic Doerr, and l wonder
how l could have dreamed Of marrying
him."
Let me think it over, Evelyn" said
Blake as he went away. All day while
he dictated letters or interviewed GUS
toners Evelyn's pale, frightened face
came between. Toward night he sent
a telegram to Frederic Doerr's address
In New York, and the second day aft
erward he met him at Barnacle station
and took him to the cottage.
Ia Frederic Doerr was q tall, thin, dark
man with grave eyes and a preoccupie45
manner. He appeared TO be extremely
nervous when speaking of Evelyn, al
though he talked freely of her father,
DR.. Mortimer, who had been saved.
He told Worthing how the Mortimers
had sailed on a private yacht, and In
the excitement following a collision,
with visions of Immediately sinking,
Evelyn had been dashed to a raft aud
cast adrift.
The storm tossed yacht had reacheI
a Cuban port, and DR.. Mortimer, al
though giving his daughter up for lost,
had made every effort to find her. 1t
was strange that the threads of inquiry
instituted by the Workings and Eve
lyn's father had eye crossed.
"She has told us of her engagement
to you," said Blake in his blunt way
you VIII want to see her alone, / sup
pose"
"If you please. I think you and Mrs
Worthing had better be present." said
Doerr n~ervously.
So when Blake told Evelyn that he
had brought her fiance to see her and
that her father was still living her joy
In the latter news was dampened by
the approaching interview with the
man she had ceased to love.
az must keep my promise to Fred
eric" she assured Mrs Worthing, as
they descended the stairs. HE said
once that he did not care to live If I
would not marry him."
Mrs. Worthing smiled wisely, but her
arm frightened around the shrinking
girls waist as they entered the living
room.
"Evelyn!" cried Doerr, starting for
ward with outstretched hands. How
delighted your father will be! I wired
him at once of your safety"
He made no attempt to embrace her,
and Evelyn was manifestly relieved.
The Workings turned to leave. but
Frederic Doerr put out a detainingi
hand