The Ordway new era., 1916-04-07
CHAPTER XIV.
Gail Breaks a Promise.

oOi way 6ACCRI lOl tAC lSiay ~
gay little Mrs. Babbitt and her admir-
ing husband. who sent word that they
could not arrive until after dinner so
the yacht. long and low and slender
and glistening white, lay in the middle
Of the Hudson river. while her guests.
bundlsd warmly against the crisp
breeze. gathered in the forward shelter
deck and watched the beginnings OF
the early sunset.
Il like Doctor Boyd in his yachting
cap" commented Lucille. as that
young man Joined them, with happy
mother on his arm.
1T takes away that deadly clerical
effect" laughed Arly. His long coat
makes him look like the captain. and
he's ever SO much more handsome"
Il don't mind being the topic of dis
cussion so long as I'm present" COM
mented Rev. Smith Boyd, glancing
around the group as If in search Of
someone.
1T rather restricts the converse
tion." Mrs Helen Davies observed.
The cherub-cheeked Marion Ken
meth glanced wistfully over at the rail
where Dick Rodley. vying with the
sunset in splendor. stood chatting with
easy Ted Teasdale and the stiff Ger
aid Fosland
Where's Gail?" demanded the
cherub-cheeked one.
ITS time that young lady was up
en- deck" decided Arly, and rose.
She's probably taking advantage Of
the opportunity to dress for dinner"
surm.sed Mrs. Davies. .'In fact,
think it's good idea for all OF u.s."
but the sunset was too potent to leave
for few moments, and she sat still
Where indeed was Gail? In her
beautiful little curly maple bed. and
digging two small fists INTO the maple
brown coverlet The pallor of the
morning had not yet left her face. and
there were circles around the brown
eyes which CAV. them a wan pathos;
there was crease of pain and worry.
too. in the whitA brow.
Gail had com" to the greatest crisis
In her life. Sc far she had told no
one Of what had occurred that morn
ing. When shs had rushed into the
rector's study he kGd sprung up. and
seeing the fright in her face and that
she was tottering and ready to fall. he
had caught her in his strong arms, and
she had clung .-ustfully to him. half
faint, until wild sobs had come to her
relief Even in her incoherence. how
ever. even in her wild disorder of emo
tion. she realized that there was dan
ger. not only to her but to everyone
she loved. in the man from whom she
had run away; and she could not tel!
the young rector any more than that
she had been frightened. 1t was strange
how instinctively she had headed tor
Rev. Smith Boyd's study; strange
then. but not now. In that moment O!
flying straight to the protection of his
arms. she knew some thing about her
self. and about Rev Smith Boyd, too.
She knew why she had refused those
others who had wooed her; Willis
Cunningham and Houston Van Ploon
and Dick Rodley: poor Dick, and AL
lison and all the others. She frankly
and complacently admitted to herself
that she loved Rev Smith Boyd, but
she put that additional worry into the
background It could be fought out
later She would have been very han
py about 1t If she had had time. al.
though she could see no end to that
situation but unhappiness
Where could she turn for advice. or
whom could she get to share in the
burden which she felt must surely
crush her There was no one 1t
was burden she must bear
alone. unless she could devise
some plan OF effective action. and the
sense tf how far she had been respou
sibls for this condition of affairs was
one which oppressed her. and hum bied
her. and deepened the circles about
her wce-smitten eyes
Gail took her fists from their pres.
sure into the brown coverlet, and held
her temples between the finger tips
OF either hand: and the brown hair.
springing into wayward ringlets from
the salt breeze which blew in at the
haif-opened window. rippled down over
her slender hands. as II to soothe and
comfort them She had been wasting
her time in tRtrospection and self
analysis when there was need for
decisive action! Fortunately she had
respite until Monday morning in
the past few days Of huge commercial
movements which SO vitality Interested
her. she had become acquainted with
business methods. to a certain extent.
and she knew that nothing could be
done on Saturday afternoon or Sun
day. therefore Uncle Jim was safe for
Two nights and day Then Allison
woai1 deny the connection Of her
Uscis inns road With the A.-P.. and
~ tss1naine Of ths destruction OF
q nasnanx eo0f1y would be thor