The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1917-06-18


/ gers tbis VOYAGE aud iaitefsi Ilysei
ihnt aready ! ucw by sht aIl those
iu whose company I would be- for the
/ next few days Therefore when
came Oh deck after dinner was some.
what surprised a. md stranger in
'he deck chair next TO mine. feii
sure that ohalr had been vacant DUR
ing the day.
As ! took my seat fie lady looked
up. in the bright moonlight ] couid
see her face plainly. IL was a face
that was beautiful and set NOT heaufi-
ful 2 nas one that according 70 the
eternal fitness Of things should be- a
queens; there was So much sweetness
and rraeiousness in her face and bear
ine yet q dignity chat made yoa uncon-
+ sciou IS do her homage Her express
f sion Was that 0f one who has loved
anG lost and suffered many things yet
not iost her iaiih IN God and man.
Her hair was siivcry. but her age
might have been anywhere between
thirty and ffiy.
Presently the lady spoke 70 me. and
hcr voice though low ana sweet srrnck
chin through me- gathered from
what she said 10 the ensuing conver-
n6n. ihat she was a traveller bolh
for pleasure and business. She was
certainly o woman of education and
refinement or her nationality she
said nothing 10 fact. She seemed TO
avoid that subject But though she
spoke excellent English, I decided She
must be Russian Or possibly French.
we falked for a long time, but 10
the midst Of an interesting story she
was telling me. she broke Of sudden
I ly 8urmurlng an apology, she left
me- Then. BY straining my eyes. J
read the card on ler chair Il sim
ply said Countess Elaine.
During the whole voyage texcept the
I day Of landlng), saw the Countess
only at night and then after seven
+ O'Clock. Always I found her in her
chair when 7 went to mine after din-
ner: and always she left me at ex-
j actiy eleven o'clock. Once when ] ven
i tured 10 remark that I never saw her
at dinner she became so silent that J
wondered II 1 had offended her.
Then came tile last night Of the voy-
age. The next afternoon we would ar-
rive at San Francisco, so this last
night was given over to farewell
dance and entertainment ! cared lit-
tie for such things, and besides, ]
wanted a last talk with the countess.
/ We had become very good friends and
had discovered many interests in com
mon. But tonight she was unusually
silent. AT eleven o'clock she rose and
for several moments stood looking out
TO sea. Then she turned to me and
said
Tonight we part; tomorrow / will
see you again befAe you land but af-
ter that we viii never meet again In
this world. / have never been happy
before and I thank you for making me
forget. WIN you not accept this me-
mento Of the most miserable Of wom-
eni'
And then, not waiting for an answer,
She hurried away. almost thought
she vanished.
When / rose, something fell from my
lap. It was small ivory box In
my stateroom I opened It and found
in It a little silver ring in the design
Of q scorpion It's tail was colled
around its head and in the open jaws
was a small sardonyx. Folded inside
4 the box was d yellow bit Of paper on
which was written in a wayering hand:
Dear Miss Arsdale-Win you please
wear this ring on your left little finger
and never take it of? cannot tell
you more, but believe me, you will
never regret it. Your sincere friend
Elaine
The next afternoon when a steward
came to take my suitcases ashore, my
curiosity got the better Of my good
manners and 1 made inquiries concern
ing the countess. The man was
amazed and assured me that no such
passenger was booked or aboard. Not
even my minute description Of her
could shake his declarations. Madame
could ask the purser. But madam did
not wish to. Going down the gang
/ plans, ! caught glimpse Of her in the
crowd below me. She turned and
smiled up at me and then disappeared
among the people. I have never seen
+ her since.
Two days later was sitting in
booth Of a Broadway chocolate shop
in Los Angeles. In a booth opposite
mine sat a young man who looked ike
a moving picture count In spite Of
his apparent efforts to seem composed,
ne was evidently excited. AS he was
watching me closely, thought I might
he an. object Of Interest to him. Per
haps he suspected me Of being a snug
gler or a lady burglar, and l mentally