Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-09-12


| himself.
After an indeterminate duration In
his befuddled consciousness, he found
himself Unexpectedly at home, the door
to his sitting room shutting out the
Weakening world.
He shivered again, bethought him Of
certain decanter whose contents
| ought to provide temporary relief for
tangled nerves, and in search for it
came abruptly upon a framed photo
graph which decorated his study table.
The face that was pictured therein
, was the face Of Patria. smiling, ex-
quisite, provokingly coquettish.
A phase of mock sobriety possessed
the mind of Rodney Wrenn as he
picked up the photograph and stood
staring hungrily at ii.
He recalled day that was scarcely
six weeks old, when Patria, the self
same girl whose counterfeit present
ment was smiling into his eyes, had
seemed to be wholly his. pledged to
become his bride by an understanding
no less complete If tacit.
They had been light-hearted lovers
on that day. and on many a day that
had gone before.
Then. in a twinklIng, Donald Parr
had stepped between them.
In the opinion of Rodney his subse-
quent sufferings had aged him swiftly
to full manhood. But he was herein
self-deluded; he remained a boy, of
mans stature but Of youthful mental
ity. AS he was presently to prove.
His look grew still more morose as
he reviewed the events which had fol-
lowed the coming of Captain Parr.
There had been a brief time when
Donald had seemed to be high in the
favor of the girl. So Constantly We're
the two together that the gossip Of
Newport had excusably bruited their
engagement. And that was something
which Rodney, for all his resentment,
had been able to understand. The boy
ish hero-worship which he had always
accorded Donald Parr still maintained
its sway upon his thoughts. It was
quite conceivable that the girl should
become-perhaps only temporarily-in-
fatuated with such a man.
But all the time she was changing,
her very nature was changing incom-
prehensibly. Hardly had society set
tied itself to accept Captain Parr as
the fortunate sutton when, following
one of Patria's business trips to New
York, all that was or. Donald was in
deep disfavor and Baron Huroki. that
sly, suave japanese, and his constant
associate. Senior Juan de Lima. the
lanky, crude Mexican millionaire, were
constantly at Patria's elbows. with
Fanny Adair forming a triumvirate of
her intimates.
Colneident had been the Punishment
Of Rodney and his mother, who since
Patria's childhood had stood in loco
pareatis to the girl, managing her sew
eral households In town and county,
supervising her education, chaperoning
her social life.
And now, but a few weeks later
weeks unmarked by any token of CON
triton from Patria or even Of remem-
brance of their existence-the papers
were publishing formal announcement
Of her betrothal to Juan de Lima!
It was all incredible to Rodney.
Such heartlessness, such Inconsistency,
passed comprehension.
Rage clouded his wits and senses.
"Jade :" he muttered sIllenly.
Needless Of risk TO his hands, he
shattered the glass in the frame with
blow Of his fist. ripped out the photo
graph, and tore it across and again.
Then, as the fragments fell to the
floor, he sank into a chair, dropped his
head on forearm on the table, and
sobbed gustily.
Almost Immediately he fell asleep
At precisely the same time Donald
was carrying the semt-conscious girl
into the sitting room of his own lodg-
ings, his assistant Ryley lowering in
attendance, ready to lend assistance If
needed--or permitted.
The door was opened by half-fran-
tic woman of middle age-Patria's
maid-who took the girl to her mater
nal bosom as soon as Parr rellnquished
her.
'Oh, my deariel' she cried. "Where
have you came from In such a s;ate?'
''Out Of the jaws of death. out Of
the mouth of hell" Parr answered for
Patria. "If you had oheyed orders.
Anne. and stayed awake till she was
asleep, this would never have hap
pened. She followed me to the
Bayonne docks last night; there was
fire-caused by those accursed Japs
and we were caught in it. How we
escaped-ask Ryley. don't know.
But don't stand there. star
ing. Get Miss Claiming 10 bed imme-
diately-get her out of those wet
clothes and wrap her up warmly.
Don't tallll Do as I bid you!"
The girl had revived sufficiently TO
walk. As supported by the maid, she
disappeared in the direction of the bed
chamber. Parr turned to Ryley.
'It's six" he announced, taking out
his watch. Don't sleep till you get
hold of a magistrate and swear out
warrants for the arrest of Huroh and
De Lima on charges Of criminal con
spiracy and causing the Bayonnc ex-
plosions. Bring the warrants here to
me at one o'clock. I'll execute them