The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-05-05

lue street us MI. Wrenn, ne Kept 1t to
himself.
After an in~determinate duration in
his befuddled consciousness, he found
himself unexpectedly at home, the door
to his sitting oom shutting out the
Weakening world.
He shivered again, bethought him of
a 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 vas 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 it.
He recalled a 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
1ty. 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 were
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 h~ero-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 q 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 off. 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.
COincident had been the Punishment
of Rodney and his mother, who since
Patria's childhood had stood in loco
PARENTS 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 ever of remem-
brance of their existence-the papers
were publishing formal announcement
of her betrothal to Juan de Lima!
1t was all incredible to Rodney.
Such heartlessness, such Inconsistency,
passed comprehension.
Rage clouded his wits and senses.
Jade I" he muttered sullenly.
Needless of risk to his hands, he
shattered the glass in the frame with
a blow of his fist, ripped out the photo
graph, and tore 1t across and again.
Then, as the fragments fell to the
floor, he sank into a chair, dropped his
head on a forearm on the table, and
sobbed gustily.
Almost Immediately he fell asleep.
At precisely the same time Donald
was carrying the semi-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 a half-fran-
tic woman of middle age-Patria's
maid-who took the girl to her mater
nal bosom as soon as Parr r~elinquished
her.
"Oh, my deariel" she cried. "Where
have you came from in such a state?"
"Out of the jaws of death, out of
the mouth of he'll" Parr answered for
Patria. eff you had obeyed 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
a fire-caused by those accursed Japs
and we were caught in it. How we
escaped-ask Ryley. I don't know.
/. . . But don't stand there, star
ing. Get Miss Claiming to bed imme-
diately-get her out of those wet
clothes and wrap her up warmly.
Don't talk! Do as I bid you'll"
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