The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-04-21

1.-THE power of attorney Is, of course
~revocable," 8etram suggested mali.
ciously.
IF Miss Claiming wishes to revoke
it. that can doubtless be attended to
without delay" Donald agreed. "Do
you wish Mr.. Bertram to call In O
stenographer and II notary, Miss Chan.
ning?"
Now, as Elaine, Patria could not
make a creditable forgery of the sigma
ture of Patria Claiming; the extraor-
dinarily skillful forgeries appended to
the contracts in Bertram's hands were
the work of Huroki's able compa-
triots. AS Elaine, she dared not at
tempt to sign the name of Patria in
the presence of witnesses.
mo, no." she said hastily rising
mot now, not today. 1 shall, of
course, revoke the power-tomorrow.
This afternoon 1 haven't time. I'm
already late for an appointment with
my d~ressmaker."
Then 1 shall expect a call from you
tomorrow" Bertram inquired amiably.
"At about what hour-?'
"Tll telephone" Patria evaded. IF
you please-Baron Huroki-Senor de
Lima"
When he had ~courteously shut the
door upon the backs of the discom-
fitted conspirators, Bertram turned to
Parr with a grin of unaffected delight.
aG@1l -ro.lr ~ H. .I.JJ
But Donald did not respond. He
was studying with a look of exaspera-
tion a small slip of paper which he
had just unfolded.
"What now?" Bertram asked.
"Read that!" Donald told him
wrathfully. you didn't notice-none
of the others debut Patria dropped
her handkerchief and 1 picked it up.
This message was in it's folds. 1
palmed it and Oh, read the id
thing!"
He paced furiously to and fro while
Bertram deciphered the message.
Written in pencil, hastily, it raj with
out date or salutation or signature:
"Huroki insists l must marry De Lima
tonight at eight at the Little Church
Around the Corner. I dare not refuse
What am I to do?
POWDER TOWN.
AS hat long summer twilight ebbed
into dark of night, the softly glowing
windows of the Church of the Trans
figuration signified to a largely indif-
ferent metropolis that a private we'd
ding was being very quietly cele-
brated.
Within, in the radiance hat bathed
the altar, Patria Claiming stood on
the left of Juan de Lima. On either
side waited the best man and matron
of honor, respectively Baron Huroki
and Mrs. Fanny Adair.
Patria waited in a state of nervous
tension in no way %perceptible.
She did not doubt her Donald; she
knew that he would find some way to
prevent the consummatiOn of this i'm
possible affair; she was not afraid.
The organ fell silent. Its sonorous
cadences were replaced by the accents
of the clergyman intoning the mar
rage service.
If any man can show just cause why
they may not lawfully be Joined to-
gether let him now speak, or
else hereafter forever hold his peace!
There was a little pause, abruptly
broken by a scurry and scuf1e of feet
confused with a frou-frou of skirts.
Out of the shadows that cloaked the
remoter portions of the church darted
with surprising agility, considering
her bulk-a woman of substantial ma
turity, a plump, dark creature of dis
tinctly Spanish type.
Half a dozen feet from the altar
she uttered one piercing cry:
"Juan, my husband! At last, I ave
found you! Monster of ingratitude
and infdelity, why did you desert me?'
She thrust him from her at arms
length, shook him mercilessly, then
overcome by a tidal wave of quench-
less affection, clasped him, struggling
vainly, once more to her bosom.
Half-suffocated with evaporation,
Huroki went to his confederate's as.
~sistance. But even while disentangling
the unfortunate, he bethought him of
the bride-elect, and looked around for
her.
She was no more there. Nor-hur.
ried search developed-was she any.
where within the church. Investiga.