Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-10-05

you that. You'll thauli your stars I cid
go before very long. I-s-sh, here's
Sylvester ~
The door of the room opened. The
person who entered, however, was no.
the lawyer, but the very man of whom
they had been speak. ng, Captain E....sh;
himself. He closed TIC door behind him
Hello, stevie," he said, with a no
to the boy. Then, turning to his niece
he stepped forward and held out his
hand. Caroline" he began, 81 don't
doubt you're surprised to see me here,
but I Why, what's the matter?"
The faces of the pair led him to ask
the question. Stephens face was red,
and he looked embarrassed and guilty.
Caroline's was white, and she glanced
from her brother to her guardian and
back again with flashing eyes.
Captain Warren, my brother has
hinted-he has said What does he
mean by holding some one to a prom
Use? Answer me truthfully."
II shouldn't answe you any other
way, Caroline. Steve seems to be wor.
ried about the young man You're on
gagged to. He seems to c~allate tha
Mr.. Dunn may want to slip out of TIM
engagement"
His niece looked at him. Then she
turaed to her brother. you went To
him and oh, how could you!'
Stephen would not meet her gaze
"Well," he muttered rebelliously, 'why
wouldn't II You know yourself thu =
Nal hasn't been near you since Il he,
pened. If he wasn't after-if he ".
straight, he would have come, woulCn',
he?"
stop" She cut him short tmperious
ly. Don't make ms hate you. And
you" turning to her uncle, did you
listen and believe such things? Oh, l
know what you think of my friends. !
heard it from your own lips. And /
know why you think 1t. Because they
know what you are, because they ex-
posed you and
There, therel Caroline, you needn't
go on. I've heard your opinion Of my
character afore. Never mind me for
the minute. And, If you'll remember,
l amt said that / doubted your young
man. You told me that you thought
the world and all of him and that he
did of you. That's e~nough-or ought
TO be. But your brother says you
wrote him two days ago and he amt
been near you"
II misdirected the letter. He didn't
receive it."
"Um-hm. see. That would explain
"Of course it would. That must be
the reason. Dc you suppose If he were
as poor as-as l am that | would de-
sert him? You know 1 wouldn't. l
should be glad-yes, almost happy-be-
cause then I could show him-could"-
Her voice failed her. She put her
handkerchief to her eyes for an instant
and then snatched it away and faced
them, her head erect. The pride In her
face was reflected in Captain Elisha's
as he regarded her.
mo, no." he said gently; 81 never
supposed you'd act but In one way,
Caroline. I knew you. If Malcolm's
what he'd ought to be, 1 said, he'll be
glad Of the chance to prove how
much he cares for you. But Steve ap-
peared to have some ~misgivin's, and sc
it seemed to me that his doubts OUGHT
to be settled. And" rising as there
came a tap at the door, II callate
they're goin' to be-"
He walked briskly we and opened
the door. Sylvester was standing with.
out. and with him were Mrs. Corcoran
Dunn and Malcolm.
They were past the sill before Cap
tain Elisha's greeting caused them to
turn and see the three already there.
Mrs. Dunn, who was in the lead, stop
ped short in her majestic though creak.
ing march of entrance, and her lorid
face turned a brighter crimson. Her
son, strolling languidy at her heels,
started violently and dropped his hat.
Mrs. Dunn had come to the Offices of
Sylvester, Kuhn q Graves at the senior
partners request to be told, as she sup
posed, the full and final details of the
financial disaster threatening the War
rem family. If those details should
prove the disaster as overwhelming as
it appeared, then-well, then, certain
disagreeable duties must be performed.
But to meet the eirl to whom her son
was engaged and her brother and her
guardian thus unexpectedly and unpre-
pared was enough to shake the compo-
SURF and nerve of even such a veteran
campaigner as Mrs. NJ. Corcoran Dunn.
But of the three to whom the meet
ing was an absolute surprise-Caroline
Malcolm and herself-she was charac-
teristically the first to regain outward
serenity.
my dear child!' she cried. "My
dear girl! I'm so glad to see you! I've
thought of you SO much! And | pity
you so. Poor Malcolm has-AIalcolm,''
sharply, "come herei Don't you see
Gardiner"
Malcolm was cropping nervously for
his hat. He picked it up and obeyed
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