The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1917-07-20

on the lookout for news.
Peter dared not leave the saloon,
much rs he longed for sight of the
familiar skyscrapers and good old
Brooklyn bridge. He feared to lose
the precious opportunity Of seeing the
girl of his heart. But the passengers
came and went, and still there was
no sign Of the mysterious lady from
No. Z.
Not till the dining saloon was empty
did Peter start for the purser's office.
On the way he met stewardess. AS
Stunning his most ingratiating air, he
asked if she could tell him the name
of the occupant OF Stater00m No. Z,
as he had noticed that no name was
given on the passenger list, due no
doubt, to the hurry and confusion In
booking.
The stewardess looked at him with
a blank eye and assured him that all
such information came from the pur-
ser. Peter was minus q tip, but he
realized the logic of her refusal and
made his way to the purser's office.
That official welcomed him kindly, and
Peter from his manner had every hope
that he was on the right track.
ooh, by the way" he said nonchal-
antly, "who was the man or woman
who had stateroom seven across from
mineF"
The purSer smiled. That's an easy
question to answer" he said. "State-
room seven was unOccupied-it was
assigned to a Jonathan Jones, but he
didn't show up"
Peter looked at him; he tried to
stare through him, but the purser's
face continued to wear the smiling
mask of good fellowship, and there is
no way to pick quarrel with q smile.
SO Peter backed out as though salts.
fled, but, being his fathers son, re-
solved to 60 to the captain as soon as
the boat locked and put the question
to him.
The nearer to her pier the Huron
drew the more agitated Peter became.
He realized that if he were to discover
what he wanted to know he would
have to learn it quickly. He deter
mined before seeing the captain to
stand by the gangway. and watch the
passengers go ashore. This, after all,
was the logical method to pursue, and
he acted accordingly.
But as the passengers went ashore
nodding friendly good-byes to him, he
saw the line become thinner and thin
ner until only a few were left. He
confessed to feeling Of uneasiness,
and when the last passenger barring
himself had left he hurried to his
stateroom, seized his portmanteau,
looked across at No. Z, saw that it was
empty and rushed to the captain.
That individual held out his hand.
"Nlighty nice of you to come up to
the bridge to say goodbye" said he.
Peter shook his hand and asked with
the old nonchalance, "By the way, will
you tell me who occupied number
seyen?"
II certainly WILL" said the captain.
81 don't know her name, but see her
on the dock there-she has very
black hair-there she Is, the large
woman" = - 80
Peter looked and then his patience
exhausted, he turned to the captain.
"And you are the noblest liar of them
all" he said as he descended and TAX
ing the gangway in half a dozen
bounds marched over to the FL sec.
ton to wait for customs inspector.
Not once in the course of an hours
delay did he set eyes on the mystic
rious lady who had been his neighbor.
In the meantime he telephoned to
the Hotel Astra, where his father had
kept a suite for years, and requested
that the family lawyer be summoned.
He wished to waste no time to learn
whatever there was to know about the
mystery of the double cross.
The Hale suite was on the second
floor. 1t overlooked an open court
banked with shrubs and flowers. Pc.
ter knocked at the door with feeling
Of sadness.
Mr.. Granger opened the door and
did the best he could to make the
Homecoming of his clients son as cor
dial as possible.
"Glad to see YOU" said he, patting
Peter on the shoulder with the free
dom of long acquaintance. "You got
my marconigram?"
II did," said Peter, pulling off his
gloves and laying his hat on the ia.
BILE, "and what In the world it meant
am here In a hurry to find out"
The old gentleman looked at him
quizzically. "We1l get right down to
that" he said, "but before we do |
want to say a few words about your
father as kind Of preparation to
what is to follow"
They both sat. "Smoke If you like"
said the lawyer, sand while you do
I'll talk. Now, In the first place, your
father was very rich man. He left
good many millions; it isn't neces-
sary for you to know just yet how
many, and, of course, he left them all
to you, but oaly In case you do Ger.
tain things"
HE made conditions?" cried Peter,
"My father"
"He did," said the lawyer.
"What kind of conditions?" asked
the now thoroughly astonished son.
swell, | admit they are a bit odd