Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-07-12
True
Prophet
By VICTOR REDcLIFFE

He of the group who won care and
attention, sympathy and g~entleness,
was Adrian Warne. He had rescued
Burton Grey from a burning hotel,
overcome by flame and smoke, and that
had endeared him to the Greys, Luz
ella and her mother.
The fifth and unobtrusive member OF
the quintette was Dayton Rolfe. He
had known Warne before the Greys
had ever heard Of him. A struggling
artist full of soul and ambition, but
not prodigal of speech, Rolfe had fit
ted into the circle of friends modest
ly, unostentatiousIy, and the first time
he had met Luella Grey he had loved
her.
Rolfe had lived with Warne not far
from the Grey home, and after the fire
episode they became veritable men,
bers of the Grey family group. Warne
was somewhat of a mystery, even to
Rolfe. He seemed to have a small In
come. There were days, however, when
Warne shut himself in his room and
wrote for hours. He never revealed
ito Rolfe the character of this intense
application. He was Of frail physique.
Often, even, when a visitor at the Grey
home, he would be overcome by sud
den weakness and would be obliged to
lie down on a couch.
On such occasions Burton would look
distressed and anxious and Luella
would hang over the sick man with
gentle and helpful s%olicitude. The
gratitude she felt towards Warne for
her to do for his rescuer as she would
for her own brother.
In this, mistakenly, Rolfe road the
~blossoming of a mutual love.
One day Burton gravely announced
to Rolfe that he and Warne were 60
ing away. "There may be no occasion
for ALARM" he said, 'but / have con-
suited a specialist, who says that
Warne must rough 1t In the open air up
among the far Canadian pineries.
Warne has consented to go, and / am
to accompany him. Rolfe, you love
this man as / do, you are a true friend
of our little family. Mother suggests
that you take a room in the house.
You will look after mother and sister
while / am gomez"
81 covet the trust, and thank you
for choosing me-" responded Rolfe
with feeling.
"Rolfe," said Warne later, you have
heard that 1 am going north, chasing
health. When youfmove to the Grey
home / want you to take charge of
that little trunk I have always kept
In - + n.Sh0uld% nythiag hanpen-
to NE, I make you my legatee. Its con-
tents will interest you, and may bene-
fit you"
Don't talk of all this" pleaded
Rolfe with sincere emotion. "You are
going to come back, rugged and well."'
"And If l do" said Warne, II feel
sure that by that time you will have
reached our goal with your new pic
ture. 1t was an inspiration on your
adapting Luella as your model"
Warne spoke of Miss Grey so famil-
iarly that Rolfe doubted not they were
engaged. Rolfe had not met with much
success with his pictures in the past;
now he had chosen a strong theme
in which the counterfeit presentment
of Luella was the central figure.
Then there began the ordeal of a
man, strong of heart in fidelity and
service in behalf of those he cherished,
yet daily suffering poignantly because
of his chosen environment.
At the end Of six months there came
terrible news. A newspaper telegram
announced the death of a party of
~oyerlanders lost In a landslide, and
the m of Adrian Warne and Bur-
ton Grey were in the list. Now came
the test of the true man for Rolfe.
He was son to the anguished mother,
brother to the bereaved sister. His
treasured picture promised popularity
and value. He sold it for half its price
to carry along the family.
One day he opened the old trunk
Warne had intrusted to his care. With
in he found nearly a dozen manu-
scripts. They were the result of
Warne's secret labors, novels Of a high
order. Within a month a willing pub
Usher was found. Within two the name
of Adrian Warne was familiar to a
vast reading clientele.
1t was nearly a year to a day when
into the Grey home, bronzed, bearing
signs of hardships and ~deprivations.
Warne and Burton entered. There
were hours of wild JOY, of stories of
marvellous escapes, of restored health
for Warne, who had come back to civ
j.szation to be greeted by both fortune
and fame.
II am going away" he told Rolfe
later: .sbut I shall never forget you,
dear, loyal friend, or these others who
have given me love and service. / am
going back to my wife,"
"Your wife" gasped Rolls.
"Yes. Her purse-proud father, who
parted us because l was poor and an
- M -