The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-02-24
CONF SSIONS
OF A BRIDE
I Fear to Tell chrys the Awful
News Of the alone'sn Fate.
Copyright, N. E. Al

News OF the clones" Fate.
ain world SO caammed with sor.
row." it's strange that man and a
woman can achieve their supreme hap
piness merely by being together" II
and Chrys while they chatted away
in complete oblivion to their sur
roundings. IL was my unhappy duty
to spoil their small portion OF Joy by
handing them the paper with its dread
full news.
let them chat on, and smile on
while gathered up my courage. The
report that the lone had gone down
could not be concealed from ]. D.
Lorimer's daughter for any length Of
time.
Chrystobel Lorimer had always
prided herself on her ability to face
the hard facts of-life. She had a pet
theory that men and women behave
in an emergency according to the hab-
its they have formed under ordinary
conditions. II man or a woman has
been accustomed to meet small daily
trials calmly, he or she will be brave
in the face Of tragedy. Only those who
shirk their portion of minor hardships
will slump like towards when con-
fronted by accident or sudden death.
Chrys' pride in her personal react
ion to the inevitable was about to be
tested, but l had to~admit that was
plain coward. l could not force my
self to tell her what the paper said.
"Dr. Spence!" l called. Spence
| crossed the room and l thrust the
| newspaper into his hand
His jaw set hard as he grasped the
meaning of the big black type at a
single glance. Then he adjusted the
window shade in order that he might
turn his back to Chrys while he fran.
ed question with his lips.
answered in whisper:
you tell her!"
/ He raised his eyebrows. as II he
doubted my wisdom. Tell her at
once-she is very brave! She will like
you the better for treating her as il
you expect her to be brave"
With that he went over to her,
followed him. He sat down by ner
side, opened the paper and spread it
on her knees.
Chrys snatched the meaning from
the dreadful heads and then, without a
word, she wilted into her lovers
ready arms. Her head went down up
on his shoulder as if she had been &C.
customed to seek comfort there for
ages and ages, and his face rested on
her hair and remained there as If he
had given her OF his strength and cour.
age hundred hundred times.
stood an unwilling spectator at
this strange confession Of their mu-
tual love.
Was there, asked myself ever an.
other such silent-betrothal?
Not even the thrill of kiss told
them how they adored each other.
Something finer than that-her need
to lean on him in her dark hour and
his need to share her sorrow-had de.
stroyed all the barriers between them
and they knew with51.:: saying word
to each other.
Nothing ever could part them again.
stole back to my window knowing
that they would not miss me. Natural
ly my mind turned to my last talk with
Daddy Lorimer. He had laughed be-
cause his valet had been so dismayed
at finding his Shoes on a high self.
THE lone Is bound for Davy Jones'
locker this trip" Daddy had conclud.
ed. 1t was only horrid coincidence.
! shuddered as l recalled it, but nv
most poignant regret was connected
with the strange "hunch" had receiv-
ed from Bob.
Wait! Wait!" l had heard him
whisper.
Or did l only imagine that my mes.
sage came from my husband? Doubt
less some persons would take it as a
warning from the unseen world-a
warning which, had it been obeyed,
would have saved the yacht from de,
structionl
Whatever the significance of the
premonition, however, it had origin.
ated, l had done my part in trying to
persuade Daddy Lorimer to reman In
the harbor another day. And Daddy
had refused-for no good reason what.
everl
why do human beings get so per.
verse over trifles? I wondered. Be-
ing stubborn about very unimportanl
matters had been the pet hobby of
Daddy Lorimer's life. Perhaps that
little habit had brought his life to a
close!
Ito Be continued.)