Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-07-07
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Watch Upon the Beach.


Constance was throbbing with deter
mination and action, as she found her
purse and counted the money In 1t.
She never In her life had gone alone
upon an extended journey, much less
been alone upon a train overnight. If
she spoke Of such thing now, she
would be prevented; no occasion for
1t would be recognized; she would not
be allowed to go, even IL properly &C.
companied" She could not, there
fore, risk taking handbag from the
house. so she thrust nightdress and
toilet articles into her muff and the
roomy pocket Of her fur coat. She de-
scended TO the side door Of the house,
gained the street and turned west
ward at the first corner to street
car which would take her to the rail-
way station.
The manner Of buying railway
ticket and Of engaging berth were
unknown to her-there had been serv-
ants always to do these things-but
she watched others and did as they
did. She procured a telegraph blank
and wrote a message to her mother,
telling her that she had gone north to
join her father. When the train had
started, she gave the message to the
porter, directing him to send it from
the first large town at which they
stopped.
Constance could not, as yet, place
Henry's part In the strange circum-
stances which had begun to reveal
themselves with Alan's coming to Chi
cago; but Henry's hope that Uncle
Benny and Alan were dead was begin
ming to make that clearer. She lay
without voluntary movement in her
berth. but her bosom was shaking with
the thoughts which came to her.
Twenty years before, some dreadful
event had altered Uncle Benny's life;
his wife had known-or had learned |
enough of that event so that she had |
left him. 1t had seemed to Constance |
and her father therefore, that 1t must |
have been some intimate and private
event
Uncle Benny had withdrawn him
self from men; he had ceased TO be \
active in his business and delegated 1t |
20 others. This change had been |
strangely advantageous to Henry.
Henry had been hardly more than a
seaman then. He had been
mate on one Of Uncle Ben
ny's ships. Quite suddenly he had
become Uncle Benny's partner. Henry
had explained this 10 her by saying
that Uncle Benny had not trusted
Henry; he had been suspicious Of
hin he had quarreled with him. How
strange, then, that Uncle Benny should
nave advanced and given way 10 a
nan whom he could not trust
Uncle Benny had come 10 her and
warned her not 10 marry Henry; then
le had sent for Alan. There had been
purpose IN these acts Of Uncle Ben
ly's had they meant that Uncle Ben
" had been on The verge Of making
explanation that explanation which
seDry feared-and that he had been
prevented Her father had thought
his al least he had thought that
jnole Benny must have leff some ex-
'lanatlon ~ his house. re had told
Nan thar and bad given Alan the
ey 10 ihe house 30 mar Ne could
nd a. Alan had CONS 10 one house
W the house Alan had found s0me
ne VINO haa mlslakou hlW ~
host msp aho had eriei 0ui pa
shi VI liw somelhlpg phppi golp
bQai lie AiNebf iip shlp M ahQse
lss no enc had lpQNn anything ri
~ ~ lhf sounllnss NJ llr Drum
llai had ~ men hien aolng W lne
gusff liai hf lo9 hffp l0lllng M ,
y faplepntqp ~ exploration ihai f,