Evening star., 1925-06-07

ened a little by the look in her eyes.
You mean," she said in the same
dull. toneless voice, you have acted
in the interests of your own selfish
ness. You know that sending
Sammy to Johor Is only an excuse to
separate us. You know that any
one who takes a message to the
Maharaja becomes a laughing stock.
1t isn't like you to be so unfair and
so cruel. From the very beginning
you haven't tried to be friends with
Sammy. You've antagonized him;
you've accused him of being things
that he isn't; you-you've deliberately
gone out of your way TOTO force
me to love him.
You're at the romantic age.
honey" he said uneasily. You're
full of lots of Illusions. At this
moment 1t seems dreadful and-and
brutal. But you'll get over itp' he
said cheerily.
II want you to tell me-" Judy re-
piled stonily. exactly what 1t is you
have against Sam. If it's honest and
just and real, I'll promise to give
him up without another word"
Mr.. Van Dorm could only sputter.
He mentioned emphatically but hazily
the shiftless life that Sammy had led
and his present state of unemploy-
ment.
Judy heard him through, then
gravely shook her small dark head.
Not one of your arguments holds
water, Dad. He hasn't led a shiftless
life in the Lao. He turned in more
profits than any man who ever held
the post. And he isn't unemployed.
His contract with DR.. Dill has another
two months to run. He couldn't ac.
cept another position Ii he wanted to-"
CAMMY BONIFER left early to
catch the train for Penang, where
he would change to the Singapore Ex-
press for Johor Bharu, the Mahara jas
residence. When breakfast was later
served for the others Judy did not ap-
pear.
What promised to become an alb
sorbing mystery was solved when DR..
Hibbard of the Bangrap mission came
flashing into DR.. DilFs compound in
blue jinrikisha. He breathlessly an.
nounced that Judy Van Dorm and
Samuel Bonifer had been married by
his hands and book 80 minutes before
train time. His suspicious had not
been aroused until the girl requested
him to acquaint her father; she and
Sammy had decided to elope!
There was only one train a day into
the Federated Malay States.
Next morning came a telegram dis
patched from the Imperial Siamese
Railway rest station at Chum Pom,
where the Bangkok Penang train al.
ways stops for the night, surrendering
the right Of way to herds of wild
elephants and other beasts which
roam that newly opened region of
Siam when the sun has gone:
"Divinely happy. Having thrilling
time. Saw tiger trying to crawl
through the window bars into our bed
room at rest station last night, but
Sammy says 1t was nothing but a
black panther. My husband sends
heartiest congratulations. Forgive
ness by wire will reach us at Eastern
and Oriental Hotel. Penang Dearest
love.
JUDY BoNIFER."
Mr.. Van Dorm did not avail himself
of the opportunity generously afford
ed him to wire forgiveness. He as
saulted the problem which had
brought him to Bangkok with such
energy, however, that within a week
the trail grew hot. Within another
week, he was possessed of document
airy evidence which would, when given
to the world by the great banking
corporation of which he was a vice
president, shake Oriental banking cir.
cles to the roots.
This fortunate coup somewhat soft
ened him toward the erring Judy but
he would never, so long as he lived,
forgive her husband.
THEY returned from their honey
moon at the end OF a month, radi-
ant with happiness. Mr. Van Dorm re-
turned Judy's kiss coolly, subtly con.
veying that what she had done had in
jured him almost beyond repair. He
ignored the brtdegroom