Picture Play Magazine (Oct-Nov 1915)

biet acceptance of the decree. "It Jems to me that we owe Lieutenant ommers a little more, indeed, than just .is glance over his designs." ' Miss Durant !" Dick tried to inter 'I. Why, what do you mean, Frances?" quired her father. ' 'Where are Lieutenant Sommers' deigns, Etherington ?" "I left them in my cabin on the 'z cssa. I did not know that Lieutenant ommers must leave again to-night, or would have brought them along." "I'm glad you didn't," said Frances. 'Why, what do you mean?" Lieutenant Sommers, you surely have ther copies of your drawings and specications ?" Why, yes, Miss Durant.'' "Then you will let me keep those .hich Mr. Pinckney ?" left the rvcssa : "No, Miss Durant," said Dick, susecting her intention. ''That is, unless ou " "I'll keep them, Mr. Sommers ! FaIher, you will make for me. will you not. trial gun from Lieutenant Sommers" lesigns ?" "Why, Frances — of course, my dear irl, of course !" her father promised. "Let him do it, Dick!" Admiral Barow advised. "Stop ; you haven't time o argue. Haven't I just ordered you to ake your ship back to Bagol at once? must enforce discipline ; go — and let ^ :hem do it for you, I say !" "But, Miss Durant," began Sommers. "Good-by. Lieutenant Sommers ! You nust go to your ship at once !" "I know it," the officer admitted. And I'm not going to try now and stop ou from doing this thing you offer ; for, in spite of Mr. Pinckney, I must till believe in myself and my gun. If am right and he is wrong, the saving o the government is so great that I can have no personal grounds for refusing." "Good !" The girl held out her hand. Then you will hurry now and pacify Bagol again, in time to come to Durant to see the making and testing of the successful Sommers gun !" ' "As I fear that may be some time, may I not before then " "Inquire of the progress of the gun ? Of course !" "Good-by, then !" he said, touching her fingers. "Good-by, gentlemen." PICTURE-PLAY WEEKLY CHAPTER V. A PATRIOTIC PLOT. "My Dear Miss Durant : Off Bagol, Philippine Islands. Just last night I was writing you, in reply to your fine letter which the little Viscaya had just brought me, that I could see no hope whatever of being able to follow you to Durant. And then this morning— just a moment ago, when I came up here to the wireless cabin — our transport Mongolian was signaling me from somewhere up by Samar Island, ordering me to Durant ! I couldn't believe it at first, but it is so ! For I made them repeat it all very care 27 tion of seeing my gun made at last, I entertain the hope of seeing you. I shall surely, shall I not, Miss Durant? The government imagines I am taking this furlough and going to Durant just to see a gun! I must make that excuse, I know ; but please don't you believe it ! Undisguisedly yours, "Richard Sommers. "Please give your father my highest respects." In reply, the following letter reached Mr. Richard Sommers, Lieutenant Commander U. S. N.. on leave from U. S. S. San Juan, care of the postmaster, San Francisco : "What," the steel king asked Pinckney, "is the weak — that is to say, the most debatable point in the making of the Sommers gun?" fully ; and the message they sent me is a relay of a cablegram received at Manila, granting me two months' furlough to be present at the forging and testing of my gun — I mean, of course, the gun that you are making from my designs. "I am given this leave subject to immediate recall at any time ; but, though things are by no means tranquil in this department, still, they have quieted down so much that I cannot be conceited enough to think that I shall be essential here after my relief comes to take command of the San Juan next week. "There is no need for me to tell you that, beyond the great gratifica "Dear Mr. Sommers: The good news that you are coming here has made both father and me very impatient for you to follow your letter. If you reach Durant at any time within the next month, you will surely see us both. "We did not know, when I was writing the letter which you received just before you wrote yours, that you would be free so soon ; but when the department notified father that you were to be given a furlough to see the testing of your gun, both he and I wrote you again. As those letters must have missed you, if you left when you expected, I am sending this to San Francisco.