LOVERIDGE CHASE

Here is the secret of the death of Elenor,

From what I learn of her, from what I know

In living, knowing women, I am clear

About this Elenor Murray. Give me power

To get the letters, power to give a bond

To indemnify the company, for you know

Letters belong to him who writes the letters;

And if the company is given bond

It will surrender them, and then you'll know

What man she loved, this Gregory Wenner or

Some other man, and if some other man,

Whether he caused her death.

The coroner

And Loveridge Chase sat in the coroner's office

And talked the matter over. And the coroner,

Who knew this Loveridge Chase, was wondering

Why Loveridge Chase had taken up the work

Of secret service, followed it, and asked,

“How did you come to give your brains to this,

Who could do other things?” And Loveridge said:

“A woman made me, I went round the world

As jackie once, was brought into this world

By a mother good and wise, but took from her,

My father, someone, sense of chivalry

Too noble for this world, a pity too,

Abused too much by women. I came back,

Was hired in a bank; had I gone on

By this time had been up in banking circles,

But something happened. You can guess, I think

It was a woman, was my wife Leone.

It matters nothing here, except I knew

This Elenor Murray through my wife. These two

Were schoolmates, even chums. I'll get these letters

If you commission me. The fact is this:

I think this Elenor Murray and Leone

Were kindred spirits, and it does me good

Now that I'm living thus without a wife

To ferret out this matter of Elenor Murray,

Perhaps this way, or somewhere on the way,

Find news of my Leone; what life she lives,

And where she is. I'm curious still, you see.”

Then Coroner Merival, who had not heard

Of Elenor Murray's letters in New York

Before this talk of Loveridge Chase, who heard

This story and analysis of Leone

Mixed in with other talk, and got a light

On Elenor Murray, said: “I know your work,

Know you as well, have confidence in you,

Make ready to go, and bring the letters back.”

And on the day that Loveridge Chase departs

To get the letters in New York, Bernard,

A veteran of Belleau, married that day

To Amy Whidden, on a lofty dune

At Millers, Indiana, with his bride —

Long quiet, tells her something of the war.

These soldiers cannot speak what they have lived.

But Elenor Murray helps him; for the talk

Of Elenor Murray runs the rounds, so many

Stations whence the talk is sent:— the men

Or women who had known her, came in touch

Somehow with her. These newly wedded two

Go out to see blue water, yellow sand,

And watch the white caps pat the sky, and hear

The intermittent whispers of the waves.

And here Bernard, the soldier, tells his bride

Of Elenor Murray and their days at Nice: