The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-11-26 00:00:00

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the cabin over his outstretched feet, and the girl he
had saved was in Cuthbert Ingram's arms, almost
lost to sight in his wild embrace.
I guess I'm not wanted for a bit,' John Tregellis
said to himself, and went on deck to see about things
there. His charges were both safe, and could take
care of themselves.

There was no reservation now. The loving hearts
had found their resting-places at last, and the
calamities of the past were as nothing to either of
them. For a time they could do nothing but clasp
each other and weep in the fulness of their joy. But
calmness came after awhile, and they could speak and
ask each other how it happened that they had met
thus on the wide sea alter all such deadly peril on
both sides.
Cuthbert told of his miraculous escape, and his
home-coming when he saw that Helen was free, and
how the story of Frank Hatherleigh's death had
come to him before the Asphodel was ready for her
return voyage.
But you were free before that, mjdarling.' He
could call her his darling now without fear. He
knew that she was his, and his alone—that never
while they lived would anything come between them.
It was heaven to sit on the deck of the Christabel,
with his arm around her and her head on his shoulder,
and listen to her gentle voice.
'Yes,' she said; it was all over. But how did you
know that, Cuthbert?'
I did not know it till Captain Tregellis told me, ho
replied. 'He as present at the trial.'
Ah, poor Barney,' Helen said; he was very ne ley
getting hanged for what he never did. It wai a
wicked plot of someone's. Ah, don't talk of that, I
shall go mad!'
We won't talk of it,' Cuthbert said, fondling her,
for Ole was shivering with fear and agitation. 6 Don't
think of it. Tell me of yourself. You have hoard
my adventures. I have to learn yet how you Clllll9 to
be here. What took you to sea, my owx, Helen?'
'lt was all part of the same thing,' she replied, in
a low tone, and looking round as if she were afraid of
someone or something. 'lt was his work.'
'His. Whose?' _

Horace Gayford's. Ah, don't make me speak of
him, Cuthbert. If I do, he will have power over me
again. Ho will say, "Come I Follow me," and I shall
have to do it.'
She was so distressed that he bade her wait and
tell him some other time—soothing her and telling
her that no one should have any power over her now.
She was his property, and he would stand between
her and all harm.
'Are you sure you can?' she asked fearfully.' Ah,
you don't know what that man can do.'
He shall do nothing to my wife,' Cuthbert whis-
pered, and Helen nestled up to him with a blush and
a smile, and felt fafe for the first time since that
terrible morning when she had nearly done Horace
Gayford's bidding, and gone to him where he waited
on the sea shore.

She told her lover everything that had happened
to her, and how she had discovered too late to call
him back that Frank Hatherleigh and herself were of
the same mind about marrying, that he loved Madge
Churchill and she loved him.

'Poor Madge,' she -said, nearly killed her. She
was so happy when she found she was not standing
between me and my happineEs, and Frank was so
manly and so open about it. We parted such good
friends, and the next thing I saw of him wa,l the
etothes he had had on all stained with water and
blood.' . . . .

••• • WO •
'Don't think of it. Don't speak of it. It is too
horrible 1'
must speak to you, Cuthbert. I have thought
and thought till I believed that I was going mad.
Cuthbert, poor Frank was murdered for my sake!'
For your sake, dear?'
'Yes, lam sure of it. By that man, his cousin. I
saw it in his wicked face. I heard it in the trium-
phant tones of his evil voice when he was talking to
me. He killed him, poor boy, and I was the wicked
cause.'
Not wicked, Helen. It was your beauty and
fascination, my darling. You never encouraged that
man?'
heaven, no Helen said, shivering. What is
his power over me, Cuthbert ? I was flying from
him, trying to hide myself from him when the
boat went down. I had to go. It was no use, I
could not fight against it. They could not save me.
They would not have understood if I had told them
all about it. I was going to England to Mr. Jarvis—
he will thil tic I am dead—and then—'
She burst into bitter weeping, and he held her to
his heart and comforted her as well as he c)uld,
while he pondered over what she had told him. Her
terror was genuine. This man had had some strange
inf uence over her, and she must be saved from it;
but how? Was not this clergyman a friend of Helen's
guardian? Would he not act upon Mr. Jarvis as well
as be had done upon her, and bring that gentleman
to give him his ward? Such things had been doue
before. Helen should not be sacrificed. Thanks to
Mr. Tregellis, he had some money; and she should
not go to England till she felt safe and free. Captain
Tregellis would set them ashore somewhere, and then
he would find a shelter for her, and think what was
to be done. _ _

Captain Tregellis, consulted in the matter, told
partly what had befallen Helen, considered a mi,i ute,
and then said he could take them to Havre.
I know the consul there,' he said, and if you
like I can speak to him abott you. I can spare you
that much time, and then we must "shake hands
and part," as Hamlet says, and God speed you.'
' We shall not part for over, I trust,' Cuthbert said.
We are not likely to lose sight of such a friend as you,
Captain Tregellis. You will find us boarding the Mary
Jane some time when you least expect it.'
You'll have to catch her first,' was the quiet
answer. 'The Mary Jane flies abont, I can tell you.
I may get to the other side of the world in her, for
aught I know, her next voyage.'
Wherever she goes she will carry our hearts with
her,' Helen said. with a gentle pressure of the captain's
rough hand. We shall know each other in heaven,
Captain Tregellis, if we never meet again in this
world.'

•
It was a strange sensation to stand on dry land
again after all they had gone through. John Tregellis
put them both ashore at Havre, with an hurried ex-
planation to the consul there, who was an old friad
of his. Turning to him with a last shake of the hand,
and a last fervent God speed you,' Cuthbert found
himself suddenly seized and hugged by some one whom
he had not noticed.
My boy! My boy!' a choking voice said, and
then his hand was shaken till his arm was nearly dis-
located, and he waked from his trance of astonishment
to see his uncle, with great tears rolling down his face,
staring at him like a man in a dream.

CHAPTER X
HER HEART'S HAVEN.
Two souls with but one single thought
Two hearts that beat ea one.
—MRS. LOvEt.t.
I'm not mad, that I know of,' the merchant said, re-
treating a step or two, and staring again at lii9
nephew, like a man in a wild dream; 'and I ha. e ‘'t
been drinking. It is true ;• my boy has come b tat; I
didn't value him till I knew I had lost him, and then
—aye, then I would have given my whole fortune to
have called him back again, if I could.'
'Guess its all right,' John Tregellis said, half to
himself, as he turned to go away after a pause of
astonishment at what was passing. 'I seem to have
dropped them in the right place. -My work's done
here.'
No, it isn't,' Cuthbert said, catching him by the
hand and detaining him; `no, if the Christabel is ever
so late in arriving, you must let my uncle shake you
by the hand and thank you. He saved my life,
uncle,' he added, with a choke in his voice, and Helm's,
too.'
Helen's?' _

-
Yes ; this is Helen. We will tell you all by and
bye. We should both of us have been drowned but
for him. Thank him; I cannot.'
Nor I, in words,' the old an said, grasping the
old sailor's bands in both his own; but he can guess
how my heart speaks when he looks into his own; and
thanks to Heaven for the good he has done !'
' It's nothing,' the sailor said, gruffly. ' rve been
more than paid in the pleasure already. But it's
pleasant to think you have made a friend or two more
in the world; and I think Missy here won't forget the
rough old sailor that pulled her out of the water. And
Mr. Ingram and I are friends already; we've gone
through the same peril, and have rejoiced in the same
deliverance, and that makes friends of strangers, let
alone fellow-countrymen, like him and me.'

He drew his hand across his eyes in a hurried
fashion, and turned abruptly to the door.
The Christabel wants me,' he said; 'and her
owners will think I have wrecked her. Good-bye;
and God bless you!'
Bef ore they could catch his rough hands again he was
gone. Hurrying to the quay, with his hat pulled over
his eyes to hide some very suspicious moisture tb. re,
and he was remarkably stern and strict with his crew
all the rest of the passage. He did not often play the
martinet, but his heart was too full for ordinary
words, and to have spoken a cheerful or a kind one to
anybody aboard would have broken him down
entirely.
'God bless them both !' he said to himself, as his
ship moved away from the quay, and the blue sea was
before him again. 'He has found his haven. I waited
and watched for mine, to wreck in sight of shore at
last. Well, well; we shall know why it all happened
sometime. She's a pretty creature, too; straight and
sweet and winsome-looking. So was my Lucy! John
Tregellis, pou are a fool ! Spilt milk is no good to any- ,
one ; and crying over it doesn't gather it up again.'
When he was gone they turned to one another
again and looked. There seemed to he nothing else
they could do in the fulness of their heart.: Helen
would fsayerhung back and got into-the background,
but Outtibetneldshor fast.. • '
The Consul was a kindly old gentleman, a friend of
Mr. Ingram, senior, vim; had corae,over to see him on
a twitter Of lonsiness ; and ho. looked pleasantly on the
young people ;thus dropped tupon, as it were, from the
sea.
is like a bit from a fairy tale: he said.'Wej
ften,flave waifs fibril- the sea heie to.. help awl AI&
home, but it isn't often that everything comes right 11,
'M my office. Don't you think you had better all
some upstairs and rest? Mrs. Hansard will be delighted
to have you.'
'We have so much to hear and tell,' Cuthbert said,
that lam afraid we should be in the way. I would
ituggest the nearest hotel.'