The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1872-07-04
Whole No. 1884.

daWIey! III dig q gulf between
them as broad as the ocean! I'H
undo that marriage, or diey"
"Softly! Where is Kate?"
He referred to their single SER
want.
"She's out for the day." answered
Miss Pedder, arising and planting
herself in chair.
"There was little to DO, you know
as did not expect you home until
dinner"
"Then no one will hear u.s."
He drew a chair nearer to that of
his sister and sat down beside her.
"What's your idea ?" he asked, in
a whisper.
"My idea is to separate them to
turn their love to hate; to dig pit
beneath their feet that will remain
open forever ~
"But how ?'
"Will. HaWley is poor, isn't he ?"
"Certainly; there is no mistake
about that. His mother was help
less invalid for the last ten years of
her life, and Will. insisted on her
using for her comfort every penny
he earned. 1t hasn't been six
months since he was relieved of that
burden. He's poor, therefore, as
you say-poor as Jobs turkey ~
"Then he'll have TO leave his
darling Clara" sneered Miss Pedder
venomously. "He'lI have to absent
himself from his deary in order to
earn their mutual bread and butter.
In short, he'll have to go to sea
again ?''
"Well, yes; 1 suppose he WILL"
.assented Pedder. "He can get bet
ter wages at sea than elsewhere.
He'll sail again soon, no doubt"
81 thought as much. And the
sea is full of terrible dangers When
do you sail again for Australia ?"
din about two weeks-po5sibly in
ten days, as the ships filling up
rapidly"
"Hawley is thoroughly compe-
tent to be your first mate?'
Pedder looked wonderingIy at
his sister moment, and then an
swered:
"Of course. know of no better
man for the post"
"He must be your first mate,
then. You have influence enough
with your owners, hope, to turn
out the present incumbent ?''
"Why, the post is already vacant.
Mr.. Jarding-you have seen him
Mr.. Jarding has just been called
home suddenly to Ohio, on account
of his fathers illness"
"Good! That's fortunate. You
must recommend Hawley for the
vacant place to your owners, and
get them to engage him. The thing
can be done ?"
"Without the least doubt. 1t
was understood, you know, as just
now remarked, that was to help
Hawley at the first opportunity.
Well accordingly suppose that he
sails with me as first mate the next
voyage. What then ?"
"You must leave him-nOt dead,
but a prisoner-on some desert ISL
and between here and Australia ~
Pedder looked his a5tonishment.
"If it can be done," he said, after
a pause, 'what next?"
"You must come back and report
that he is dead, furnishing full de-
tails and good proofs. Those de-
tails and proofs will not be difficult
to manufacture. Then you must
be all kindness and sympathy to the
young widow, as she will suppose
herself to be, and in less than year
thereafter she will be your wife,"
"Oh, if this thing were pOssible!'
sighed Pedder, beginning to look
relieved.
"Possi5Ie9 It's as simple as kiss
ing. And the moment you are
married to Clara, L will take trip
to Australia for my health, and
naturally enough, stumble upon
the very island where you have left
Hawley; effect his rescue, tell him
his wife is dead; cOndole and SYM
pathize with him like an angel; and
conclude the whole comedy by be-
coming his wife and settling in
Australia. You'll thus have your
Clara, on this side of the ocean, and
I shall be happy with Hawley on
the other"
She was smiling now, with every
sign of anticipated triumph.
As to Pedder, he twisted nervous
ly in his chair, scarcely venturing
to breathe.
"There's just one difficulty" he
muttered-"that of getting Hawley
on the desert island without his
suspecting anything"
sit can be done," and the lips Of
Miss P9dder came together like the
laws of vice. There's no difficulty
about finding a suitable island ?"
sNot the least. saw the island
in my minds eye the moment you
, uttered the word, aud a glorious one
, it is for our pupOse."
sIt will be easy for you to get
. Hawley upon it," suggested Miss
} Pedder thoughtfully. "If it's near