Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-07-05

assented Pedder. 'sHe can get bet.
ter wages at sea than elsewhere.
He'll sail again soon, no doubt"
"I thought as much. And the
sea is full of terrible dangers
When do you sail again for Aus
tralia?"
"1n about two weeks-possibly in
ten days, as the ships filling up
rapidly"
'Hawley is thoroughly competent
to be your first mate?"
Pedder looked wonderingly a,
his sister moment, and then an
swered:
"Of course. 1 know of no better
man for the post"
"He must be your first mate
then. You have influence enough
with your owners, l hope, to turn
out the present Incumbent"
"Why, the post is already vacant
Mr.. Jarding-you have seen him
Mr.. Jar2ing 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. Itwas
understood. you know, as just now
remarked, that l was to help Haw'
ley at the first opportunity. Well
accordingly suppose that he sails
with me as first mate the next voy'
age. What then?"
"You must leave Mm-not dead
but prisoner on some desert
island between here and Australia
Pedder looked his astonishment.
eff it can be done," he said, after
a pause, "what next?"
"You must come back and report
that he is dead, furnishing full dc.
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 a
year thereafter she will be your
wife,"
"Oh, if this thing were possible!'
sighed Pedder, beginning to look
relieved.
"Possible? It's as simple as
kissing. And the moment you are
married to Clara, l will take a 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 nerv-
ously in his chair, scarcely ventur-
ing to breathe.
"There's just one difficulty" he
muttered-"that Of getting Hawley
on the desert island without his
suspecting anything"
"It can be done p" and the lips of
Miss Pedder came together like the
jaws of vice. "There's no difficult
ty about finding a suitable island?"
"Not the least. l saw the island
in my minds eye the moment you
uttered the word, and a glorious one
it is for our purpose"
cit will be easy for you to get
Hawley upon it," suggested Miss
Pedder thoughtfully. "If it's near
your route, you can call there for
water. If it's out of your way, you
can be blown there by adverse
winds, or be drifted there by un-
known currents, or fetch up there
by a mistake in your reckoning or a
fault in your chronomcter. And
once there, you can have Hawley
seized by some trusty agent, while
he is ashore upon business, or you
can send him ashore under some
pretcnce, such as looking for a
deserter from the ship or for ship
wrecked sailor, and then sail away
without him"
"Say no more," interrupted Ped
der, with wild exultation. 81 see
how to manage the affair from its
beginning to its end"
"And you now see that we can
undo that hateful marriage?"
"Perfectly-perfectly. The affair
will require little time and patti
ence, Of course, and little expendi-
ture Of money, but we are sure to
triumph. Capital! glorious! What
load you have taken from my soul
Ruth! What genius you are!'
He leaped to his feet and began
pacing to and fro rapidly, with the
most extravagant signs and exclama-
tons ofjoy.
"First to get Hawley on his isl
and" resumed Miss Psdder mus
ingly. "Next for you to marry the
pretended widow. Then for me
to rescue the prisoner and marry
him. And finally for you and me
to be happy, you in your way and
in mine-you with Clara in New
Y ork, and l with Will. in Australia
You comprehend the whole project
clearly?"
"From the first step to the last
There's only just one possibility Of
failure"
"And that one?"
"a refusal on Hawlcy's part tC
accept the post offered him-a re-
fusal based upon his marriage"
Miss Pedder turned pale at tho
thought.
"But he won't refuse she soor
declared, recovering her equanimity
ale has long been wanting just
such place. Married or single, he
can't neglect his bread and butter
"Well said, Ruth. 1 think VIZ
can count upon him. The post hs
came here to ask me for is nov
vacant, and l will accordingly hav.
it offered to him, just as il nothing