Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-10-09

were compressed his uarK eyes
contracted; he looked frohI May to
me. and l felt that, If ever he
could, he would Dc me mischief
Without syllable he quilted the
place. A strange sensation crept
through me as he departed ;-and
May told me that a cold shudder
ran through her veins.
! We did not see much of Kiel af-
ter this, though we knew he was
often about the station upon bust
ness; but the man somehow threw
a kind of shadow over Mays and
my happiness, and we were not at
all sorry when we got on board the
steamer and steamed or toward
Old England. We had not, how.
ever, got clear out Of sight of land
when May, giving little cry. put
her hand on nay arm, and, slight
ly nodding her head towards the
lower deck, said:
"Oh, Edward, look--he is here
too!'
And SO he was. Leaning quiet
ly over the side, watching the land
apparently,was Jacob Kiel--a pas
senger for England like ourselves.
l will own that was considerably
annoyed, though when May draw
ing neare-, exclaimed, in a low,
startled voice, Edward, dear, /
don't know how it is, but / dread
that man IL cannot divest my
mind of the thought that he means
us HARM" laughed, and tried to
Danish SO absurd an idea. And
certainly it appeared / had every
right to do SO. Save by casual
interchange of q few words, Kiel
never troubled US; and we were
making capital journey, when,
just as we were within twenty de-
grees of the line, we were struck
by a hurricane which the Captain
declared was almost q cyclone in
violence.
The vessel could not weather it.
The masts crashed overheard, TAX
ing several of the crew with them,
and, before the wreck could be cut
adrift, a portion of the broken
spars, dashing against the ship, had
caused leak below the water-line
and the cry was, 1--WE are sinking!
Lower the boats the pumps are
useless!"
The Captain was marvelously
firm and cool, and by his example
made US all the same.
The boats were rapidly lowered
and filed, while, thank heaven, the
storm seemed to abate. The Wo-
men went first, of course, and all
was proceeding well, when, just as
the last boat was being filled, / re-
membered that in my hurry 1,had
left my mothers miniature in my
chest. There was plenty of time
to fetch it, and in a second / was
down in the cabin. Flinging the
lid open, my hand was already on
the likeness, when l heard a foot
upon the stairs. l turned, and by
the dim light yet swinging from
the roof, perceived Jacob Kiel.
Good heavens The diabOlical
expression on his face, the fiendish
malice in his dark snake-like eyes
revealed his intention in a mo-
ment. He had come to do me
some deadly harm. Leaping up
seized my revolver, to be on my
guard but an attack was not his
purpose. Before / could prevent
him, he had quickly closed the
cabin door, and locked it on the
outside.
Like flash of lightning all the
horrors of my position instantly
flashed before me. / was a D is
oner in the sinking ship! Utter
ing/a loud shout of fury, / sprang
forward ; the cry was echoed by a
laugh from jacob Kiel. / heard
him say, "Wiio will marry May
Brodstone now 2" and then his
feet went rapidly up the stairs.
/ called aloud for help; the up
roar Of the storm drowned my
voice. ] paused. Just then the
wind lulled, and / heard an order
to push off; the speaker was Jacob
Kiel. / again shouted in my ag-
ony; but nay voice aud the wind
rose together-I was not heard. l
continued to shout like madman
though / knew that all hope was
gone-that | was alone, like d
trapped rat, in the sinking ship
FuriOusly / beat the door, all the
while painfully conscious that res
cue was impossible and death GER
tain, for it was night, and, as no
doubt the storm would separate
the boats, my absence would not
be discovered until the vessel had
foundered.
Could expect aught else, When
in the occasional lull of the hurri-
cane heard the rush of the dead
ly waters in the hold, and felt the
ship lurch more heavily each mo-