Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-06-09

: brow, and he stood beaming on Helel
+ most amiably.
81 am afraid our timid dove wa
] alarmed at our harsh sea discipline" h
Q said, with caressing gesture that hi
: daring did not quite carry to her shrink
D ing form. "But, my sweet friend, it i
, necessary. We cannot sail without it
) 1t is as needful to ship as fair wind.
"Helenl"
: eyes, papal" exclaimed the indig
: nant girl; and, delighted to escape from
9 Malcolm's unwelcome presence, sh,
) hastened to join her father.
3 She found him very much shaken b,
4 a painful dream, from which he had no
. been quite able to arouse himself.
: Where's the captain, Helen 2" he in
; quired. " Where's John Sherwood, the
! sailing-master of the Albatross? hope
he doesn't leave his work to boobies and
land-lubbers, but does his duty like {
} man, and watches his ship as if it were
} a human life! Eth, child-eh ?"
Yes, yes, papa certainly" Heller
tried to say calmly, while in her heart
, she knew that Captain Sherwood in
trusted the vessel and all it held to the
management of his nephew, Malcolm,
while he gave himself up, day after day,
J more and more completely to the bale
J full influence of intemperance.
| In times past the captain had been
an excellent and accomplished officer.
Such he was, in Mr.. Herbert's expert
ence and belief; and it was owing to his
unwavering trust in his seamanship that
he had not only engaged him as COM
mander of his ship, but yielded to him
the entire selection of the crew.
Had the unfortunate captain secured
an able and reliable assistant officer,
his own failings might have been con-
cealed, or, at least, productive of no
absolute evil; but he was entirely ruled
by his nephew, who had contrived to
establish strange influence over him;
and Malcolm Sherwood was, as we
have seen, man of narrow mind and
brutal passions.
| "You look pale and appear nervous,
Helen, said her father, observing her
uneasily. "Is anything wrong Where
| is Doctor Conroy, child? I do wish
you would be more agreeable to that
young man. He is of infinite service
to me, and I can't get on without his at
tentions. 1t would make it SO much
pleasanter if you were friends and
seemed at ease with each other"
| Mr.. Herbert, like all sick people, was
at times fretful and impatient.
Such was his tone on this occasion;
but his daughter was loving, unselfsh
being, who thought far more of him
than of any petty annoyance of her own.
1t was impossible to explain what she
could not quite understand-namely,
the coldness of Percy Conroy's manner,
and secret devotion of his acts.
1t made her heart beat 10 suffocation
to hear his name, and then to be re-
preached for want of courtesy to him.
| She tried to smile and murmur some
reassuring reply; but presently he ap-
peared, and her father called to him.
Then, as was her habit, she slipped
quietly away.
i There was an ominous hush on the
ship all day. Helen felt, she knew not
why, as if some fearful storm was brew
ing. Contrary to expectation, not q
word of comment, not even look OF
insubordination, had followed the arrest
and ironing of the ships favorite's- the
quick, fashingspirited mate, and the
handsome young Dane.
"I've got the dogs underl" said the
boastful and loud-mouthed Malcolm, at
the supper-table, with bullying air.
There was couple of sailors came
! to the captains door at four bells. They
had paper in their hands," said Shell
| ton, the second mate, who looked
serious, and seemed to Helen to be quite
sober for the first time since they had
rounded Cape Horn.
"Bahp' cried his superior, in a tone
of intense disgust. "The idiots had
drawn up remonstrance; but it will
be the last job of that sort they II try.
tore it up and threw it in their faces 7
Helen, looking up, suddenly met the
stewards eye while he was busily wait
ing on the speaker. It's expression was
simply murderous, and his eyes glarei
like basilisk's. In moment it changed
and mask seemed to have been pulled
over his features; but the remem
: brance of the look chilled her blood
and filed her with vague, distractine
} fears.
Her father was unusually weak, ant
needed more than ordinary attention
that evening. 1t was quite late befor,
: she had done waiting on him and h,
{ fell into peaceful doze.
Leaving Zillah to watch him within
call, she stepped out again on deck
, anxious to learn poor Pierre's condi
), tion from one of the sailors.
It was quite dark. She moved 8
. silently, wrapped in gray mantle, tha
? she reached the mainmast unobserve,
by two sailors, who were cautiously as
. cending, one after the other, the step
!, at the side of the galley-door, ON th
: roof of which, exposed to the blazin
sun of tropic sky, the petty tyrani
4 Malcolm Sherwood, had chained an
9 ironed the objects of his fury all tha
. day.
t They were there yet. bound in
kneeling posture, side by side, and the
: leaned eagerly over to converse with th
two men who moved stealthily towar
i them.
t Helen listened in breathless terror
her own and her fathers safety hun
0 on their words, for a growing drea
i within her soul had taken form, and We
q now either to be dispelled or realized
t Coming within the shadow Of th
, almost windless sail, her ear strained
agony lest she should lose word, an
;. her eyes fixed with a fearful fascinatio
on the coarse forms that seemed to d
9 eide her destiny, she waited, dreadin
8 yet eager to hear.
s The two bound men spoke in sha1r
incisive tones; the two free ones hstene
/ and agreed.
i An awful compact had been made ar
d attested. A few hours would see
y fulfilled. All, it was true, too tru
then. Her instincts had forewarns
4 4 L 4.