Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-05-04
4 SHIP OF 40.
BY BRET HARTE.
Continued from last week.

The broth.
at was mamma from heaven. nademoi-
scllc Sec, ! have taken it all-cvcry pre-
Cious drop. What else could | have done
for mademoisclle's kudncssY'
He showed her the empty bowl A swift
conviction came upon her that the man
had been suffering from want of food.
The thought restored her self possession
even while it brought The tears to her
eyes. IL wish you would let me speak to
fathcr-or some one," she said impulsive-
Jy, and stopped.
A quick and half insane CLEAN of terror
and suspicion lit up his deep eyes. "Fcr
what, madcmoselle? For an accident
that is ENTHUSIASTICALLY nothing, for I
am strong and well now-secl' he said
tremblngly. cor for whim--for folly
you may say, that they will misundcr-
stand. No, mademoiscllc is good, is wise
She will sag to herself, 4 understand, my
lricnd Monsieur de Fcrricrcs for the mo-
ment has secret. lie would seem poor
NE would take the role of artisan, he
would shut himself up in these walls
perhaps | may guess why, but it is his
secret. / think of it no more" He
caught her hand in his with gesture that
he would have made one OF gallantry, but
that in its tremulous intensity became u
Diteous supplication.
II have said nothing. and will say
nothing, if you wish it," said Rosey
hastily; "but others may find out how
you live here. This is not fit work for
to I,
You ought TO be a lawyer. or doctor, OF
In bank" she continued timidly, with a
vague enumeration of the prevailing de-
grees of local gentility.
He dropped her hand. "Ahi does not
nademoiselle comprehend that it is be
cause / am gentleman that there is
nothing between it and thus? Lookr he
continued almost ferceiy ''What il |
todd you it is the lawyer, il is the doctor,
1t is the banker that brings mo, q gentle
tHan, to this, eh? All, baht What do |
says This is honest, what dol But the
lawyer, the banker, the doctor, what are
they?" He shrugged his shoulders, and
pacing the apartment with Il furtive
glance at the half anxious, half frightened
girl, suddenly stopped. dragged small
portmanteau from behind the heap of
bales and opened it, 'Iook, mademoi-
Sellc, :" he said TREMENDOUSLY lifting q hand
ful Of Worn and soilcd letters and papers
''Look-these are the tools of your banker,
your lawyer, your doctor, With this the
banker will make you poor, the lawyer
will prove you n thief, the doctor will
swear you are crazy, ehp What shall you
call the work of a gentleman-this"-h
dragged the pile of cushions forward-''or
fhiS,M
TO the young girls obscrvant eyes some
of the papers appeared to be of legal or
official character, and others like bills of
)adng, with which she was familiar.
Their half theatrical exhibition reminded
her of some play she had seen; they might
DE the clcW to some story, or the mere
worthless hoardings of diseased fancy
Whatever they We're, de Ferriercs did not
apparently care to explain further; in
deed, the next moment his manner
to his old absurd extravaganza.
But this is stupid for madcmoiselle to
hear What shall we speak of? All!
what should we speak of in made
prcscnceH
But are not these papers valuableP"
asked Rosoy, partly to draw her hosts
thoughts back TO their former channel.
"PcrhGpS,' lie paused md regarded
the young girl iiXedly. "Does madcmoi-
6ellc think so>'
y don't know" said Roscy. GLOW
should II
''Ah! if mademoisello thought so--if
mademoiscllc would deigu'-- lie stopped
again and placed his hand upon his fore
head. 1T might be sol" he muttered.
II must 20 now" said Roscy bur-
riedly, rising with an awkward sense of
c0nstraint. Father will wonder where
am.
Il shall explain. I will accompany you,
mRdemoisellc."
No, no." said Roscy, quickly; che
must not know I have been hcre" She
stopped. The honest blush flew to her
check and then returned again, because
she had blushcd.
DE Tcrricres Gazcd at her with an OK
allied look. Then drawing himself to his
J VII htl-HJ. he SNlu, WIN an exaggerated
and indcscribahlc gesture, GO, my child,
go. Tell your father that You have been
alone and unprotected in the abode Of
poverty and suffering, but-that it was in
The presence Of Armand dc Fcrricres. "
lie threw open the door with bow
that nearly swept the ground, but did not
again offer 10 take her hand. AT once
oppressed ana embarrassed at this crown.
ing incongruity, her pretty lip trcmbed
between smile and n cry as she said,
Good night" ana slipped away into the
darkness.
Erect and grotesqus de Fcrreres re-
Hained the same attitude until the sound
Of her footsteps was lost, when he slowly
began TO close the door. But II strong
arm arrested it from without and q large
carpeted foot appeared ut the bottom of
the narrowing opening, The door yielded
aad Mr.. Abner Mott entered the room
CHAPTER w.
With m exclamation and a hurried