The National tribune., 1888-11-15

mel net which we had laid the night before.
We had good haul of fish, as usual-Alderney
is wonderful place for fish; but instead of
returning with them to the shore, Henderson
rOwed to the Breakwater and fastened the
boats painter to one of the old mooring chains,
after which he sat down and announced his
intention of telling me all about his grand
idea
THE first thing we have to do, Meares,"
said he is to apply for leave to go down to
Guernsey by the Courier on Wednesday, for
the purpose of sailing the Memo mp to Alder
ney. The Major won't refuse us; he is good
enough about leave. I have written to De Sails
10 ask him to invent some excuse for requiring
the Majors presence at Guernsey, and to order
him TO 90 down by the same boat. That Is
why / had to wait for the Captains arrival
the Major would never have allowed the bat
terry TO be left without an officer. Now ne will
have no excuse, and we shall all go down to
Guernsey together"
Thank you for nothing" remarked I. l
should infinitely prefer dispensing with the
Majors company on the occasion"
Now just listen little longer said Hen
derson; you have not heard the plan yet.
The Major will be in a great hurry to get back
to his beloved battery, and he likes sailing
though fortunately he does not know one rope
from another. He IS sure to volunteer to go
back with US rather than wait for the Courier
Fox on Sunday, and / managed to make her
believe that she was dying to see her sister,
Mrs. Wilcox, again. She ended by saying she
would write on Wednesday to ask her mp for
visit, as she could not we'll have her before
then, not having vacant room. Now my plan
is this: ! viii meet Mrs. Wilcox in Guernsey,
by accident of course and hint that we shall
be very glad to give her passage up In the
Memo to save her waiting till Saturday. If |
know her character right she Will be delighted
with the adventure, more especially if l let
her hear casually that the Major will be of the
party. We won't tell him word about it lest
he should back out of it, Once he is on board
he can't refuse to sail because Mrs. Wilcox is
coming, too"
That is all very ingenious" said I, but
you don't expect that he viii propose to her IN
our presence on the way up"
Not at all. Did not tell you it would he
necessary to sacrifice the Memo2 We will
shipwreck ourselves on Burhon Island in a
plausible way; that, of course, will depend on
the wind, but it ought not TO be hard to hum
bug our passengers. The odds are that we
shall be able TO manage to remain there day
or two before any boat comes to take US off,
and in that time Mrs. Wilcox will be no woman
if she does not succeed in drawing a proposal
from the Major. evil give her every chance,
at all events. Now. what do you sayf"
/ burst into a fit of laughter.
at is about heneatest scheme I ever heard!
But do you think il is quite fair to the poor
Major?"
Henderson looked grave.
81 believe Mrs Wilcox will make him n
really good wife" ne said. "She is certainly
in love with him. And, after all. we shall
only be giving them both q fair field aud shall
not be interfering with them personally at all.
Anyhow, the Major deserves no mercy from
US. He has all but ruined the battery and
driven US to the point of desperation. VIII
you join me or not? If you do not, l must
only try it by myself"
"Of course 1 viii join you said I "you
need not have doubted that. But are there not
many defective links in your chain Of events?
Suppose De Sails cannot manage his part or
that Mrs. Wilcox does not care TO come"
Then, Of course, it all falls through and we
viii have 70 devise something else But I
don't think we shall fail. Did you ever hear
the proverb-
hen