Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-04-27

the lower deck. As, she already knew the
ladder had long since been removed to
make room for one Of the partitions, the
only way the stranger could have reached
it was by lcaping to one OF the rings. To
make sure of this she let herself down,
holding on TO the rings, and dropped q
couple Of feet to the deck below. She was
in the narrow passage her father had pcnc-
trated the previous night. Before her was
the door leading to dc Ferrieres loft, AZ
ways locked. 1t was silent within: il
was the hour when the old French
man made his habtual promenade in
tho city. But the light from the newly
opened hatch allowed her to see more Of
tho mysterious recesses of the forward
Dulkhead than she had known before, and
She was startled by observing another
yawning hatchway at her feet from which
tho closely fitting door had been lifted
and which the new lOdgcr had evidently
forgotten to close again. The young girl
the black abyss. Nothing was to be seem
nothing heard but the distant gurglc and
click of water in some remoter depth She
replaced the hatch and returned by way
of tho passage to the cabin.
When her father came home that NIGHT
She briefly recounted the interview with
the new ledger and her discovery of his
curiosity. She did this with q possible in
crease of her usual shyness and abstrac-
ton, and apparently more as q duty than
colloquial recreation. But it pleased Mr..
Mott also to give it more than his usual
misconception. Looking round the ship,
was he-eh, Rosey?" he said with i'll
finite archness. "In course, kinder sweep
in round the galley and offerin' to fetch
You wood and water, eh?' Even when
the young girl had picked up her book
with the usual faint smile Of afrectionatc
tolerance and then drifted away in its
pages, Mr. Mott chuckled audibly 81
reckon old Frenchy didn't come by when
the young one was bcdevilin' you there"
"What, father?" said Rosey, lifting her
distracted eyes to his face.
At the moment it seemed impossible
that any human intelligence could have
suspected deceit or duplicity in Rosey's
clear gaze. But Mr.. Motifs intelligence
was superhuman, 81 was sayin' that Mr..
Fcrrieres didn't happen in while the young
teller was thcre-eh;"
"No, father" answered Rosey, with an
effort to follow him out of the pages of
her book. Why"
But Mr.. Mott did not reply Later in
the evening he awkwardly waylaid the
new ledger before the cabin door as that
gentleman would have TO pass on to his
room.
"I'm afraid" said the young man.
at Rosey, chat intruded upon
your daughter today. l was little Gu
rious TO see the old ship, and l didn't
know what part of it was private"
There amt no private part to this yer
ship--that ez, 'ccptins the rooms and
lofts" said Nr. Mott, authoritatively
Then, subjecting the anxious look of his
laughter to his usual faculty for miscon-
2cption, he added: Thar amt no place
Thar you haven't as much right to 90 ez
any other man; thar amt any man. fur
liner or Amcryllan, young or old, dyed or
1udyed, cz hey got any better rights.
You hear me, young fellow. Mr. Rem
haw-my darter. Ny dartcr-Mr. Rem
shaw. Rosoy, give the gentleman u chair.
She's only jest come in from & promey-
2adc, and hcz jest taken off her bonnet"
le added, with an arch look at Roscy and
l hurried look around the cabin, as if he
lopcd to see the missing gift visible to the
general eye. so take seat a mint.
Won't yen