The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-07-19


few questions, and he replied to them courte.
ously, but with certain nOnchalance, treat
ing It ~ an affair which might DO big to them,
but was not Of particular importance to q
merchant doing busIness on his scale.
To ono underwater, Condell, with whom
II wish could insure tho shannon ut her
value; but TINT is impossible: the City OF
London could not do it. The Proserpins
brings mo some cases Of specie, but my true
treasure is on board the Summon. She
carries my bride. SIR"
20 indeedl Miss Rolleston!'
"Ah. remember; YOU have seen her.
Then you will not be surprised Mt propo.
sal shall make you. Cndcrwrite the Shan
non q million pounds, to he paid by you j.
harm beialls my Helen. You need not look
90 astonished: wa only joking, yon gen.
| tleman deal with none but substantial val
| Ties; and, as for me, o million would not more
compensate me for losing her, thun for losing
my own lie.''
The tears were in his pale eyes ne he said
these words: and Mr.. Condell eyed him with
sympathy. But he soon recovered himself,
and was the man Of business again. 20,
tho specie on board the Proserpine? Well. !
that specie myself Of the merchants whose
/ namesare attached to the receipts deposited
thecases with White md Co.. atSydney. Pen
| fold will show you the receipt. l instructed
Joseph Wylie. mate Of the Proserpine, and q
trustworthy person. to see them slowed
away In the Proserpine. by White and Co.
Hudson Is good seaman: and the proser-
pine new ship, built by Mare. We have
nothing to tenr but tho ordinary pcrils OF
the sca.''
so one would think" said Mr.. Condell,
and took his leave; but. ut the door, he hest
tated, and then, looking down u little sheep
ishly, said "Mr. WardIlw, may offer you u
piece of advice"
lertainly."
Then. doubl: the insurance on the Shan
With these words he slipped out, evidently
to avoid questions he did not intend to an
swer.
Wardlaw stared after him, stupidity at
first, and then stood up and put Ills hand to
his head III II sort of amazcnent Then he
sat down ugain. asfy pale. and with the dew
on his forehead, and mutteretl faintly. "Dou-
ble-the insurnnre-oft the Shannon!"
Men who walk in crooked paths are
doomed. like Ahab. to be pierced
through the joints OF their armor,
by random shafts; by words uttered in one
sensc. but conscience interprets them In an
| other.
1t took IL good many underwriters to in
sure tlleProserphinesf reight;bu the business
was done at last.
Then Wardlnw, who had feigned nsou-
Glance so admirably in that part Of his in
| terview with COndel, went, without losing
an hour. and raised IL large sum ofmoney on
the Insured freight, to meet the bills that
were coming due for the gold flor he had
naid for most Of it in paper ut short dates) J.
and also Other hills that were approaching
maturity. This done. he breatlied again.
snte for mouth or two from everything
short Of general panic. and full ofhope from
his coming mnster.stroke. But two months
soon pass when Il man has u flock OF kites in
the mir. Pass? They fly. So now he LOOKED!
went to Lloyd's every day to hear ii either
had been seen, or heard OF by the steamers,
| or by flster sailing vessels than themselves.
And, though Condell hnd underwritten the
Proserpine to the tune OF eight thousand
pounds. yet still his mysterious words rang
strangely in the merchants ears, and made
| him 80 uneasy, that lie employed u discreet
person to sound Condel us to whit he meant
| by ''louble the insurance Of the Shannon"
1t turned out to be the simplest affair in
| the world; Condcll had secret information
that the Shannon was in bad repuirs, so he
had advised his friend to insure her heavily.
| For the same rens0n, he declined to under
| write her freight himself.
With respect to those ships. our rrudera
already know two things, OF which War.llaw
himself, nota benz" had no idea: namely that
the Shannon had sailed last. instead Of first.
and that Miss ROllest0n was not ON hoard oil
her. but in the Proserpine, two thousand
miles ahead.
10 that, your superior knowledge. We,
posters of the sea and land, are about to
| make n large addition, and relate things
strange, but true. While that anxious and
plotting merchant strains his eyes SEWARD.
trying hard to read the future. we carry you.
in moment Of time. across the Pacific, and
board the leading vessel, the good ship Pros
\ nrt,ipn hn,,,,I
The ship left Sydney with fair wind, hut
soon encountered adverse weather, and
ma,le slow progress, being close-hauled.
which was her worst point of sailing. She
pitched a good deal, and that had q very i'll
effect on Miss ltolleston. She was not sea
week, became preceptibly paler and thinner
than when she started.
The young clergyman. Mr.. Hazel, watched
her with respectful anxiety, and this did not
escape her feminine observation. She note
quietly that those dark eyes Of his followed
her with II mourntul tenderness, but with
drew their gaze when she looked Mt him.
Clearly, he was interested in her. hut had no
desire to intrude upon her attention. lie
would bring up the squads for her, and
some OF his own wraps, when she stayed on
deck, ind was prompt with his arm when the
vessel lurched, and showed her those other
little attentions which are called for on
loard ship, but without word. Yet, when
she she, thanked banked. him in the simplest
eyes flashed with pleasure, and the color
mounted to his very temples.
Engaged young ladies IRE, for various rea
sons, more socinble with the other sex than
those who IRE still ON the universal mock.
defensive; n ship. like distan. country,
thaws even English reserve. and women in
general are disposed to admit erclesiastics
to certain privileges. No wonder then that
Miss Rollestoll, after few days, met Mr.
flazel halfway; ind they made acquant.
ance on board the Proserpine, in monosyll
ables ut first; but, the ice once fairly broken
the intercourse Of mind became rather rapid
At first it was Il mere intellectual exchange
for y fine memory, and omnivorous reading
from his very boyhool. with the habit O
} taking notes, and reviewing them, had made
MIR: Hazel a walking dictionary, and IL walk
ing essayist il required.
But when it came to something whicl
most ofall the young lady had hoped from thi,
temporary acquaintance, viz. religious in
structiOn, she found him indeed as Learned
on that as on other topics but cold, ant
devoid Of junction.; SO much sO that one dn,
she sud to him, Il cnn hardly believe yo,
have ever bcen u missionary" But ut thai
he seemed no distressed. that she was sorr,
for him. and said, swcetly, Excuse me, MI
; Hazel, my remurk was rather in bad taste
fear"
Not at all." said he. "Of course am un
. fit for missionary work, or should not b
here"
Miss Rolleston took good look ut him
/ but said nothing. However his reply an,
, her perusal OF his countenance satisfied lie
= that he was man with very petty vanit
] and petty irritability.
One day they were discoursing of grat
tutie: and Mr.. Hazel eud no md ~ mn,
i, opinion Of those persons WHO speak Of 9TH
Z burden of gratitude" and make n fus
. about being "laid under an obligation"
0 ''As for me-" said he, II have owed such
! debt. and found the sense Of it very sweet
D. But perhaps you were always hoping t
t make II return" said Helen.
y That was: hoping against hope
do you think people ure grateful in Ger
r eral?'' ee'
Q NO. Miss Rolleston, I do not,
u well, think they are. To me Mt leas
e Why. have experienced gratitude even in
y convict. 1t was II poor man, who had bee
Y Transported, for something or other, and Ii
d Papa did. and he was 80 grateful that d
you know. he suspected our house was to
t robheti. and he actually watched in the ga
r den night after night; aud what 10 you thinl
!. the house was attacked by o whole gang; b,
J. was not that gratitude"
While s SGo was speskng 70 earnestly
4 veins like heavenly fire, hut lie said nathin
is aMl tho lady resumed with gentle iprvo
It "Well, We got him clerks pluce in II sl,i
a ping-ofice. and heard no more Of him; hut |
n did not forget us; my cabin here ",
G. fitted up with every comfort. N,
n. he looked so blank saw directly he kns ne
If | nothing abOnt it. md now think ff Il