The Opelousas courier., 1890-01-11

AAo w iiohl snelF asnes. Sherman did
not expect to be troubled with spectres.
And yet he saw one.
1t was late one afternoon on deck. A
hot and heavy stiffness had fallen over
the sea. The evening sky had an almost
omlnous splendor and depth of bJueness
Inc sunset had famed itself away, leay-
ing one crimson banner of cloud stretch
ing upward like a pointing finger. storr.
man was alone. He had wandered for.
"ard neghgently among the second cabin
passengers. And there, looking down, he
came upon a partly recumbent fg,re
turned m%otionless toward the sea. The
man had drawn the cap low down over
nus eyes. What a resemblancef
The next instant he had elanced nm
ms was no simple resemblance. Thew
looked at each other and neither moved
Tor the space of a moment. Sherman
was the first to unlock his dry lips.
"You are here9 How-"his yoico an
peared to strangle in his throat.
The other had not changed color Inv @
| shade. Ny d
"You are surprised to see me-" he said
slowly. "Well, 1 suppose it is natural
mat you should be. It is exactly five
[ gears since We parted. The five wears
have made q difference, too" His dark
eyes travelled leasurely over storrman's
~appearance-an appearance faultless and
immaculate, the appearance of the sue
cessful man of the world. Then with
a cynical something that was like a
smile they dropped to himself-shabby,
seedyy, a second-class passenger, nothing
more. Sherman watched him with a
blanching face.
"Do you intend to talk? To tell what
you know9 How have you been on board
all this time without my seeing you2"
81 was pretty we'll knocked up when
we left port. Low fever or something of
that sort. I had to take to my bunk and
stay there. AS to talking-as to telling
the truth-what do you think2 It strikes
me that this might be a good moment"
He spoke impassiyely, not removing
his eyes from those of the man standing
before him. ~.
"Good heaven, Horst, have some pityl
[ am engaged to be married. The girl
s here-on board-at this instant"
"Ahl It would be ever a better mo-
nent than | thought then, would it not?
Your gains have made you rich, your
IDENTITY has been successfully sunk out
Of sight; you are about to win a presum-
sbly good girl for your wife. Yes, 1
i khInH tim rnor,or& vro,r1I 10 --o11 .Lzz~~
ior bringing you to book. AS to pity,
lid you show me any? What am I to be
moved to compassion fora Because you
ct me rot in a prison five years2 l ought
% despise you too much to get vengeance
,ut of you. But / don't. Ihave waited
or this hour for five years. / have
ireamed of it, planned for it. When I
rot out to the light of day again I tracked
rou, found you, followed you on board
his ship. 1t wasn't easy work finding
fou either. The highly respectable Roger
,torrman of to-day has obliterated every
race of his identity with the John Roger
on Of five years ago, who was a forger,
thief and a felon-"
aHush--for Gods sake, hush!"
CAT last" Horst went on, unper-
urbed, ssfate has put you under my
iand. Doyou think Ishall let you slip2"
The last word died abruptly on his
Ups. "a woman's slight figure was
ng lightly along the deck, the last glow
If the sunset was behind her. Her eyes
we're fixed on Sherman and a half smile
,arted her lips. The man leaning back
against the roll of cordage at his feet she
lid not notice at all. He was, to her
casual glance, a shabby second-cabin pas
.enger with whom Sherman had been
1indly enough to enter into cursory TALK
az have been waiting for you, she
aid, with a deepening of the adorable
mile on her lips. She slipped her arm
through Storrman's and they moved away
ogether. And the man left behind
Fatched the two retreating forms motion
essly, breathlessly.
This was the girl whom Sherman was
tbout to marry
The last fame of red had faded out Of
he sky and the stars were coming family
nut. The still heat had grown more still
md a dense bank of cloud was forming
lowly against the horizon. The Captain
,assed, his cap. low over his eyes, a
5roodine frown in the latter. A sailor
ratched the horizon. And still Horst
lid not move.
He had gone back five, ten years, in
lis life. There had been wild moments
LIE early youth that had brought regret,
md then d bitter reaping of such wild
rats in further and p~erilous recklessness.
How had Sherman and he first fallen in
ooether? It had been shortly after his
,wn coming to Australia. Storr-
nan, sprung from nothing, vicious
% the core, with naught but ms
animal rood looks and his u~nbounded
mdacity TO serve him, had amused the
younger man, and, while Horst was halt
.ontemptuous of him, perhaps had IN
,nenced him as well. The a was
,tterly Inscriptions; the other, with all
lis recklessness, a man of honor. AND
Sherman, conscious of the difference, @
he indistinct, the irritating superiority,
lad hated his boon companion. Horsi
,aa known it and had not cared. aHe
would serve me any scruvy trick be
aid to himself coolly. And q tine caIne
when his foresight was indicated. By
II strange combination of circumstance
Sherman, who had forged, found nm
elf one day in a position to cover ann,
elf BY falsely accusing and involving
Horst. He did both. He vanished
eaving no trace behind him. Horst
ne law at his heels, made a desperate
~ -1. f~a.l raynr