Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-11-12

held, and then, as they were nearing
the village street, he dropped it,
touched his cap to her, and let her
60 on alone.
She almost hoped he would not
come that night. But he did, and
laughed at her fears. Lucy, however
had very heavy heart in her bosom
and when he went away, she watched
from her window, and was almost
sure she saw dark figure creeping
along in the shadow behind him.
THAT is Dick Dale" she thought
"Oh, l wish Captain would discover
the truth of that. | do fear he will
be harmed, if he stays here much
longer I wish l could help him. l
would search for the smugglers my
self, if | only knew where to look.
Then she saw Captain Lucas Joined
by one of his own men who had been
to visit a sweetheart near, and closed
the window, satisfied that he was safe
for that night. Little did Lucy guess
that it was she who would discover the
freebooters, in very short time, with
out aid from any one.
Not more than a week later, she
went out one afternoon to walk on
the sands. A favorite resort of hers
had always been rugged point of
rocks, beyond which was sheltered
cove, where at low tide one could sit
in safety and have splendid view of
sea and shore. At high tide the path
to the cove was impossible, even dan
gerous, for the violence of the waves
in that pent-up nook would have
washed even a strong man from the
rocks.
Lucy always returned before the
tide began to come in, and she went
to-day without thought of fear.
She sat down in a little rocky nest,
and gave herself up to deep thought,
leaning her head against the gray old
crag which formed back to her
seat. There was great deal on Lu-
cy's mind just now. Far out at sea,
she could define the brig which had
been idly coasting up and down, with
out much visible purpose, for day
or two. She knew that Lionel Lucas
was on board, and she was beginning
to realize how dear he was to her.
Sitting there alone, she thought of
him, and of how lonely she would be
when he was gone, and hardly realz-
ed how time was passing, until the
sudden plash of oars reused her.
What could boat be doing in that
lonely spot? Yet she certainly heard
oars and the voices of men. Without
rising, she turned her head and peep
ed round the rock which sheltered
her, and saw sight which turned
her almost to stone A small boat
was hauled upon the beach, just as
she looked towards it, and from it
sprang Richard Dale and two men,
both of whose faces she had often seen
before, and knew them for bad char
acters. Richard seemed to give some
order, then the two men lifted
heavy box from the boat and carried
it up the beach, while he walked be-
fore. Not twenty yards from where
Lucy sat hidden, he pushed away a
stone on which she had often sat to
rest without dreaming that it rolled
away on pivot,-a rough door in
the rocky wall swung backwards, and
she saw the two men and Dick Dale
enter what seemed to be cavern be-
yond
The poor girl dared not move or
hardly breathe. Had they turned
and looked in the right direction, they
might have seen her, and then she
knew that her fate was sealed. Never
would she be allowed to 60 back to
the town alive and tell what she had
seen. But even then the brave maid
en- resolved, if she ever did get back,
to let Captain Lucas know at once.
Had the boat come from the other
direction she would certainly have
seen. Even as it was, how dared they
be so bold as to land there in broad
dayi But the spot was lonely, de-
serted one-so far as she knew, no
person, save herself, ever came there,
so it was not strange they had chosen
it.
She felt as though there was but
little chance for her but as soon as
the three nen were safe inside the
cavern, she slipped from her nook and
ran up the cove, trusting to remain
there in concealment until they were
gone. There was no way to escape
from the cove except by passing dir
ectly by them on three sides of her
rose sheer, smooth face Of rock, full
sixty feet high, only that little path
round the point and up the beach, led
to the village.
As she ran, ripple touched her
foot, and then Lucy, with new terror,
realized that she had already stayed
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