Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-01-27
BY A TURN OF THE KEY.
The Neat Way in Which Madge
 Captured tho Robbers.


 care of yourself; the gig is alongside, so I suppose I must be off; but I wish to goodness you had let mo chuck the whole thing over when I spoke about 1t this morning.; hate leaving you all by yourself. We'll, at any rate, I shan't be late.''
 So spoke Bertie Hepburn. tho owner of the yacht Cormorant, as smart schooner as ever flew tho white ensign, to his wife, who was standing rather at the door of the main cabin, while her husband struggled into & huge oilskin-coat, preparatory to go- ing ashore.
 It was q wild night, dark as pitch, the rain was falling in torrents, and an icy wind, blowing straight from the Apennines, did not make matters moro com mfortable. The Cormorant had been weather-bound in the harbor of Port Ercole, an unimportant town about eighty miles north of Civita Necchia, for nearly a week; there was absolutely nothing to be seen there; but the harbor was Q good one, and tho weather outside was decidedly dirty"
 They had been cruising for about three months in the Mediterranean, and meant to prolong the cruise till spring. Bertie Hepburn was q man who, happy and contented everywhere, was never so happy as on board his own yacht, and he was more fortunate than many yacht owners in ono respect, inasmuch as his wife, pretty, charming Madge Hepburn, was as devoted to scafaring life as he was himself.
 She had not even grumbled over their forced detention at Fort Ercole, as so many women would have done, and it was she who had insisted on Bcrtie keeping his engagement to dine with the Vice-Consul on Christmas Eve. That unfortunate gentleman, whose life, passed among a people with whom he had nothing in common, was one round of dull routine, was delighted to wei come the owner of any stray yacht driven by stress of weather into the snug haven of Port Ercolc, and, on tho arrival of the Cormorant, had come on board in state to bid them to a dinner at the shabby house dignified by the name of Her Britannic Majesty's Vice. Consulate. Madge had sent an excuse, a perfectly true one, that q bad cold prevented her coming ashore in such weather, but she would not hear of her husband also throwing over his en- gagement
 ''I shall be all right, Bertie," she said. q hSvo no end of letters to write, and you won't bo late" There was an utter absence of joviality about the meal, and she got through it as quickly as possible, much to the secret joy of the steward, who had his own plans for l. |,
 "If you please, ma 'am," said he, as he l cleared the things away, II should like to go ashore this evening, if you have no objection"
 "Oh! no, certainly you are welcome to go."
 "If you please, ma a'am," said her maid five minutes afterward, tho captain says there are great doings in the ca. | thedral tonight. and he will take me ashore to have look at them if you don't want me-"
 "No, you can go by all means, Dunnc, ; said her mistress; "but I'm afraid you'll get very wet landing.'
 Their departure in the dinghey five minutes after seemed to leave tho yacht | wonderfully quiet. There was not a sound to be heard but the drip of the rain on deck and the moaning of the l wind in the rigging. The sailors were all snug in the foc'sle, but no sound oi voices came from thence, and the good ship Cormorant might have been dere lict as far as any life on board was con cerned.
 | Madge Hepburn, who was both i'm questionable and imaginative, was i'm. pressed by the stiffness in spite of her self. "We must keep each other com pany, Cheviot," said she to the big black and-tan shecp-dog who lay asleep on the cabin floor, but he refused absolutely tc enter into conversation; his manner showed decidedly that he did not wisl to be disturbed, and, as his mistress would not desist, he got up sulkily stretched himself half dozen times
 and slowly and heavily lurchcd out O.
 the cabin, and up the companion, while a thump overhead minute later tolC
 Mrs. Hepburn he preferred the cold ant
 wet on deck to her society. The still ness seemed moro remarkable now Cheviot had left her, and she had moi noticed before how chilly the cabin had grown; had tho steward been on board she worh. have had the stove relighted but she did not care to disturb the sail ors; she could settle to nothing l the letters were not to b' thought of; she ransacked the book shelves, but shc seemed to have reaC every thing, and was ndSin the mood tt re-read even Rider Haggard or Rhod;
 Broughton.
 "Thank goodness" said she, "thert goes four bells; there is no good sitting in this cold, gloomy cabin any longer shall be off to bed"
 Her cabin was, indeed, pretty nes for such pretty bird; on it's flutet hangings twined roses and forget-me