The record-union., 1892-02-13

I
| " ho has damaged the Hebe?n
| No one could answer. When or how
| 1t had been done was a mystery, and the
race was to come off at $50. Oh, the pity
/ OF It. Tfe i'll news was carried on shore
and to the yachts living at anchor. The
Commodore came OFT to offer his sympa-
/ thy for the unparalleled vandalism, the
righteousness that had injured the yacht
/ so that 1t was impossible for her to race
that day or for many days to come.
! Frank was completely at loss to ac-
count for 1t. He thought he was minus
an enemy, and 10, there was one ready to
stab him in the back and mar his pros
poets for at least this season.
| 1t did not occur to him for some time
that possibly the pretty girl and the sick
! man had decOyed him away the previous
1 night so that the Hebe might be ruined.
! When he did think of it, he tried to dis
miss the thought as unworthy gentle
man, until at least he had seen them
again. SO he never even mentioned to
ms friends his absence, for he was sure
the boys would Sneer and say, "a woman
was at the bottom of it." and add the
libel, "as usual"
1t was with a heavy heart he watched
the fleet weigh anchor and come round
the starting buoy. And blur of disap-
polntment dimmed his fine eyes as he
! watched them winging their way through
! the Narrows, two abreast, and the Hebe,
the flyer of the fleet, was mot in it,
inert, inactive, "a painted ship upon a
! painted ocean,"
Frank could not stand it. He went be-
low TIL they were all out of sight, then
he took his boat and went over the course
/ OF the night before, due south. He came
| TO the beach and saw the marks of the
! two boats. The tide had not obliterated
them yet. The boat was not there, to be
sure, and his heart sank as he climbed the
( "a n hn 4I,o,,
/ there but no sign of recent habitation-
/ empty as last years birds nest, shut
! terS fastened, door barred. He peeped
through the chiDks; no bed whereon had
/ lam the sick man; no couch, where he
mad lifted the fainting girl; no table; no
litter even on the bare floor, as if Of hasty
! flight.
What did it mean? Was it dream?
Nightmares? a delusion? Was he be-
| Wltched? He could not even think
/ clearly so great was his surprise. They,
these two apparently innocent, helpless
/ people who bad sought his assistance,
were evidently his enemies. He could
see no reason for it; no reason for their
venting their malice on him.
lie returned TO his boat, and on the
way his foot struck a soft substance, only
a small blue felt cap. 1t was then no
/ dream. lie was not insane, as he was
| beginning to suspect he was; it must
/ ile1NC Idp p0Il0u. lie LOOK UP UD6 cap; one
! thread OF soft golden hair still clung to
the silk lining. Frank looked at it scorn-
1ulIy, then pityingly, then in a whirl-
wind OF passion he tossed it far off over
! the brow of the hill and the wind carried
1t to the blue sea, which tossed it on its
! heaVlng bosom as a toy. And Frank
rowed back to his yacht to mediate on
the next step he was to make.
his friends put detectives to work on
| the case, but Frank did not offer the only
/ cleW ne held, so they were unsuccessful.
! He put the Hebe in winter quarters in
August. The boys said lit was chilly
| day for the Hebe,' who had hitherto
! been the favorite and had carried all be-
fore her In the summer races. Other
yachts took her place, but not one
/ showed her speed with beauty combined.
! Inc hebe no more was, as her name
sake, cupbearer, nor did Frank fill Jove's
place, and life look ed dark and the days
We're all blue Mondays
! Frank sought for and obtained posi-
tion with one of the large shipping firms.
and the summer passed and winter cano
+. bearing in its arms the social pleasures
that make Gotham so desirable place OF
! residence even if it is minus the climate
Of the Pacific Coast.
Franks friends remembered him with
! invitations and tickets, but he had no de-
sire to accept but one, and that was the
invitation to the ball given for sweet
| charity's sake. He could give no reason
for his wish to attend that particular ball,
/ except, as ne said, ito help out cause
from effects similar to his own case"
So the night of the ball saw Frank in
! evening dress, with his crush hat en-
| braced tenderly under his left arm. and
as he stood against the wall watching
| with all young man'sinterest the bevy Of
beauties on dress parade, he had an odd
consciousness that perhaps, after all, life
Ira ~ oil l.,
and had pluck, and the lines came on
mind wave and overfowed his soul, that
it really was-wisest to
| "Be firm; one constant element in luck
is genuine, solid old PetFtonic pluck
See yon tall shaft; it felt the earthquakes
thrill,
! Clung to its base and greets the sunrise still" !"
His eyes rowing over the pretty faces,
his attention was attracted by the sound
! of a low, sweet voice that sounded
strangely familiar. He glanced quickly
around to see tall, fair girl with golden
hair and beautiful eyes. Franks heart
beat quickly Surely he had seen her
! before. Yes, there could be but one face
! like hers-the night visitor to the Hebe.
! Yet this young lady was dressed in the
/ hight of elegance, and diamonds glistened
! in the pink, shell-like ears What rea-
son could she possibly have had for de-
| coying him away? 1t must certainly be
| put the idea out of his mind as a sus-
plcion unjust and unworthya gentleman.
The more he gazed, though, the more
! hrmly he was convinced. He tried to
speak carelessly as he asked one of the
floor managers IA friend of his the name
| OF the young lady.
! That golden-crowned beauty ?v was
the answer. "Oh, that is Madeline West.
| Want an introduction, if Barkus is will
ing?"
NO" said Frank, rather shortly; and
then he said to himself as his friend
moved on: ''She is too much like the
! Will-of-the-W Wisp I followed that night.n
Not long after this he found himself in
the same set. of lancers with Miss West.
lie contrived in the changes of the dance
| to say to a friend: "Steer south % and
looked fair at the young lady. She did
not change color, but look of horror
came into the lovely eyes, as if the words
stirred some unpleasant memory. Frank
was introduced TO her, and again his sus-
picions all vanished in the light of her
| eyes. Her gracious, pleasant manner and
conversation gave evidence of culture and
refinement. He asked for dance, and
| they f1oated away on the wings of a waltz.
| He had never danced with anyone whose
| step matched his so perfectly. And these
| two were much admired-his dark, hand
| some physique making perfect foil for
! her blonde loyeliness. Frank went home
to dream.
Toward the close of the winter the New
| York papers devoted several columns to
! the history of gentleman who recently
| died, a much-taIked-of theosophist and
/ hypnotist, and a student of all the fads of
/ this present age. A few weeks after this
/ Frank received q letter in a lady's hand
writing, and the contents astonished and
surprised him; it read:
DEAR Mr.. BURGESS: am under the main.
! ful necessity of confessing to you a crime