Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-23

 her. It was now almost dark. A few stars shone here and there in the stormy sky.
 The wind shrieked and whistled drearily. The deck was deserted. For quite e long time both were silent Then Carew said in Q half whisper:
 You are trembling. You are not afraid of the storm, are your It is noth- ing for the bay, assure you
 "No-I nm not afraid"
 "You feel quite safe here with mel" he went on. sinking his voice lower yet
 Yes" she answered somewhat tremulously.
 After a pause he laid his hand on hers as it rested on her knee and said in an odd, deliberate kind of way:
 Will you let me take care of you al- waysP I mean as my wife. I have grown to love you very dearly, and I think could make you happy
 For perhaps a minute there was utter silence
 Then Carew withdrew his hand, say ing hastily and in an indefinably changed voice: An. you do not care for me. Perhaps it is as we'll, and per haps had no right to ask you to do so. forgot for a moment that am a man under a clou3-a cloud that in all prob ability will never be lifted, for I tell you honestly have no means of right ing myself. Forget what I have said" The words and tone were hardly lover like, but there was u slight, almost inn perceptible quiver in the deep voice. A small hand stole softly into his.
 ''I do care for you, said happy lit tie voice, and would take your word against all the world" Another pause. Carew did not even press the hand he held. Then he said harshly: But suppose I cannot give you my word: Suppose tell you that am what our fellow passengers think am:''
 II should not believe you, was the confident answer.
 But if I tell you that you must be heve me:" His face as he looked down was very pale and wore an expression she could hardly fathom. She uttered a half suppressed little cry, but she did not take her hand away-only nestled it farther into his. He grasped it almost painfully; then let it go
 Foolish, trusting little woman, he | said in a strange voice. Must I give you proof that you trust is-mis- placed?"
 He held out his other hand to her In its palm lay the ring. Even in the dim light she recognized it at once. There was curious, breathless pause, during which Carew never took his eyes from the girls face. ''Well?" he quietly said at last. He felt her little fingers close tightly on his.
 II can't help it, ." she said brokenly. ''I love you-I love you
 And will you be my wife?'' She could not see his face, but his voice shook.
 Yes" she whispered. hiding her face in both her hands.
 But the hands were gently drawn. In the semidarkness she felt his arm l come about her, and his mustache brush her lips.
 Darling, he murmured passionate ly, 'you shall never regret it-I swear" and in his eyes glittered some thing that looked like tears. Next morning one of the Englishmen who had come on board at Corunna, and who had been i'll ever since. ap- peared on deck. As it happened. the | first person he saw was Carew. They greeted each other cordially, and after the fashion of old friends. This Englishinan, by the way, was a well known statesman, and very good fellow besides.
 In the smoking room that afteroonn some one kindly put him on his guard as to Carew and supplied the details.
 "I thought I would mention 1t, you know" appended the man who had | spoken. Il saw you speaking to him awhile ago
 Thank you" was the dry answer. live known George Carew for good many years. I think 1 have a pretty | good idea of his idiosyncrasics, and I | don't think annexing other peoples | property IS one of them. By the way, | you may not have heard that he has come into rho title and is now Lord Evandale. l though I'd mention it, | you know" hc added with a somewhat grim smile.
 In tho silence that followed. the | speaker lit fresh cigar, rose and went out.
 blush 10 havc to relate that during tho remainder of that day . good many of tho Cobra's passengers became sud- denly imbucd with tho conviction of | Carew's-or rather Lord Evandalo's- innocence and evidenced as much. How their overturcS were received perhaps I need not say.
 l Joyco Neville was a little shy with her lover when she knew. But in the course of Il starlit walk on deck he mado that all right. She, it seemed, had had tho idea that ho was rather obscure and hard up than otherwise, at which confession he was a good deal touched.
 | think it was on the evening before the Cobra got into Southampton that the head steward made a startling dis coyery. Mrs. Bouyerie's ring was found in a distant corner of the saloon, where it had been effectually concealed by an upstanding corner of the carpet.
 Captain North publicly restored the ring to its owner that night at dinner. There was a very uncomfortable silence for few moments. Every one had an awkward kind of feeling that some sort of apology should be made to the naughty looking young man who was at present helping Miss Neville to clar- ct. And every one had an equally awk- ward conviction that any apologyNor any explanation whatsoever would be worse than impossible.
 The subject of their thoughts, how ever, forestalled anything of the kind. There was something rather fine in his I Al | l.. | Il in his chair and threw keen glance | 6rsf ,,,N a,,I tha,, down tho fabla