Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-08-22

heard the story that his Nora was the
lords fiancee. and that she had used
him to bring her hggard to the pro-
posing point III II n
Bescoby lost no time in confirming
his suspicious. I met him on the bund
ashore few hours afterward, and he
| told me that he, had seen one of the
yachtsmen, and got the whole story
from him. @.s ~
The false Nora was soon to become
Lady Gi!mour, and she had thrown her
midshipman lover completely over
board.
| II met her., Paddy" the poor fellow
said "and she smiled at me and shook
hands, but it was as if was pleasant
acquaintance and nothing more. Lord
Gilmore was quite friendly and spoke
of the shooting and invited me on
board. i had only one chance to speak
to her, and d1fwhispered: Nora, have
you forgotten? And she laughed and
said with the air of woman of the
world: You silly boy; want you to
over now. II will never see her again.
Never, neverw a.t f
"Bosh, said /, slapping him ON the
back; you'll get over all this. Why,
that girl that saved my life in LINER
ick, and who swore I was the only man
she ever loved, was married week aft
| erward to wealthy tanner, and had
the impudence to send me her wedding
cards."
But all this well-meant consolation
had no effect upon my friend, and
was glad when we got underway and
pointed for the Straits of Sunda. Bes-
CODY went about his duty in dull,
mechanical sort of way, and even the
| fellows who used to prosecute him
most had respect for his dependency,
although they knew not the cause. He
never mentioned the name of his false
sweetheart again, and / avoided all
reference to the subject.
| / was in the second hour of a deli.
cious sleep n few nights afterward
when some body grasped me violently
by the arm and shook me.
"Rouse up, sir; rouse up! cried Cog
! Thompson, hurriedly. II think there
is something wrong with Mr.. Bescoby.
He is aloft on the mizzen royal, and
sent one of the boys after him, and the
boy came back and said he was talk
ing to himself and muttering some.
thing about st. Elmo's light, and l am
afraid, sir, that he is out of his mind"
While was hurriedly putting on my
trousers the marine told me that that
singular phenomenon had been seen
| first on the main truck, and that
another ball of fire had rested for a
moment on the end of the mizzen royal
yardarm. The minute Mr.. Bescoby
saw this he had rushed aloft and laid
ont on the yard. Filled with appre-
hension 1 came on deck and started
quickly up the weather rigging
There was a heavy swell on and the
ship was rolling considerably. /
stopped at the mizzen topmast cross
trees and sung out, softly:
"Hello, Bescoby! Lay down here for
moment. I've got something to tell
YOU" - saa .ss '.
| He did not reply, but kept talking to
himself, SO began the ascent of the
topgallant rigging. AS the ship rolled
heavily to Leeward l saw his figure
outlined against the dusky sky, and !
distinct monotone:
81 have found the light at last Nora.
1 have kept my part of the promise. Is
your spirit near me now?"
Again the big ship rolled to leeward
and the end of the royal yard was lift
ed up to the clear patch of sky. But
there was no one there. Poor Bescoby
had either sprung or fallen overheard.
/ shouted to the quartermaster to put
the wheel hard down, and as the ship
came shaking up in the wind jumped
to the top-gallant backstay and slid
rapidly to the deck. The boat was at
once lowered away and then another,
but though we searched for more than
an hour and burned lights over vast
area of water, we found no trace of the
hapless midshipman. There was gloom
in the gunroom mess for many weeks
afterward, for Bess was a general IA
vorite.
1 never told the story of his unfor.
tunate attachment, and / never saw
! the woman whose marriage read of in
a Hong Kong paper, who had made my
poor friend the sport of summer va
cation, and ruined a young and prom
ising life for her own qualification, and
for the winning of wealth and title
San Francisco Call.
| Potato Salad.