The Newtown bee., 1896-12-18
Foster, Besse & Co., a7H4Ss1 1s3a RR1psHP0RT 515.5

tween her ,obs. "D3u't leave me again. It't awful oh, what have said> What have said:' she repeated, hyster- icully.
 Tom bit his lips, but did not relax his hold upon his wife. "What is if, sweet ling?' he said, gently, as he drew her closer to him. "I1l never leave you again; you can put that in your pipe aud smoke it."
 This heterogeneous similc acted upon Mary like tonic.
 "lie has been threatening the with aw- full stories about you. 1 don't believe him"
 "Hc swea.s that unless rlI-Im give him kiss, here the poor girl hid her face for shame of the words she had ut, ttercd, "hc'l tell on you, and vOuIl be hung. Oh, hate him! What shall do?' Toms g face took on it- daykesl color; but he breathcd freer at Mary's last words. "l es, he said that uu murdered the cAp. tain of the Aurora! He says, he-on, Tom " The wife looked at her hus sband steadily. "Hc says he likes me. I dare nit tell you all he said about you. 1 don't believe him bit! Don't hurt him, Tom, for he says h"'U hang you. What a h0r- ribIe time I've had Don't leave me, Tom; don't gU!'
 Tom ,troked his wjfe's hair. His roug h hand was tender as a chiId's Then he kissed her upon her wet cheeks; and the harsh lip that could make his men trcm blc were as soft to her and as sweet as her heart cravcd. That he had misuu. derstood and had been rough to Lis poor, persecutcd wife was more than his hon est nature could bear. And what a hard time she had gore through for his sake Tom SAW through the plot now-be un doTstood her altered looks, and the req sons of his SUI picjOn. His heart b2d for his innocent wife.
 II 's all right, Iear. Poor darling, you cha n be bothered with him any more ''
 "1 ou don't think the worst of me Tom do vou?' she inquired, anxiously. "Wfa' could do? had to listen to him. You needn't be afraid, Tom. I can look you in the face-I never did ki-s him."
 "You ought to have told me sooner,'' he answered drylv, and then seeing her vince q little as if hurt by the slightest reprOOt, SO sore was she, he continued t: "fle sha'n't spend another night under this roof, l promise ye. It's all lfe-I did enough, but it want murder. IC may be tho, before get through .'' ex, pIoded Tolu. ''I can't say what wouldn't do when I'm drove to it. I'll fix him tomorrow. Now let's go to bed " He tried to throw the scene of Mary mind by laughing carelesslv. He calmed and petted her. His tenderness was her narcotic. Mary sIept.
 But Tom did not sleep fora long while for he was thinking about what he should do. The situation moved before the simple riggers miod like vast, specta. cular tradegv in which he was chief sc tor-in which he was afraid that he should misa his part.
 It was the bark 'Waterwirhch. Tom was In charge of gang of five triggers. and was sending up the yards-thOse vast cross spars that SD readily dfstIn- guish square rigger from a schooner. The royal ward had already been set, and now the 'tOp gallent" yard was ready to be sent up to its place. Two men were below on deck making readv mast crnss-trees Sam Purse had been stationed by his boss. He was there to bear the yard off and swing it into pIace as it came up. The sling by which the yard was sent aloft, was large rope and and made fast in the middle of it. Tom himself made the bitch. and as he hnrt over to do so a sudden thought dashed through him. ''7'''''
 Here was his chance, and if it succeed. ed nn one would be the wiser, no one could accuse him of-His lips pressed t.oemselves UncOnsciOusly together to form word for which men better than ne mad been hanged. He looked furtive. " " aIoft; but Sam, carelessly whistliug sweet Marie" " was watching a dredger 5tOlidly scooDing up the harbor mud al. most at his feet. That i'll timed melody clenehed Toms impulse. His other men were also looking at the dFedger. NoI one was watching him, and, with trembl- ing hands, Tom took some spun-yarn from his belt and tied the quarter-stop.
 As the yard is sent up alofG, it must go up end first, so as to clear the stays of the vessel, and the quarter-stop ia bit of strong line that secures the sling which is made fast at the middle of the yard to the end of it. Thus the spar will not be sent up square with the mast, but end on. And the qnarter-stop must be strong; fors as the yard moves up, and is swayed clear of all Instructions by the man, alofts heavy strain comes upon it. So the foreman chose this time to tie this important knot, in order that, presumably ,t might be well done. For, if the nart stop parted, the man aloft, whose duty was to keep the yard clear by push Ing outward with all his power against 5he sling, might be hurled a hundred Feet into his own eternity.
 Tom trembIed as if be had been work l Ing D hours on tho stretch, while he made fast his criminally weak line. He I