The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-24

ing to avoid him, but he soon caught up to me, The sky was cloudy and dark, and on one side was an irregular streak of grayish yellow light, where the moon was struggling to break through. l saw no cause of old Lu&e's warning. nor did Holding, it appeared, for he began: What can Meadows mean, Powell? It's a dirty night, no doubt; but twill clear before morning, I should think, What say you?"
 "I think so, too," l answered between my set teeth,
 But he is not one to croak, and he is very rarely out in his predictions" Ben continued, Would it not be wiser to stay on shore?"
 Do so, by all means, if you are afraid" I replied with a sheer, You are your own master"
 The taunt stung him, I could see, dark as it was, but he kept his temper and only said: q don't deserve that, George, and no one knows it better than you. What ails you to-night?"
 "'Taint your business"
 Are you in trouble? Can I do any thing?"
 You can hold your tongue"
 What will Lizzie say?"
 Shell care as little as you or anyone else How dare you talk of Lizzie to me? Go your own way, and let me go mine"
 Nay Powell; listen''-he began, but would not stay to hear; broke away from him, and ran down a narrow lane that led to my lodging. I was boiling over with wrath, and his coolness irri- tated me past all bearing. What right had he to bring in Lizzie's name? He had stolen her from me; let that con- tent him. And how Meadows had de- ceived me! He knew, no man better, what took me to his cottage, and yet he encouraged Ben's suit on the sly. I felt as if I could have throttled him.
 In such frame of mind, 1t was not likely I could sleep. As a fact, I spent the night in walking up and. down my little room revolving in my mind one plan of revenge after another. Hold ing and Lizzie should never come to- gether, if, by fair means or foul, I could prevent it. Who would have thought, I reflected bitterly, that Meadows was so mercenary. Because Ben had boat of his own and two men in his pay, while I worked with | Tom Ford at a weekly wage, he was ready to throw me over I felt glad had taunted Holding with being a cow ard. Now, he would go out in the morning, whatever the weather, and who could say what might happen. His boat, the Mermaid was, every one knew, a rotten tub. In his anxiety to rise above his fellows, he had bought her without consulting any one, and l had been grievously cheated in the bargain. LizZie's sweet eyes seemed to plead for him; they haunted me, turn where I would, but I would not let them influence me. If her lover perished In the waves, she deserved all the pain it would give her. the little l flirt. But however matters turned out, no one could impute blame to me.
 Before sunrise I was out and on my way to the beach. The morning broke | gloomy and dull; the clouds were rag ged and torn at the edges, telling of wind; but the sea just then was calm enough. The barometer at the coast guard station was lower than 1t had been for weeks; still, I had gone out many day more stormy looking than l this, and l made up my mind that if Ford wished to go, l would say nothing l to dissuade him. It was not likely he l would care to stay on shore. He was a bold, determined fellow, and knew his boat, the Vixen to be one of the stout est and best built in the place
 He came down presently, and, with a 1 nf bie o,oI a,,Iy We'll get wetting to-day, more than likely" motioned to me to shove off Ford was man of few words | As he took our seats, I saw Holding and his men getting in their nets and preparing to follow us So, then, he had not taken the old mans advice He nodded to me as we passed, and smilingly waved his hand; but I kept my eyes turned away and made no an- swering sign.
 We got on much as usual till about three o'clock in the afternoon. Then saw Meadows prediction would be yer. flied. Thunder rumbled in the dis tance, and the waves were high and sullen. Suddenly the wind sprang up and it was all we could do to shorten sail before it was down upon us. Ford said it was squall, and we had seen the worst of it; but he was wrong, as the event proved. The gusts of wind l followed each other fast. Every wave threatened to engulf the Vixen and her crew, and it soon became a struggle for life. For my own safety I cared little; life had ceased to have any attractions for me; but remembering Fords wife and children, l worked manfully to keep the boat on her course.
 "Who would have thought it would blow like this?" Ford said, in his usual phlegmatic fashion, as we crouched to- gether in the stern.
 Meadows said last night 'twOuld be rougher than common" I rejoned But he is getting old now, and thinks more of hatful of wind than he used to do"
 You should have told me that" said Ford gravely. Its never safe to gc agin old Luke-he knows the weathe, signs better than any man-I say George Powell" he went on, looking keenly at me, lis Holding to carry of pretty Lizzie? He was at the cottage last night, my wife says. He seems tc be there most days"
 'T can't tell you" l replied "Its nothing to me, or to you either"
 Nothing to me, certainly" returned Ford. But the folks used to say she was for you, lad"
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