Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-03-01

I nappen 10 octnin you I have 'macc up my
mind what to do. shall stand 10, silence
| the battery and then hold 1t with shore
| party till they give you both up.
Ny dear sir, answered the colonel, II
| couldn't hear OF such thing. 10 would
be madness with the force you have "
''Nny, lis useless to protest" said tho
sailor. II promised Lucille" and that is
| how they said goodby.
Bnt sure enough the mkt night the
| light was there. The Seduisanto had boon
| kept out Of sight to seward all day, md
whom she stood in again at nighttall tho
| signal was burning brightly.
That's right enough, " said the COM
mnndcr to bucket, who was at tho holm,
for Curtis had induced him, in view Of
| his familiarity with the coast, to ship
nbonrd the Sodnisnntc ns qusrtermnster.
at must bc in the hut, ehg''
| AYE, sir, tits In the hut surely" an
swcred the man, bending to tho blnnaclu
and pccrlnR in, "but II don't seem all
right to mo"
Every light on board Ind been extin.
! guishod except the necessary one in tho
blnnaoc, and that was shroudod by long
| funnel that was carried almost up to tho
stecrsmnn's eyes 1t threw strange glow
upon buckets face, making his strained
features the only patch OF brightness on
the ship and Curtis could sec he was star
ing up ut the signal light with something
OF the old crazy scare,
Why, whats the matter with it?" said
Curtis sharply.
Tis Just so, replied bucket hoarscly,
"his eyes used to shinc when lie meant
doviltry."
'Ayast thcrel Eead, III dlsrnte you II
al. - IL.
Tho man looked wistfully at him with
his air Of a fawnlng dog as " he barely
understood the sharpness Of the rcprlmand,
and Curtis ordered him to be relieved
You'll not go yourself, sIrs said
bucket In an eager undortono. FOR
Gods sake, DON'T"
"Of course / shall" replied Curtis.
'lhcrc's none Of the officers speaks French,
and IT. may be wanted"
You'll let mo go, too. sir, thenY'
VERY wolff youll stow that Internal
folly. Get away forward now and clear
away tho boat "
shall get carronado into the bows,
sir"
What for-what do you cxpect''
There's no harm in it, sir-beggInE
your pardon, and then lie inuttercd he
tween his set teeth, "I'd GO easter with
charge Of grape 10 slap In the devils face"
"Whnt, cried Curtis whats TINT you
are muttcringi"
"Ihcro might he un alarm, sir, md
there's no harm in being on the safe side"
Worry we'll let II be So"
When the Scduishuto WIS NJ near In
shore "a was safe. the boat was lowered
away, with Ducl;ot for coxswniu All the
way from the ship TO tho shore Curtis could
!. fH.. e ala al
Side by Side In tho stern sheets, but he let
him bC for fear Of alarming tho men.
So soon ns the boat grounded lie told
him to hand, in order to get him nway from
the rcst and So they went together up to
the hut,
IL was n little strangu that no one was
ont To meet thcm, hut Curtis was too
much distracted IN the sweet nnd-nitter
memories Of the pluc0 to think much Of II.
And besides as they had done their best to
get In unobscrvcd tho solitude was sign
OF good as much ms Of oyll The light still
burned brightly in spite of tho absence Of
nny other note of lie when Curtis went
| quietly to the door and knocked
There was no answer or any sound 10
he heard within, and ho was moved rs ho
knocked again by memory OF tho old
summons.
Open, he said, in tho name OF Christ
md Of his holy scpulchcr"
/ At TINT the door seemed to swing wide,
rs II wore Of It's own motion, hut still no
one was 20 10 seen, and he could not hut
| feel an uneasy scnsr that something had
| mlacArr!rt, nor WINS lie helped to forttudo
4 BY Dnckut twitching his sleeve from hc-
I hind
For Gods sake, sir. don't 10 in. " he
/ whispered. There's some dcyiltry here.
There's men ahuut--I can feel 'ctn--and
( he'll knows what v.,c,'
This time the officers rObuku did not
come. 'kunp lookout then man.. said
| Curtis md With that hu stopped into The
room.
/ AZ first he saw nothing, hut presently n
low sort Of laugh told him that there was
lie within, and then NIL at once no could
mako out lair OF Fllttcring eyes and tho
shimmcr at struggling gray locks, and
/ MINT taruehul WAS sQuattiuE on the bunk,
whcrn Picrro's body had been, rubbing her
( withercd fingers be,wccu her knees.
Come IN ctiaeus, 20 she chucklcd as he
( stood hro'olutV, come IN, and welcome
| There was no call to worry about YOUR
; friend again. D'yo think wasn't watch
Ing over my boys hrldeS Heaven bc
I praised! Hold huyo killed mo IL hadn't"
Whuro is shcY' cried Curtis, with u
stride toward the bunk
There, there; don't you worry, " the old
woman went On. al have got her safe
enough, and have mndc It right for the
nne soldier, too, and now an, going to
make " right for YOU"
| She ended with II wild, screaming
laugh, and its meaning was not to be mis-
! suken,
" lis "a signal sir " cried upoLet iu