The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1896-01-04
=, "ApologyP' Dick broke in impatien.ly

Apology Dick broke in impatien:ly
%Of course not!'
Very well, them continued his com.
panion, that being so, it will prevent
any possible awkwardness If you ignore
the late regrettable incident altogether
And I may add that know you would
be consulting her own wishes if you
refrained from mentioning the object
of our voyage at all. The subject is
not one with pleasant, associations as
between herself and you%
J Dick thought the colonel model of
judgment and KINDNESS. He thanked
him again hastily, ard went below with
p beating heart; Camilla was in the
saloon by himself; she flushed when, nc
entered, but greeted him naturally, and
without any reference to. what had
passed. While her hand lay in his she
looked at him a little sadly, he fancied,
as though a tinge of her first disap-
pointmept still remained; but that sure
~ was natural enough, and needed only
time to efface it from her memory.
Meanwhile he had a fortnight a whole
age-9f. happiness. before him. The COLI
onel, who had calculated with nicely
the time he ought to allow them, now
came discreetly in and suggested break
fast
! Certainly" said Dick; 'it is long
past the time; but where's Captain
Worsely?" -. s'..y 49,
oh" replied the colonel; haven't
they told you! He's got a fever, and
can't leave his berth today"
"Th&ts rather sharp work" said
Dick; "he seemed all right when 1 left
the ship yesterday"
Yes" said the colonel, there is
sudden kind of feverish. attack which
is' not uncommon, l am told, in these
ATTITUDES. 1t took him quite suddenly,
just as We came on board he was very
queer, and kept me up late into the
night talking in the most random man
ner l thought you must have heard
us, he added, with a quick, searching
glance at Dick. .....i..
Il did hear your replied the latter.
and that reminds me that 1 also heard,
or fancied 1 heard, a boat put off m
the middle of the night, and come
aboard some time later" .t.
Just So" said the colonel; that was
what he and I were arguing about 1
wanted some things / had forgotten
fetched from the Hamilton, and Cap
tain Worsley refused me a boat, but 1
got my own way at last with some diff
ficulty." And having fired off this ex-
PLANTATION which he had ready loaded
and primed for some time past, he
turned the conversation adroitly back'
to the Hamilton, and the incidents of
their voyage from England. When the
meal TOiply N
captain again.
Il can't say regret old Worsley's
temporary absence" he remarked, ''for
| prefer very much our present party
Of three; but l think I must go. and
see him, for the sake of civility."
Il don't think l would, if / were you"
said the colonel lightly; hes still rath-
er Over-excitable this morning, and he
has apparently, for some absurd rea-
son, taken a dislike to you"
Dick laughed. I'm not afraid of his
tongue" he said; Pm shot-proof
against marine gunnery." And he went
toward the door. The colonel turned
away and bit his mustache. He dared
not insist further, for fear of arOusing
suspicion; for, upon the face of it,
what could it matter to him whether
Dick went or not? But in reality a good
deal was at. stake, ana Dicks, sudden
resolve had taken him for once unpre@
pared. So he sat still, and listened with
desperate anxiety to hear what woi =
follow. The SpeedwelTs constructitEi;'
between decks was not quite that Of an
ordinary brig. She was large but as
was only reasonable in a ship carrying
government stores, she had no provision
for number of passengers, but was
instead fitted with unusually ample
quarters for the captain and three or
four others. Thus, while the, saloon
was small, there were on each side of
it three good cabins, or rather state
rooms, instead of the ordinary berths.
On the starboard side Madame de Mon
taut, the colonel, and Dick were quar-
tered; on the opposite side were, the
captains two rooms and the mates
cabin. narrow passage was left on
each side between these stata-rooms
and the saloon. The colonel, with his
head against the wooden wall of the
latter could hear perfectly all that
passed on the other side" and in fact.
when Dick stood at the captains door
he was within a yard of him First
he heard him knock once, and again
louder. There was no answer. The col |
onel was rigid, but his eyes betrayed
intense anxiety Camilla had fortu-
nately gone to her own cabin, and
there. was no one to observe his IN |
agitation. Dick knocked a |
third time. The colonel ground his |
teeth and drew in his breath. A rat
ling noise followed. Instantly the ten
sion of his limbs relaxed, and look |
If relief spread over his face. Dick had |
.ried the door and found it locked. The |
colonel got up and wiped his brow. His |
secret was safe now, and he must get
ready for another little scene in the |
which could not be long de- |
aged. ..-....