The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-08
BRANDON'S DAUGHTER.


,D'eod. But he lost 1t. and that is why
he lied the country"
lis thai all, " said /. with sigh of re.
| lief. ''lJ's bad enough, cor rtainly, but /
fail TO sec that in itself 10 forms suill-
cient barrier TO our union.
| But that is not tho worst My father
| is convinced that the police may have
! traced him To Melbourne and to this ship.
| lie declares he will be arrested on land
| ing.
! Nothing moro likely" l thought But
| remarked casually, Has no any plan TO
"Yes, oh, yes, IL you VIII only assist
| him. But il seems too horrible 10 con
template. lie says it is his only chance OF
escape.
What is il, theng"
THAT he should die and be buried at
sea 20 she responded with perceptible
shivcr
IL don't understand.
"ho proposes 10 foign death Then,
after ne has been sewn up for burial, Wo
must lind the means 10 liberate him ana
slbstituto something else
Tho daring audAclty Of the proposal
fairly took my LreatE away. II discovered
the consequences To mo in aiding ana
atettlng q iolon 10 escape would be- dlsaS-
trous. | resolved 10 have nothing 10 do
with sucl criminal proceeding, but n
look OF entreaty from those fearful eyes
For my sake, " sho murmured. plead
ingly. placing her fair, white hand on
my arm.
Hcr touch thrilled me. hesitated no
| longer, buj gave an unwilling consent.
All, what folly will not man commit
| when in love!
Next day Il was reported that Brandon
| was seriously inGIsposed. L took out the
medicine chest as in duty bound, ana
| ordered the cabin steward Co attend him.
Three days later Mr. Brandon was ro-
ported dead.
When | was informed Of this I entered
! his cabin. He was lying In tho under
| berth, pale and motionlesss as death
| felt the body; IL was cold and rigid. III
his were not death, he simulated IL To
perfection. i sent for the sailmaker who
| sewed the body up in my presence. When
| his task was completed dismissed him,
| and securing the cabin door in side with
n sharp knife ripped open the stitches.
My hand shook painfully. What If he
were really deadp
confess TO experiencing n singular feel
| ing of relief when the man opened his
| ewes, and the resuscitated Brandon sat up.
j administered some brandy, which helped
| To revive him. He quickly and noiselessly
| dressed himself Then he proouced from
| an American trunk n dummy figure which
| he had previously prepared and weighed,
| and inclosed il in the shroud. This he
| word was spoken by either OF us. When
| all was compl.t ted L stepped out To recon-
| noiter Seeing the coast clear. l signaled
| him, and he crept swiftly across the pas
| sage into his daughters cabin, where he
concealed himself.
| In the first dog watch OF the same after
noon, the bell commenced to toll It's
| solemn knell for tho funeral of Anthony
| Brandon Officers and men and passen gers
| stood around me with heads uncovered as
| / read from tho Book of Common Prayer
| the beautiful and impressive burial ser
Woe. God forgive me, IL was an awful
mockery. don't know how got through
with it, .Afterward. / heard it commented
| that was much affected during the SER
| vice. Heaven knows / was, but twas
| with guilt and fear
After the funeral Brandon returned to
his own cabin, which was kept constantly
| locked, and the kew of which retained In
INV own possession.. With my conpivance
| Alice smugglod food TO him from day to
| day.
About two weeks afterward, while pro-
| ceediny up tho channel under all sail, we
were hailed by tug. Anticipating
danger, l slipped down the companion
cabin for concealment. Whom 1 got on
deck again. l was just In time to SEQ
| stout, well-groomed party clambering
| over the vessels side. Without any pre-
liminaries he brusquely demanded;
"Got passenger by tho name of Bran
| uon on boardi"
II had, stranger, l had"
He gazed at mo inquiringly.
Come below, sir, said.
As we descended. he explained that he
was n detective in pursuit of Brandon,
who had absconded from Australia with
"a considerable sum OF money and valuable
negotiable securities Whom he had pro-
duced hs warrant, / ordered tho mate TO
fetch the log book. Under the date the
10th of January, he read this entry:
Buried at sea IN lat 5 daRrees 40 min
utes N, longitude 30 degrees, l6 minutes
W.. Anthony Brandon, cabin passenger.
Cause of death unknown. "
He mutterod something nnder his
breath which was quito uninteiljgible to
me- Then he demanded TO see Brandon s
effects / led tho way into his cabin. Hc
ransacked every trunk and portmanteau
but not vestige OF paper or anything OF
value did he discover The expression on
his face when no left the ship some hours
later was not particularly pleasant
When we arrived in tho dock at London
smuggled Mr. Brandon ashore in ono of
his daughter trunks, after they had been
searched by the custom = officer. No one
in tho ship ever suspected the truth.
Their secret remained alone with me-
Ii was arranged that Alice and should
my next voyage. and our honeymoon
was to bo spent on tho bosom of the deep.
When we parted TINT night she promised
to communicate with me " hen her father
had secured some quiet retreat in tho
country She kept her pronisa. Hero IL
tho letter 1 have preserved 1t all these
years 1t has neither supsrscription nor
signature:
Dear old Captain-MaDy, many thanks
for all your kindnosses My husband and
I--tor Mr. Brandon Is my husband though
1t WAS not known In Arliu0ton-will
never forget them. Pray forgive the
deceit we found 10 expcdient To practice
on you in order 20 carry ont our plans.
| We are in fairly ailluent circumstance
| Tor my husband did not lOse the money in
| speculation, as | thought IL necessary TO
tell you. Dear Captain, i know | can
rely upon you. for your own sake not 10
| Inform the authorities about my husband.
| As he died at sea, wo expect Ia live
securely unmolostcd 10y the bank officials
| or tue polite. Good 10y Tor ever.
Aud that was the end of my romance.
No. ! never heard anything more about