The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-03-20
A DIVERS ROMANCE.
fCoNrINUED FROM FIRST PAGE. l

could weigh the gold III TWO days ana
know Of market
ssStorey win never use limbs or tongue
again
ssIm sure of it, Mac; you must take his
place. We two and one other can work the
schooner, and year froni now we'll be
rich men. Think of it, lad-rich beyond
what YOU ever thought Of Think of it,
no more having to stand your watch at sea;
no more sea at all You can stay in Eng
land and marry and live a decent life.
Think of it, Mack.
was thinking of it. As | sat there
watching the heat lightning wink among
the black hills of the island | was re-
membering that it was chance such as |
had never had before in all my life, and
one which would never come to me again.
I'd been kicked about the world ever since
/ first went a wee bit wrong in Ballindro
chatter. and I'd sworn never to see the
place more till I'd enough silver to build
house there as big as the manse itself.
hungered for the old spot again, with its
gray houses and the brown moorland at the
back; nay mither was still there and poor
/ could do power of good in the place
(the dell told me them if / went back
rich and enlightened with all my store of
foreign travel. But then what the Cap
tain had said to me came back; how he
reminded me had been born gentle
man. and how he treat me as my faith
err son and trust to my honor; and stood
to my feet and swore.
I'm not a profane man as general
thing; it always seems to me there 5 small
profit to be got out of mere swearing; but
= / cursed then till Cameron blenched before
me, and the air ought to have tasted sui
phury.
.'Look here, said to him. / give you
your choice Those boxes are to be taken
back from the pit and slowed back inside
the Corinth tomorrow; then we Il announce
that we We dug away the mud, and can get
at the strong room; and next day We II
warp the Cleaner across, rig a whip, and
let her hoist them on board one by one
with her own winch. If you'll do this,
III work with you so long as my arms will
move; if you refuse, I'd 90 to the Old
Man now and tell him what | know
You are playing me very dirty
game, said he.
stormed at him. Am ~ / cried
.sCouldn' l get you into jail? Couldn t
| have you put in irons this moment as a
cesnmon thief? But | want to help you
out Of your mess, because Of reason you
know"
s.Why in thunder, man, won t you help
yourself, too, and be rich
Because of reason you would not
understand.
1T may be dangerous deal for you
yet, he said grimly
All, there, said |, .I've insured
myself. I've thought that if an accident
happened to me below the water yonder,
YOU might forget to be honest. So | We
written out an account of what know and
sealed it, and if | don't turn up the enve-
lope will be opened
.'You' We pinned me, he said.
II think so.
He stared at me queerly for minute
and then he spoke again. DO you know,
Mac. said he, "1' m not so sorry for it as
Won think. | was led into this precious
scheme by some else. But T. not going
to blame anybody now that can be here
to speak for himself And besides, [ II
freely admit that | was keen enough upon
the chance when it was put in my way; it
seemed so safe; and it was such thump-
ing big plum to go for. | guess we We
most of us kept honest through fear of
being found out.
''And besides, things are not always as
safe as they look.
.sYou' re right, Mac; and 1 Il remember
that for the future; and [ guess it Il scare
Inc into keeping straight. :
''That not very healthy way of look
ing at it, said |.
ssTll admit that, said he, but from
society 5 point of view it's a very useful
one. We're funny animals. l feel far
easier now than | did an hour ago, and |
know some one else who Il be easier, too.
That's Miss Bradbury you re speaking
OFF
Maybe so, maybe no, said he. .The
person have in mind writes books, and
has great liking for romance, and told
me almost as soon as we met that it was
pity the old days were gone when there
were pirates and all that sort Of stuff, and
sea life was more exciting. We got init
mate, that writer and |, Mac, and the
tale of this game here with the gold boxes
slipped out. | claimed there was every
bit as much romance in that as there was
in the old-time buccaneering .
.sAnd she agreed to let you 90 on with
it Just because she loved you, said |,
land ate her heart ont with fear lest you
should get dropped upon. Man, you need
not go further with the yarn. It's been
plain to the eyes of every one that 5
watched the lassie that she was just fret
ting herself to shadow about something.
''It's made me nearly cry to see her,
says he.
nWell, man, said |, ''it's over now,
and she can begin to put on flesh again SO
soon as ever you choose to tell her the new
plan. If mistake not, yon's the futter
of dress in the companion way this min
ute. I'll be away forward and in. Maybe
you'll have business here you rather
talk of out of my hearing.
And a minute later | heard the hum OF
their voices, and guessed Cameron was get
ting rid of his new version of the tale. So
that was the way the gold boxes from the
Corinth found their way into the Cleaner 5
hold but l fancy Capt. Boyd must have
thought all along that there was something
going on which was not quite according to
rule. Still, how he found it out can t
say Storey couldn't have told him, since
the man never found speech again; it was
certain that neither Cameron nor Miss
Bradbury would have let it out; and did
not
But after we got to Liverpool and all
hands from the Cleaner turned out to see
our diver married to his girl, the old man
pulled me aside as we left the church and
crumpled couple of EGO Bank of Eng
land notes into my hands, and, ''Those,
said he, are from the Salvage company
| told them thought you deserved dash.
| told them | thought they were owing