The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-29


till~Pd enough silver to build house
there as big as the manse itself. I hun
gered for the old spot again, with it's
gray houses and the brown moorIand
at the back; my mither was still there
and poor. l could do a power of good
In the place (the dell told me them if
l went back rich and enlightened with
all my store of foreign travel. But
then what the captain had said to me
came back; how he reminded me
had been born a gentleman, and how
he'd treat me as my fathers son and
trust to my honor; and / stood to my
feet and sWore.
m not profane man as a general
thing; it always seems to me there's
swearing, but l cursed then till Cam
eron blanched before me, and the air
ought to have tasted sulphury.
Look here" 1 said to him. 81 give
you your choice. Those boxes are to
be taken back from the pit and slowed
back inside the Corinth tomorrow; then
We'll announce that we've dug away
the mud and can get at the strong
room; and next day We'll 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 I'll
work with you so long as my arms will
move; if you refuse, I'll go to the old
man now and tell him what know"
you are playing me a very dirty
game" said he.
l stormed at him. Am I?' I cried.
Couldn't l get you into jail? Couldn't
/ have put you in irons this moment
as a common thief? But I want to help
you out of your mess, because of a
reason you know"
why in thunder, man, won't you
help yourself too and be rich?"
% Of
understand"
1T may be a dangerous deal for you
yet he said grimly.
"Ah, there" said l, I've insured my
self I've thought that if an accident
happened to me below the water yon-
der you might forget to be honest. So
I've written out an account of what
/ know and sealed it, and if l don't turn
up the envelope will be opened.
you've pinned me-" he said.
81 think So
He stared at me queerly for minute
and then he spoke again. do you
know, Mac" said he, I'm not so sorry
for it as you might think. was led into
this precious scheme by someone else.
But I'm not going to blame anybody
now that can't be here to speak for
himself. And, besides, I'll freely ad-
nit that / was keen enough upon the
chance when it was put in my way; it
seemed so safe, and 1t was such q
humping big plum to go for. | guess
we've most of US kept honest through
fear of being found out"
"And, besides, things are not always
as safe as they look"
You're right, Mac, and I'll remember
that for the future; and 1 guess it'll
scare me into keeping straight
That's not a very healthy way OF
looking at it, said l.
I'll admit that said he, 'but from
society's point of view, it's very use
full one. We're funny animals. l feel
far easier now than l did an hour ago,
and l know someone else who'll be
easier, too.''
That's Miss Bradbury you're speak
ing Off" ..r
person | have in mind writes books,
and has a great liking for romance,
and told me almost as soon as we met
that it was a pity the old days were
gone when there were pirates and all
that sort Of stuff, and sea life was more
exciting. We got intimate, that writer
and l, Mac, and the tale of this game
here, with the gold boxes, slipped out.
1 claimed there was every bit as much
romance in that as there was in the
old time buccaneering."
And she agreed to let you go on
with it Just because she loved you,"
said 1, land ate her heart out 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 everyone
that's watched the lassie that she was
just fretting herself to shadow about
something
IT'S made me nearly cry to see her,
says he.
'Wel, man. said 1, tits over now,
and she can begin to put on flesh again
as soon as ever you tell her the new
plan. If l mistake not, yon's the fiut-
ter of a dress in the companion way
this minute. I'll be away forrard and
turn in. Maybe you'll have business
here you'd rather talk of out of my
hearing"
And a moment later I heard the hum
of their voices, and guessed Cameron
was getting rid of his new version OF
the tale. SO that was the way the gold
boxes from the Corinth found their way
into the Cleaners hold, but 1 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 l can't
say Storey couldn't have told him,
since the man never found speech
again; it was certain that neither Cam
eron nor Miss Bradbury would have
let it out, and l did not.
But after we got Liverpool and ell
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 a couple of
$40 Bank Of England notes into my
hands, and These" said he. "are from
the salvage company. l told them l
thought you deserved a dash I told
them I thought they were owing you
matter of f27O, 900, but l couldn't get
more for you, Mac, my lad and per-
haps you are better without it. Com
panies are not addicted to giving away
tips when they aren't forced, ana
third engineers, Maxwell, they have
thirsts, haven't they, my lad?"
Well SllnnOSe he WAS right I know