Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-08-19
CHAPTER XIV.

Scarcely any discovery In relation TO
the captain could have increased the
i%ll-opinion Astrea already had OF him.
Deep was her grief for all that she
had left behind her in the past; ex-
cessive was her terror of all that was
going to meet her in the future. And
now. added to these, was unmitlgateu
horror at finding herself in the power
Of a smuggler, But she knew that for
her, in her present circumstances, 70
yield to the fatal power OF these SUD
DUNG passions would be her total
ruin. Again, as a second demand, she
was forced to rally her sinking cour"
age. And now she took what my read
ers will think a strange step. She was
half-suffocating in the close air OF the
cabin. She resolved TO go on deck. TO
breathe the fresh air. and to meet
bravely, not boldly. the faces of her
captors. She went UP, and found the
captain on deck. He came forward to
meet her, saying:
why, now this is right, my girl!
Never nope. moping never did any
one any good yet, Besides, it would
spoil your beauty. If you have left a
sweetheart behind, we will find you
quite as good a n where we are
going"
Astrea passed him without making
any answer, and advanced to the star
board side of the ship, and remained
looking over the bulwarks.
What? Sulking? Why. that is al
most as bad as moping!' said the cap
tain, laughing.
She did not answer, nor even seem
to hear.
'.Oh, very well, all right" laughed
the man, walking away in another di-
rectiOn.
Astrea breathed more freely. She
had dreaded lest he should follow her.
But, i'm fact, from this time To the end
of the voyage. he more molested
her with offensive attentions. His one
impudent attempt to kiss her i'm the
cabin was his first and Last sin of tina
sort. Astrea, with all her beauty, was
evidently not to his taste. He was as
dark as n gypsy by nature; Astrea was
rendered so by art: they We're person
ally too much alike for him to be
strongly attracted by her. This cir
cumstance perhaps it was that saved
her. a.
NtAOa Cht oi tAh tNCiy tay . ~
her manner while there repealed the
slightest advances from any of the
crew. ignoring even those little civili-
ties. such as placing a seat. or raising
an awning. that some of the sailors
respectfully offered her.
She talked with no one but Venus,
and only with her when they We're
alone i'm the cabin. Venus slept each
night on q narrow mattress laid down
On the floor beside Astrea's berth. No
one else ever entered the cabin.
Often at nigh. when all was still.
Astrea would cater into conversation
with her humble friend, and try TO for
get for a while her own SORROWS and
terrors in sympathizing with the fears
and griefs Of poor Venus. Strangely
enough. one of the poor negress'
troubles We're selfish. She had left be-
hind her neither parent. husband nor
child. All her regrets We're, therefore.
given TO 'Hde OILS missus an de chill
Ium.r left destitute by the death Of her
master and the rapacity of his credit
ors. And all fears were that she
should be drawn into sin through assoc
citation with the smnggIer captain and
his crew. For the rest, her deepest
sympathies were for Astrea, into
whose bosom she tried to infuSe hope
and courage.
"Sfder. chile" she said, one night.
as she lay on the mattress beside her
wakeful companion. "jes' you slider; a
young lady can't be hauled off like a
fractions Niger, an no fuss made
aboutn it. Yoour frien's an 'lations
soon be on your track an fetch you
back"
"Ah, my friends. All. my dear hus-
band! All! my good guardian, How
great their sorrow must be for their
poor Astrea! And. oh. even IL they
ever find me. they will never know me
in this dreadful disguise..'
"Nebbef you misdoubt, honey, Dey
sure to know you! Dey know your
beautiful eyes, an your sweet, thrushy
voice! An rs 10 your brown 'plexion,
honey, that will wash out arter a time.
You'll seew,
''Ah, no! 1 fear not. for 1t seems to
me that soap and water actually sets
the color. 1t is deeper than at first,
All! it was n fiendish act.'
"Pletely deblish. Eff dey'd dyed you
good, honest. vartuous black. like me
now, 'twouldn't a-been so bad! But to
glib you that ere indecent, mixed bloou
color. Ohw
Perhaps Astrea did not consider that
an aggravation of the offense, but She
made no comment.
Have you any idea yet where we
are bound, or how far we are from
port. or when we shall arrive?' she in
CURED.
Yes, chile; Cap'n don't make no Sc.
cret of Ii now. l hear de debbils on de
deck talkin bout it. 1t is back to New
Orleans Yves goin'! Dough why goin'
back there arter goin' nowhere but I'm
hat little erik. passes of my sensori-
M to tell! Seems like de whole v'yge
was made purpose to bring you away,
Case dis Is sortin. Fom de time we
lef New Orleans to de time we dram
anchor in dat erik, we nebber stopt.
An den soon as you fotch on board
whew. up anchor an away back to
where we come from. Tell You what.
it looks mighty rum"
1T does, indeed. lok as though my
unhappy self has been the sole object
of the voyage.'
"Um! may DEEPEN dere's more in II
dan we a seer
There Is! we'll, l suppose nv fate
xx.f1I ln 1nnfIa1 NJ No. -