Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-09-29
CHAPTER X

TUE SuFiuCt OScdT StTuck OUT, us HeaT-
ly as he could judge. in the wake Of the
Teutenic, and strained his eyes in
search Of a life-buoy which he assumed
Stephen would have the sense TO throw
after him. 1t never even occurred to
him to suspect that the push which
stephen had given him MS he sat upon
the rail, and which had unquestion-
ably been the cause Of his fall, had
been prompted by any other rnotivc
than a somewhat stupid attempt at a
practical joke.
He meant TO give me D scare" NUT
tered Oscar. as he proceeded to un-
dress, land he showed a bit too hard.
Confound this fog! They'd pick re
UP again in ten minutes il the weather
were only clear. 1 must just wait.
that's all. I'm good for a couple of
hours, anyhow, III this sea; and IL l
have the luck to strike Il life-buoy, /
could worry along until ! get clean
frozen up"
He did, by wonderful good fortune,
pick up one of the life-buoys. and pad,
died about with renewed hope. He
could hear the steamers siren and
whistle ut intervals, and at first they
SOuiutd ar lDOuSi at nR EIGdt uiC
lance. He even fancied. at one time,
that he could detect the beat of oars in
a boats rowlocks. AMI he shouted as
loud and as long as he could.
But the sounds present. ceased, the
shrek even of the far-reacE'ng siren
grew fainter; and at length the silence
was unbroken save by the monotonous
swish of the waves. The fog was as
dense as ever. And the horrible truth
came home to him hat the Teutonic
had given him up!
Oscar Deane was Il brave man of the
best type-the type that stares death
in the face ~fearlessly, not for a few
moments, or upon sudden impulse, but
for hours mt n stretch, IL need be: q
type which, thank God, is somewhat
distinctive of our race. He knew that,
alone, abandoned upon the foggy
ocean, his ~chances~Of. rescue.were very
small, indeed.
He had undressed to his drawers and
undershirt, for greater ease in swim
ming, and he was beginning TO feel the
cold bitterly. He struck out vigorous
ly at intervals TO restore his waning
circulation; but he knew that, unless
tIit vi Aititu Sooll slitt uISttostt Il Co
sci within hailing distance, his hour
was come.
Yet il lever occurred TO him To wax
despairful or to cry out against the
death in store for him. He would
struggle along as best he could. Then,
when he felt that he could do no more,
he would commend his soul TO his
Maker, and 90 down.
1t was not written in Heavens de
cree that SO true a gentleman should
drown like III exhausted rat. With
the first rays of an early rising full
moon the mist rolled away rapidly and
disclosed a small barque rising and
falling laZily upon the almost MINDLESS
sea, within two hundred yards of him.
Away went the life-buoy ut this cheer
ing sight, and Oscar, putting all his re-
manning energy in Il side-stroke that
had won him many a race, was speed
ing alongside.
Ropes and willing. brawny arms soon
did the rest, and he found himself a
right welcome guest upon the Mary
Mcintyre of Boston. and bound for
that port. A few words sufficed TO ex
plain his ~unlooked-for presence upon
the bosom of the broad Atlantic, and
then, after a vigorous rough-toweling
and a steaming glass of grog, he was
snugly placed between the blankets in
IL spare passenger bunk.
Clare Danvers became his wife very
after she had attained her ma
and Der parents, finding them
powerless to interfere, wisely
decided that, perhaps. after all, an i'm
pecunious baronet was well-nigh as de-
a son-in-law as a bankrupt lord,
and sanctioned the match.
The title came to Oscar, without dis
pute, because Alice's child fortunately
proved to be a girl AS for the Dean
shurst property, Clare would have
of it, and Oscar was but too
happy to share her views. Con-
.sequently, there was no necessity for
any appeal, and Lady Deane was left
in undisputed possession.
"We are rich enough already" was
Clare's.argument,, .sand / am convinced
that blood-curdling family curse would
fall upon you, Oscar, dear, We're you To
a shilling out OF the estate.
They tell me Lady Deane has avowed
her. intention Of devoting all the money
she can raise upon her share (whatev-
or it may be- to charitable purposes.
Wen Let her have 1t all. and endow an
hospital, IL she chooses,
AS Il matter of fact, either Lady
Deane was unsupported, or she altered
her intentions later o She certainly
married the Prince of Marano,
and. as this exalted patrfcian had al
ready left several fortunes behind him
ut Monte Carlo, 1t seems far more
probable that old Simon Deane's "curst
gold will be sped" at the gaming Ia
bles rather than In providing free beds
for ~impecunious people who dislike
doctors bills, and a coy billet for Il
secretary.
Mrs. Deane still resides at Chelten-
ham; and she is, perhaps, the only liv-
Ing person who holds the memory OF
Sir Derek in any sort Of reverence.
But then, of course. in spite of his in
veterate dislike to her, he treated her
very consiredately In his will; and,
money is. with many, the
only tombstone Of gratitude.
The Hirsts keep a very fine thing in
public houses at Highgate, and are said
to be amassing wealth ut an amazing
Hirst, in his cups, has been
heard to say he will buy D~eanshurst