Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-03-11

There was piano in the saloon,
and often IN the long evening she
WOn'd sing and play for my sole
delectation, while | wOnId sit on
The settee alongside and gaze
rapturOuslv into her pretty face.
The song | liked best was 'Tom
Bow hDg,' ard she infused such an
amount ut psthOs into her express
slOn that the tears would some.
times trickie down nv weather
beaten cheeks as she sang: ALI!
those were happy DAYS; lit was
heaven while II lasted.
| have scarcely mentioned brr
father vet. The f,ot Is, NAs So
engrossed with his beauiiiul
daughter thai | didu't pay so much
attention to him as perhaps ]
ought. At the best he was a
saturniue, unsOciable sort of per
son, who seemed to prefer bis own
company to other peoples. Wnrn
not in his own cabin, where he
spent most of his time, he was
walking with his hands clasped
behind bin, apparently in dep
thought, in me waist of the ship
One evening. wh~n about nine
weeks out. | was sitting in the
chart house along with my idol
The second mate was stepping the
planks On,sldr, ld JuhnSon was Al
the Wheel AVA, behind us, snd the
watch on the deck were longing
about forsard Some days previous
10 this | mad the temrrI,y to con
fess IN, IOve 10 her, and asked her
to he my wife. She had made me-
inrxpr, sSlhly happy bN promising,
sal ject to my obtaining fathers
CONSENT. ThlS, after some demnr,
he had granted, AMI that night the
future appeared very bright for me
We had been sitting silent f1r
some tine, too happy for words,
gazing on the setting sun as it dis
appeared into glowing mass OF
golden rimmed clouds on the
horizon, when to my infinite
amazemcnt she suddenly burst tnro
tears
Darling, what is the matteri
exclaimed 10 al agony OF ap
preheusiOn.
'Oh, Alfred, have ust
heard such dreadful story from
nv father. | shall never be happy
again. We Can never be married
now
Never, be msrriedr ejacu ated
again. 'Nhyr
Because my father is a-crimi
nal. Oh, | teel 50 miserable. |
think shall throw my self over
boardp
'Alice, for heavens sake donT
talk like that, or You'll drlye mt
mad. What has he dOneY
'Some'hiDg dreadful. On, don'
speak to me auy more,' she sOObed
violently.
AT that moment l was 50 ma"
that | telt half inclined to go dONp
and tear The old scarecrOS out .
his berth by the cuff Of the neck
an demand what he had done to
ca Sc my darling such poignant
g,ief. But / didn't. Instead ]
drew her to nay side.
Tel me all about IT, | said
soothingiy.
We'll, my father, as Ion ar
aware, was al agent in one of tht
banks in Ar ingtnn. Victoria, aud
II seems he embezzlcd large sun
Of money belonging to th' bank t"
.pecuIate with. OF course. he
meant to replace it before the audit.
when the deficit would have bre
disco, @ ed. BuI he lost It, and that
is Shy he hed the country.
rs that all?' said l, with L sigh
of relief. ',ps bad enough, eer'
tAlnly, but failed 10 see that in
Itself 1t forns sufficient barrier
% anr uniOn.'
Bat that is not the worst. My
father is convinced that I'll police
may have traced him TO Melbourne
,nd to this ship. H. declares b.
will be arrested on lahding,'
'NOlhIug more likely,"l thought
But ! remarked casually, 'Has he
ans plan to suggest''
Yes, oh, yes, 1t you will only
assist him. But 1t seems too ter
nble to contemplate. He says it II
his only chance to escape
what Is 1t, tbenl'
That lie should die anl be bur
ried at sea- she responded, with 4
perceptable shiver.
Il dOu't understand
He proposes to felgn death
: Then, after he has been sewed ~