The Portland daily press., 1898-01-01
Chapter XII Continued.

had been following him with rapt at
tention After brief interval of silence
he continued
81 am never likely to know how many
days and nights l spent in that open boat,
because l cannot tell how long | was in
sensible. I can clearly reoollect all that hap
pened down to the instant of my senses
quitting NEE My unhappy companion,
who was a sailor named jackson had
given way to the terrible craving for
drink, and swallowed large draught of
salt water, implored him not to do SO,
although I myself was foaming at the lips
as spoke. He leaned over the side, how
ever, and Tapped up the water like dog.
For some little while after he kept tell
ing me he felt better, and urged me to
drink. too; then he began to get dark in
the face, his Sslk grew wild and in CO.
herent, and l SAW the light of rising mad
ness kindling in his hollow eyes. Sud
denly he leapt up and sprang at me l was
as weak as kitten, and so was the poor
fellow, too; yet l made shift to rise and
grapple with him. He tried to thrust me
over the side into the sea, but catching
his foot in one of the seats of the boat he
tripped and we both fell. I struck my
head heavily as came down, and with
that blow my senses left me in a flash.
"When consciousness returned, l found
myself in the bunk of little cabin. A
girl came to my side and bent over me.
She spoke some words, but could not
answer her. I felt fearfully weak and
ill, and could remember nothing. Well,
for good many days lay helpless in
valid in this berth, ceagelessly watched
over and nursed by that same girl. My
memory was gone, and my whole past
was hopeless blank, down to the instant
of my regaining consciousness on board
the StFatnnairn. I grew strong again,
thanks to the extreme humanity with
which I was treated, but l felt small in
clination to mingle with the passengers;
the blindness Of my mind seemed to give
them all such an immeasurable superior
ity over me, that l Stunned their society
as one who breads to be accosted. had
but assingle companion in that great
ship full of people, all willing enough to
be friendly towards me, and that was
Marian Marston, the girl you just now
saw me with.
II am sure, Clara you will allow, when
you come to consider the circumstances,
that nothing could have been more
natural than that an intimacy should
have grown up between this young
woman and myself She had saved my
life by her care and tenderness. One day
she fell overheard; l jumped into the sea
after her, and-well, suppose I may
claim that I saved her life. So the debt
of gratitude, you gee. became a mutual
one. She WAS an orphan, going oout un-
der the care Of the captain to join her
something in my helpless, memoryless
condition which appealed strongly to her.
Be this as it will, the sympathy existing
between US speedily ripened into a deep
friendship, andswe were nearly always
together. You will remember that ell
past-whether l was single or married,
= rich Or poor. The long and short of it is,
Clara" he paused, glanoing at her face,
which had now grown of an ashen pale
ness, then added in a voice tremulous
with agitation, ST fell in love with
Marian Narston, and-and-we became
engaged to one another, subject, of course
TO the condition OF my proving to be d
single man."
Having uttered these words he folded
his arms, let his chin sink upon his
breast, and leaned back in his seat. The
girl sat perfectly motionless, her eyes
rooted to the ground. Rawdon had told
her quite enough to enable her, with the
quick perception of her womanly in
atincts, to divine the whole truth. She
saw his drift now quite clearly. His
vague hints about the change his nature
had undergone, his apology for his own
responsibility in the matter of the al
tered condition of his mind, and, above
all, his telling her, without reserve, the
story of his intimacy with Marian Mars
ton. had motive which was only too
apparent to her.
Clara Lambert was half dazed by the
abruptness of this staggering revelation.
She remained without speech or move
1nent for full five minutes, bewildered
and confused as though by the sudden in
telligence of some overwhelming grief.
There was no demonstration at all; no
passionate outburst of Teproach, or hys-
terical lamentations to be silenced only
by swooning away. She turned the hue
of marble, and trenbled like one seized
with shivering ague, but uttered not
single word, and her silence affected Cecil
Rawdon far more deeply than had she
given way to some violent transport
When at last she did speak, it was to
very different purpose from what he had
expected. She drew her fine figure erect,
and turned her white face upon him,
with her eyes flashing like basilisks under
the long fringes of their lashes.
'tCecil,'' said she, 81 cannot hold you
responsible for this change in your feel
ings. What you have undergone is
sufficient in itself to account for almost any
alteration in mans character Where
do you say this Miss Marston lives?"
I'm Bungaree Cottage, at tho bottom
Of the lane"
81 must go and see her myself. Please
conduct me to the stables, and get me my
horse
1t seemed incredible that such @ gentle.
looking woman could put on so imperi-
Gus manner. She rose up as she spoke,
and somehow he felt constrained to obey
her without protest.
''Win you let me accompany you?' he
enquired, as she mountedsinto the saddle.
mo. I wish to go alone"
"You will return to lunch here?''
''T do not know. At all events I will
come and see you again. Open that gate
for me-. if you please"
Her horse broke into rapid trot to the
sharp crack of her whip. and in a moment
Clara Lambert had passed out of sight.
Chapter XII.
"WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK"
1t seemed to have all happened with
such comparative abruptness that, now
the girl was gone, and Cecil Rawdon
stood alone outside the stables of Dunbar
House staring idly towards the direction
which she had vanished, he felt al
lost as much bewildered as she herself
d been but few minutes before. His
iotions partook of a mingled character;
nse Of relief combining with sense
regret. However, the truth was out
", and it was q slight source of satis-