Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-08

''You've struck the wrong man, siid
Can't Kettle. I'm most kinds OF luiot'
but I'm not the sort to go rammins my
head against the French government lof
the mere sport of the thing
II was told" said Carnegie, YEARLY,
that you were a man that feared ho'h-
ing on the earth. or l would not nave
asked you to call upon me-
You were told right said Kettle
But those that spoke about me should
have added that I'm not a man who'll
take a ticket to land myself in an ugly
mess unless some one pays my train fare
and gives me something to spend at the
other end. I'm Il sailor, sir, by trade or
profession, whichever you like to name
it, and en- a steamboat when a row has
been started I'll not say but what I've
seen il through more than once out of
sheer delight IN wrestling with ugly
scrape. Yes. sir; that's the kind of brute
/ at sea- But what you propose Is
different; it's out of my line. It's gaol
breaking, less, with a spell of seven
years in the jug if 1 don't succeed; and
no kind of credit to wear. or dollars to
jingle, if 1 do carry it through as you
wish. And may 1 ask, sir, why 1 should
interest myself in this Mr.. Clare? I never
heard of him till l came in this room half
an hour ago in answer to your adver
tiSement."
He is unjustly condemned" Carnegie
repeated. though he were quoting from
a lesson He is suffering Imprisonment
in this peStilential place-er-Cayenne, for
a fault winch some one else has committed;
eEd unless he is rescued he will die there
horribly l am appealing to your human
ity, captain Would you see a fellow
Countryman wronged?"
Il have only to look In the glass for
that retorted Kettle. Most peoples
kicks come to ME when / am anywhere
within hail. And you'll kindly observe
Sir, that I've nothing but your bare word
to go on for Mr. Clare's innocence. The
French courts and the French people. by
your own admitting. took a very different
view of the matter. They said with clear
ness that he did sell those plans of for
tresSeS TO the Germans and, knowing their
way of looking at such a matter it only
surprises me he wasn't guillotined out of
hand
1T is my daughter who is sure of his
gGiltlessness in the matter" said Car
neg1e with Hush. And" ne added. Il
may say that she is the chief person who
wishes for his escape"
Capt Kettle bowed, and fingered the
furnished badge IN his cap. He had a
chvairous re ;Dtct for the other sex.
and 1t was she who made me adver-
tise vaguely for a seafaring man who
had got daring and the skill to carry out
SO delicate matter. We had two hun
dred answers in four posts; can you credit
such thing?"
Easily" said Kettle. Il am not the
only poor devil of skipper who's out
OF job. But f1u0 is not enough and
that's the beginning and the end of it,
There's two ways of dong this business.
L guess, and one of thems fighting ana
the others bribery. Well, sir, a man can't
&C lIect much of an army for - pun notes.
anu as for bribery. why, il hardly enough
10 buy up a deputy customs inspector in
the ordinary way of business, let alone Il
whole squad of Cayenne wardcrs with a
big idea of their own value and Importance
Then, there's getting out to French Guiana
and getting back, and steamer fare for
the pair of US would come to more than
q couple of postage stamps. And, then
where DO l come in? You say l can pock-
ct tine balance. But I'm hanged if | see
where the balance is going to be squeezed
from No. sir; f1U is mere sjolishness
and the kindest thing / can do is to go
away without fISther talk. BY James sir
L car say that if you'd given me this pre-
etouS scheme as your own there's a man in
TINS room VINO would have had a smashed
lace for his impotence: but, as you tell
me there's lady in the case, I'll say no
more"
Captain Kettle stood up. thrust out his
chln agSressiveiy, and swung on his cap
Ih.n ne took it off again, and coughed
with politeness. The door opened and the
girl they had been speaking about came
INTO me room She stepped quickly across
and took his hand.
Captain Kettle" she said, Il could not
leave You alone with my father any longer
just had to come in and thank you for
myself l Knew you would be the man
10 help us in our trouble. 1 knew it from
your letter"
The little sailor coughed again and red
dened slightly under the tan. I'm afraid
miss. he said, Il am useless. As [ was
explaining TO your-to Mr.. Carnegie. be-
lore You came in, the job is a bit outside
my weight You see, when | answered that
advertisement. l thought it was somethin
Wlth a steamboat that was wanted and
Tor that sort Of thing. with any kind OF
crew that signs on. / am fitted and no man
better. But this
oh. do Tot say it is beyond you. Other
prisoners have escaped from the French
penal settlements. 1t only REQUIRES a
strong. determined man to arrange mat
tiers from the outside, and the thing is
done"
Kettle fdgeted with the badge on his
cap With respect. miss" said he, what
any other man could do 1 would not shy
at: but the thing you've got here's irnpos-
5lble; and the gentleman Will just have to
stay where he Is and serve out the time
he's earned"
But, sir the girl broke out passion
ateIy: he has not earned it. He was
accused unjustIy. He was condemned as a
scapesodt to shield others. They were
powerful-he was without interest-and oil
france was shrieking for victim Mr.
Clare was subordinate in a government
office through which these plans of for
tresses had passed. He was by birth half
an Englishman. and so it was easy to
raise suspicion against him. They forged
great sheaves of evidence: they drew of
attention from the real thieves; they
shamed him horribly. and then they sent
him on to those awful Isles de Salut for
life Yes. for life. till age or the diseases
of the place should free him by death
Can you think of anything more frightfuI?''
Mr.. Clare is fortunate in having such
a friend
"A friend"' she repeated. Has not my
father told you? / am his promised wife
Fancy the irony of it. We were to have
been married the very day he was con-
demned. II was my money and my fathers
which defended him at the trial and it
nearly beggared And now / will spend
the last penny 1 can touch to get him free
again"
Captain Kettle coughed once more ut
was upon a question of money that Mr.
Carnegie and l split, miss. / said to him
hundred pounds would not work it, and
there's the naked truth"
But II must" she cried, sit must, You
think us mean. niggardly. Blu, it Is not
that; We can raise no more. We are AT
the end of our funds. Look around at
this ROOM Does this lcok like riches?p
1t did not. They were In a grimy New
castle lodging. au troisieme and at one
Eide OF the room the flank Of a bedstead
nhn rod ia