The morning news., 1899-11-19


to leave the hotel where he was stin Sir
ping his after-dinner wine and when p
reached his favorite seat the povvsrf,,,
glasses once more revealed the brazsa
couple billing and cooling nearly a r1iIs
from the shore
As on the previous evening. he 1escen5av
the cliff when he saw the girl slowly nnIIl
ing back. Only this time he was careful
to keep the boat under observation M
view was unobstructed all the way dow
excepting for stretch of road not a b,,n
dred yards long, from which view Of tn
sea was hidden by jutting rocks. N1si
Langworthy did this distance at an updi.
nifed trot, but when, two minutes latsr
the boat again came within his ken fl onl,.
contained one occupant.
At very early hour next noruing n.
Major strolled down to the beach. and an.
parently struck by the beauty of the e.,
decided to take morning row. Selecti7e.
the roomiest boat. and declining all as,
sistance. he laboriousiy pulled out for
nearly a quarter of mile.
When he reached a conicaI buoy which
marked the deep channel. he paused ana
scrutinized it carefully. His scrutiny dII
not, however, seem to satisfy him for
after a short pause. he resumed the oars
and rowed toward a second buoy. wbtoh
by means of a bell. indicated the proximi.
ty of a dangerous sunlxen rock
y,
ing upon one side, which revealed a sr,u
platform, with life-lines attached, canabIs
of affording, support for two or three par.
sons. Scattered upon this platform yyera
a number of cigarette ends amidst a ill.,
ter of half burned matches.
Upon his return to the shore the Maior
nonchantly paid the boatman Then as
the latter was on the point of hurying
away with a satisfied grin, he electri6e6
the man by suddenly inquiring:
How much a time does the young gen.
tleman pay you 10 take him to and from,
the bell buoy?'
The astonished sailor hesitated. turned
red, and finally, in a hang-dog manner,
blurted out:
"a dollar SIR
IT will give you s. to take him out al
usual; but allow me to bring him back this
EVENING" said the irate parent.
The contemplation of his own astuteness
prevented Maj. Langworthy from obtain.
ing much sleep. When his travelling clock
struck the hour of he could not rest
longer; so. making some remark to the
night porter about his sufferings through
insomnia. he left the hotel and wandered
down to the shore.
Shivering slightly in the cool morning
air, the Major pulled toward the buoy,
which loomed family out of the early mist,
After all, he would not treat the young
cub with personal violence. He would p,7t
him ashore and laugh at his discontinue.
With a last stroke, the gallant Major
was alongside the buoy and scanning the
frail platform, on which he fully expected
to see the forlorn swain. With gasp he
realized that again his quarry had escap-
ed him. There, on the grating, lay a hun
die of clothing ,surmounted by flaming
colored blazer; but no sign Of the owner
was there.
All that day and during the next the
Major sulked with his daughter and the
fair Thomasine, on her part seemed to be
strangely perturbed. From his point Il
vantage Langworthy saw the girl take her
usual evenings amusement; but, to her
surprise, she was not met by Charlie Ca
rev.
His triumph, however. was very short-
lived. Scarcely had father and daughter
finished breakfast on the succeeding morn
ing, when a waiter announced that one OF
the watermen from the beach was waiting
to see the gentleman. The face of Thoma-
sine became suffused with a vivid red.
You had better leave me alone to see
this person." said the Major.
william Onions twirled his cap smiled
a vacuous grin, tried to look knowing, and
said he called about that little affair the
other morning.
For the service you rendered me then
you were amply paid, and the matter IS
now finished"
Come, L knows something, and nobody
else knows anything about it. I'm poor
man. and there's them what would give
a power of money to know what We
knowsH'
Almost incoherent with rage, the ma
jor suffered:
Get out of this. you blackmailns
rascaln'
"Oh, I'm a blackmalling rascal, am I?'
said he. "Welr-in measured tones-I
amt no murderer! A.,
"What-what do you mean%V
"That is what I means!" the Aean said,
producing from under his guernsey copy
of the local paper and pointing to prom
fnent notice.
Much excitement has been caused"
read the paragraph, "over the unaccount-
able disappearance of the Hon. Charles
Carew fourth son of the Earl of Cardigan,
who has not been seen since he left the
Grand Hotel on the evening of Friday
last Grave apprehensions are entertained,
owing to the fact that sundry garments
which that gentleman was known to Do
wearing have been discovered floating IN
the sea off the Shingles The police are
very reticent upon the subject, but are be-
leved to possess a clew whiAh points 10
foul play" An
Here" said he, mechanically extracting
bill from his wallet, take this! 1t IS
all some hideous mistake! did not even
see the youth. / will see you later on
Left to himself, the wretGhed man bu,
ried his throbbing brow in his hands ana
gave way to the bitterest reflections
At length his perambulatlSls led him 70
the wel-worn dispatch box, which stooa
in the corner. Unlocking this, he TOOK
from within a heavily plated revolver.
1.-THE only way out of itr' he muttered
Stop. though! He must perform one duty
that he dreaded worse than a THOUSAND
deaths.
Unsteadlly he sought his daughters
room, and, with gaze averted plunged mo
his awful recital. Pausing for nothing, n, ne
told his story, finishing up by saying: -
1 could but recall the past, how readly
would 1 join your handsr'
An hysterical laugh greeted his ears;
He IS not deadp' cried Thomasne. he
is waiting on the bell buoy. And you WIN
join our hands and say Bless you! YOU
never break your word!'
Then 1t flashed upon the wretched man
that she was mad The sudden shock hau
unhinged her reason. Vainly he trieu "