The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-03-31
NO13

\ on IL walk the plank, my fine gal
liant, said /, and I'll marry your bride
before the sharks can swallow you!'"
"Lord a A'mi'ty." shuddered Sappho,
and it was plain that she knew the
story WE'LL
Dead men tell no tales. He walked
the plank-that fine monsieur and
all his crew followed him. | spared
only you and a priest in the gun-room,
who married me to the young English
BRIDE
He paused again, for his breath grew
short.
II, the boldest sea-dog ahoat, be-
came in an hour the slave of a yellow
haired girl. She taught me to quail
for the first time in my life. Then my
mates, being superstitous lot, began
to sulk and muttcr. Then swore |
had seen my last lucky day-swore the
marriage would bring us all misfor-
tune. There was mutiny brewing in
the ship. so | left it by night, and
carried my wife to st. Thomas. and
you with her. When her child was
born, she died there-died, cursing
me with her last BREATH
Ninon raised her colorless face from
my lap.
"He is talking about my mother
she said
AT that minute draught of air must
have swept through the chamber, for
the door swung wide, as though it had
suddenly been opened from without. I
could discern nothing, natural or super
natural, but Captain Peter, with ter
rible cry, leaped up in bed, released
Sappho's gray wool, and shouting,
"Frenchman, take your sword!'' he
hurled the silver-hiited weapon straight
at the door, and fell back on his pill
low-stone dead
ran to Sappho.
Your master has spoken his last
word" said |. Rise now, and tell Miss
Ninon the whole story. Is she Captain
Peters daughter, or the child of the
Frenchman who walked the plank?
The negress did not stir not answer.
| touched her. She knelt by the bed,
as speechless as the old freebooter him
self A look of blank terror was frozen
on her withered black face. Captain
Peter had simply frightened the wretch
ed creature to death; her soul had pass
ed into the night with the masters and
the secret of Ninon's paternity was
lost forever.
1 seized the girls hand, and together
we rushed from the dreadful chamber
down the stair and out of the house.
Fortunately, the doctor was just
alighting at the gate. l left him to
attend to the dead, and fled, with
Ninon, across the beach to my own
cottage There we found John Gra-
ham, standing at the door in the MOON
light, stamping his impatient feet, and
shouting for me to wake up and open
to him. The Flying Dutchman had
cast anchor in Salem harbor at sunset.
"John!' l cried, wildly, ''here is
Ninon. l have brought her home.
Captain Peter is dead. And, oh, John
I've seen real live ghost tonight,
and talked with 1.-THE ghost of man
killed by pirates twenty years ago.
"a live ghost" answered John.
BLESS my soul, Aunt Penny, you must
be dreaming!" Then he opened his
arms to Ninon, and cried, "Darling,
come to me!' in voice that might
have thrilled a stone. And the poor
child, overcome with fear and distress,
ran to the shelter of his bosom, as to 4
safe refuge.
When | related to John all that |
bad seen and heard that night, he looked
very grave.
Il suspected that the old fellow life
had been a triie Irregular" he said.
"At Kingston, was told that for years
he had lived very secluded in lonely
suburb: but old comrades found him
out, at last, and threatened to make
unpleasant disclosures, so he fled to the
States for safety. Sappho being dead,
we can never know anything further
of Ninons parentage."
Some money and jewels were found
in the brass-bound sea-chest at the
Barrow; but Ninon properly refused
to touch either The poor, pretty
creature had been reared without edu-
cation or companions, but she was Il
born lady to her finger-tips. From her
ili-starred mother she had surely inher-
tied blue blood as we'll as beauty.
John sent her to school for a year, and
then married her. They live in a
grand Salem house, overlooking the
sea, as prosperous and happy as folks
in fairy tale. Sometimes, when l
see Ninon sitting, fair and gentle, in
the midst of her children, | say to my
nephew: "Do you really believe, John,
that old Captain Peter was her father"'
And he always answers: NO! the
Frenchman, whose ghost You met at
the Barrow gatc!"