The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-05-03
CHAPTER XXII,-cnNrlsrnp.

all Conjecture htA hctN tfEtH tlf Afil ]
was lying bctwixt the ,ouhings ol tbc /
galley and the butt u ,ha qlliutcrrd top. |
mast, position allowing her rRougii MIR TO |
prevent suhoration, az the saulr limC partly !
protecting her from the wright vi tho stuff /
piled over her. She Jay on her isrc. anl (
across her thighs, pinuing he's iast. was |
small end OF thc broken toprail yaul Her
check and nrgk, with The band that LAY /
along the spar were covered with blood, and |
blood stained the plaRsiuE oi the derk about |
ber.
lost no time 10 feeling iur life. a. thc I
Froau had told ME life still existed Cuttisg
the lantern from tho hoop. ziu,v i. ou
my arm aud, lifting the girl, strod, toward !
the cabin. now in the straHiCat state q
mind that had ever posss--rd me II !
moved quickly with ms body ms brain uut
paced L. IS | look haol, 90 BE-. thn p,@ags
from the foremost 10 the companion way
was long one, though ID was c1mrisscti IN
twice tea steps. Ia the tim' 30 took mc to
traverse 10 I lived over thr hyc days had
known this lass, and felt them % hlyc leCn
as many yclrs, ! suddenly know Che source
Of my daring, which had grown u,th tic
time until at that moment I was rC.dy 90
face the devi. himself. and knew, too, Tor
whom Il was meant ! naa knew that my
head had not been pios sfnf over the mystery
Of her disappearance hccau-u 1t waA mys
terry, but because this Erl had u,urpCd an
other Interests. / was now aware hat ms
resolve 10 board the schooner was not so
much to rtcapiuro the rriyH though that
motive, hopeless Hs it h'i seemed. bad bccu
stFonRl as 10 overhaul tho wreck oi ihr
foTrlopmast IA quest of Gertrude King, and
ser her again dead OF alive lgaye go name
to all this; raised no fine point. Ju.ut the
strength or weakness ~ my feeling. nor did
the word love eros. my mnt, ! ruH
knew that alive ! had found hrr, and that
one day she might know had sawed her
from both death and her enemies. In
purbllnd fashion 1t was aIl the reward
looked for. aud ), seemed reward enough.
II was not fairly ribluri hy she beauty
and hcroism Of this gIri, my pity iug her
carried me far on the way. and though hur
b, sca roughencG. and q man 90 luot, lu th.s
case OF need ic,l that for tenderness could
pit myself against the raHtlrst woman who
ever made a sick bed dream Of pleasure,
ncyoud getting at the extent 81 her 200
lurca, determined not 10 let the ROW
sobcred surgeon lut "a hU-.r Nhrp /
brought my burden down lhr ,owp4u.uu
way h. was placing n wet c0mprrs ou tiig
boy wound, his management 0t tbs IN Che
darkness speaking loudly ui hs sSHl Ms
prisoner was evidently past being surprised,
for he did little but give a cruHt a. Ne saw
me bear her tn but when told hiW The ucw
patient was a girl ard the SISTER g AWUs,
he cast on me quiOk, hard louE. u WIS
only after | mentioned hrr uaml and hr
remembered the former fa.seugtr "a tha
sprite thai be showed real interest. and a. iic
examined her for injuries ! hca-d hjm grunl
HE the name ri Scsmmcl beneath Es
breath
Pending the outcome oi his search went
m deck Although a neatly iu.l moon was
behind the clouds the night was unusually
dark. The roll of the schooner was growing
heavier Il caused a ntt'.uS 81 blocks
overhead, and jerking ol the torcs1N boom
on its traveller until It sounded EH though
the deck must be ripped up. There was q
| sullcnncss TO the sca that hydcd mischief,
| but the causc Of It was -ill ai ad.s'ancg.
| Brtwixt the clashng oi blocks a,oH, the
| kicking OF the ruddcr, thc inrd ylsni, of the
boom travellers and the excited rt'oo oi
| the reeting points, there Was sufficient iu-s
| to al onca tell seaman that gLr present
| condition Of calm would not be- pru;ruD,cd.
| The look oi the sly was enough Tor me itut
| beyond the immediate vicinity n IN, moua
a pot Of tar could not have been hlacETl,
! aud ia the momcntary intervals OF partial
silence that cusued ~ ihe schooner bal.
auced on the tops Of the ,urtc5 I thought
| could hear a faint moan far above the
/ truck. as though an unseen gHd troubled
/ spirit was winging thruu-h the depths Of
| space aloft. The horizon bal lrawn closc 10
| the vessel, aud the reT.lhbg hackness ui the
water sent chill through IN. as I eonsid
| cred what might have lccU nos pli~ht had
the schooner sailed, leaving me- on the
| broad ocean with no support hut the iuil
| shell Of the dingy. A sudden GOODNESS had
settled from above, though not g brenlh ui
wind had come with il, and, though there
was nothing to he distinctly marked through
| the heavy gloom eDve.eping the schooner,
there existed iR the surrounding elements
a menacins something which. Ike an Ia.
visible monitor. w-ut to me an inartieuiate
warning.
The change bad been rapid Plainly
eucihga ] secuted the vogue threat " the
weather and set about to meet the outisreak.
Winding me that | was both captain and
crew. with the extra weight Of having on
my hands three prisoners IN She forcgaslle
and shaky one in the cabin, saw that u e
came on to blow had more than sufficient
work cut out for one pair OF fists, Deter
mined thea 10 take time by the iorelock and
he safe in all weathers, let 20 the foresai
halyards and quietly lowered that csnvas
putting It in stops only that lt might not
blow out, but, IS for the iurl. 'txould have
made lsndlubbcr laugh 10 see the bulge q
tho bunt. The shot from the Spritc had
reduced the head cloths 90 jib aud stays
and ret 80 impressed was that We wsTc fac,
10 face with impending disaster that low
cred and, after fashion, slowed the iib,
The more ! worked the morr ! felt tbs
necessity. and. though | was on fire 20 re-
turn to the cabin. held away and turned
my attention TO the great nainsail wliiei
was hurting 10 and FRO, the subdusd thun
der Of Its thrashng bunt aud quick pattei
af lts rceiing points playing out u the nys
ieri0ua darkness oyerhead like the sognd'
Of distant storm Alonc | doubis rtetet
that canvas, though | remember very liltl.
Of IL, The only thing coming TO my mind I've
ing TIE hurribse smooth inkinc~~ Of thi
water beneath me when era led out on tbl
boom 10 pass the earring and haul tnut
1'hoagh my hands worked oa deck, M kear
was below, and II was with deep hrrati
Of satisfaction that saw the last of mer
! than an hours hard labor. Casting of th'
main sheet, that might not he tsktR GH
Aware, gave glance al the light on III
!spfits, stll iying on cur quarter, aad thei
went below, filed with mixture of hop
and dread.
McCary was sitting by tha side Of the gir
a. 1 catered lie looked up befare | wa