The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-11

the socfety-such a feeble subterfuge
would have been equivalent to the head
burying policy OF the ostrich-4t was
morely cloak to conceal the idep,tity OF
timorous individual from prying and
curious eyes. As a matter OF fact neither
mother nor daughter knew that she had
Incurred the wrath OF the society until
the presentation OF that letter in the
streets Of. Port Said. The choosing OF
the name Hurst had no meaning beyond
that Beginning with the same letter
az their real name, IL suited the marks
on their baggage and on their linen.
over pipe Jim and / tnrashed the
matter out, and 30 TO him I no longer
made secret OF the affection I bore
Miss Hilbury. He recognized that their
destiny had become indissolubly bound
up with ours. ard though he oandidly con-
fessed that he had no liking for the In
creased responsibilities felt sure that
he had no intention of shirking them
His was not that kind OF a nature. This
/ knew, and 30 / let him grumbe as be-
fitted a man who had reached a privileged
age. But ! knew that his real fear was
that my lovesicknsss would undermine my
resolution. / could not tell him so then,
but ! had every reason TO believe that
IL would have Just a contrary effect.
For the rest OF the voyage we four
that Is. Mrs. Hilbury and Cecil Cor 30 I
called her in the privacy OF my own
most excellent friendship. We called
ourselves the outcasts. the black sheep
OF the fold. the knowledge that we were
marked men and women creating an in
timacy between us which no outsioer
could share.
AS we sailed farther and farther south
the new heavens opened and showed their
new wonders. and night after night. the
Southern Cross pointing the way, we
sailed on a sea OF sapphire beneath
teweled dome. Stars The sky was full
Of thsm They hung in clusters as though
they had burst through the blue gates or
heaven. Sometimes Cecil would point to
the cross and say: When am at home
l can see II quite plainly from my bed
room window" or Many a night I've sat
and watched IL and thought no end Of
foolish things. I remember once driving
home With father, II was beautiful
night. just like this, and he told me such
a pretty story about II. Poor father. He
will never see II again!'
II was on such O night In the warm
Australian waters that / told her for the
first time of our expedition to China. We
were sitting away aft, well out OF ear
shot or the other passengers. and the genI-
tie throbbing of the screw and the tapping
of the waters sounded a soft accompani-
ment to our talk
You mean to say" she said, that
you and your uncle intend to penetrate
dic very suouSnoiu OF tnese terrible
men?"
THAT is our intention. 1t is for that
purpose we shall go to China. AS for
penetrating their stronghold, that's as
heaven may direct. We are going TO
try"
but they will kill you"
"Undoubtetly-if they can"
"But-but--its too horribie!'
IT is horrible. but what are we to
do? Don't you see with Kung and Woo
ching alive we can never enjoy one mo-
mont free from alarm. II was not with
out some hesitation that my uncle and I
accepted the inevitable 1t Is to be a
battle to death, and we do not shut our
eyes to the fact that there are frightfui
ODDS against US. but II Is possible that
the society also has many enemies, and
help may come from some unexpected
quarter / admit that our arrangements
are extremely vague and from the prac-
tioal point OF view most unsatisfactory,
but we shall not be altogether cropping
In the dark In Honskong according 10
my fether's statement. we must hnd a
carpenter by the name OF Koon-Si From
him We shall learn the latest intelligence,
and with him We shall lay our plans
You are very daring" she said. Ito
tale such an awful step in the dark
fear you underrate your task
No; not In the least II anything, we
have overrated II all along. w ehave
waited and hoped that peace would come.
but am convinced that IL cannot be
gained without war. War, then, It must
be. for now" and here think my voice
took somewhat softer tone, peace is
more necessary TO me than II ever was be-
fore"
She did not answer for a moment. ana
then. mingling with the sound OF the sea,
came soft ''why3"
Because IL will insure your peace, ana
3 hat 40 y
own
There can be no peace for me-" she
answered In low tone. tone when
the sea and the night rendered inefra-
bly, sad. If II were not wicked, I could
almost wish that you had let me drown
that night"
Hush You must not talk like that.
Do you know. even in our darkest hour.
when you lay unconscious on my arm,
when the see Missed and tore about us
ano thought every moment would be our
last. was almost happy"
"HeppyY'
"Yes. because through the gloom and
tho sprsay 1 saw future, a future which
was blessed with your iove-wNh you"
1t ls very late" she said. her voice
trembling with emotion. My mother will
wonder what has become OF mo"
But she did not go just then. not for
some time after. for I had much 20 ten.
Stoush W otHef cars " nAgnt nave SEEM
cd but wearisoTre repetition OF the same
old story. But the stars looked down and
smiled. and great diamonds OF the cross
besmed with ten-fold radiance; and the
air. tempered 90 II secrned 20 me by the
breezes from the land which lay 10 our
north. was full OF the sweetness of ire
and hope. II was new delight 20 me,
this wonderful thing called love. and Tor
some tune was too timid 10 avail myself
OF The prerogatives OF the lover Even
when ! held her face up 20 mine and
pressed my lips 20 hers I marveled that
che did not resent the liberty
There was very little sleep for me that
night and long after she had gone be-
low I paced the deck burning pipe after