The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-10


been very great. but tho symptoms OF
fever had abated. and now the man OF
medicine declared that all she needed
was reFt With that end In view he
had requested her to keep In bed for
that day. and also with the further view.
= thought, OF banning the curiosity or
the passengers. However, just a. we were
creeping up to an anchorage he came to
me and said that II I would wait until
tho people had gone ashore Miss Hurst
would like 70 see me for a minute or two.
Naturally her wish was a command. and.
informing my uncle OF a circumstances.
wo bided our time.
Hcr mother. with outstrctched hand and
q white, pathetic face. met me at the
door of the cabin.
Mr.. Gray" she said. and the false
name struck me as contemptibie under
sach conditions. IT thank you Will ell
my heart. My daughter IL all the world
20 me. and you have brought her back
from the grave. God bless you'll
she drew me 70 her and kissed me on
tho forehead. and 1 was seized with
great longing to throw my arms about
her and kiss her as I would have kiss
ed my own mother. But I drew back,
ruming stupidly that II was nothing.
that she was TO think II nothing / had
done, that i was glad had been OF ser
vice-a mixture the idiocy of which ap-
pealed to me even In the midst Of my
and deeply, for over the mothers shoul-
der two gray eyes set In a sweet. pale
face wore watching me - the top
berth. People had spoken oi NY courage
| In jumping into the sea- Well II may
| have seemed bold thing TO do. but
| certainly hadn't the courage TO face the
| wide. inquiring eyes of this delicate g1rl.
"Mr. Gray" she said. IT hope you 40
| not think me unkind or remiss. / want
| ed to send for you before. but am sup
posed to be under the doctors orders.
| though why can't imagine. Believe me.
| am perfectly well, but he orders rost.
and my mother wishes IT, Let me thank
| you now"
| She held out her wee white hand, which
| pressed with a nervous clasp, and
| looked into her face, right into her eyes,
and knew that this pale irl held my
destiny an her hands.
Don't thank me-" mumbled. scarcely
knowing what I was saying. Don't say
anything more about IT. 1t Is enough Ior
me to know that / have been OF service
| to you
"And It is enough for me to know" sne
repeated slowly, world Of meaning IN
her look and tone. that you have saved
my life."
| "I am glad" said.
| "And L" she answered IN a low voice
| looked her straight In the eyes. and
she returned the look frankly. without
fiinching, and believe we each strove
| to read the deeper thoughts that lay
| behind. To me she seemed a living piece
| OF pale perfection. for whom would have
leaped into 80 raging seas or the deadly
| maelstrom itself.
The doctor appearing at that moment
| and cautioning me not to excite his pa-
! tent, we talked but q little while longer
and as ! shook hand with her she said.
"I suppose you are going ashorer'
TT Is very probable"
You will be careful There was Al
most tone OF entreaty In her voice.
| IT promise YOU"
They were only little common words,
| but they were fun OF meaning knew
now that there was some one VINO took
| more than a passing interest IN me.
Well. nothing OF any moment happen
ed at Colombo. and the next day when we
| were we'll at soa once more Miss Hurst
come UP on deck and duly received the
| congratulations OF the passengers. Natur-
| ally people expected to see me monopolixe
! the greater part Of her time. but In this
| think they were disappointed. Indeed
| purposely kept aioof from her. though
II might have been an act OF charity IL
had stood by to warn of some Of the more
foolish people. However. IN the afternoon
| che sent for me to come and take tea
| with her and her mother IN their cabin.
! and my reply 10 the invitation, which was
as delightful as IL was unexpected, WIS
! a hasty brush up and a flurrisd appear
| ance / thought it hard that poor old
|, Jim should have been left out In the
| cold, and apologized to him before go
| ing: but. dear old fellow. he never looked
1 fo- the slight and consequently failed TO
find it. Moreover, they had not seen much
| OF him, and they were quite ignorant OF
the fact that Mr. George Carter was the
uncle Of Mr.. Frederick Gray. who was
| not Mr. Frederick Gray at all.
I was received with the utmost courte-
| sy by the widow and her daughter. and
| though we strove hard TO talk OF many
| things I knew we were rigidly eschewing
that subject which of all others was the
| most interesting. Indeed during my pre-
vious visit to this cabin ] had been
struck by the fact that neither mother
nor daughter had referred In any way TO
| the assailant OF the attempted murder,
but instead indulged In vague generalfties,
as though the lamentable occurrence had
been the result merely OF accident. From
perhaps mistaken sense OF modesty l
| also refrained from directly oroaching
the subject, but at the time thought II
| strange, and almost thought II stranger
| now.
We solemnly drank our tea and made a
pretense OF eating biscuits, but all the
time there was a feeling In the air OF an
impending outbreak. and presently II
came.
do you know, Mr.. GRAY" Miss
Hurst began, my mother and l have
been greatly impressed with your good
ness TO us. myself can never sufficiently
thank you. though perhaps you won't
think me ungrateful II I say that / fear
your heroism will In the end avail me
| nothing"
mo. no. Cecill" cried her mother. ut
is wicked OF you 10 Say such things In
the face OF Gods goodness.
And your courage" said she, turning
toward me with a sad smile But j can
not expect always to have this gentleman
near me I'm the hour OF danger"
Ii was an opening OF which j dared
not avail myself. but I managed to say
something not entirely unsuited to the
occasion. And then j boldly asked what
this danger was which seemed TO threat
en- them, for already 1 seemed to think
that her joys had become mine. her sor-
rows mine also.
'I think we owe you an explanation
began the girl. ''and with your permis-
sion I will begin at the beginning and
make you acquainted with what no one
on hoard for n moment suspects. Hurst