The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-02-02

maybe she had gone 10 nfld that haruiH-
scarum man whom she is so taken up with.
and l thought l would ask you. sir"
she IS not there, and what is more. che
must not so there" / answered. Just
speak to the purser. vii! yOu?-he will give
You orders TO have every corner of the
ship searched. Now l must go back to my
patient
saatched some food and went DOWN
stairs to the large cabin occupied by the
pIague-stricken man.
The worst manifestation OF this awful
disease were now making themselves APP
J.arent. TIE deadly weakness continued, and
yot worse. and strange to say. 1t had a
sort of refining influence on the coarse
face. The voice so rasping and loud WAS
reduced to the merest whisper.
| gave a sigh of relief when I saw that
little Victoria was not in the room. Mo
:ioning to my sailor that he might leave
me for the present. l sat down by the dy-
ing man.
Come closer I heard him whisper. Il
have something to tell you"
l bert toward him.
How soon shall we reach MaltaT"
"By this time Tomorrow" 1 answered.
'"Twenty-four hours" he muttered. Shall
] live till then. DOCTOR"
Hard to tell. l will do what I can for
! you, Stirling.
Thanks. / should like to know that the
child was safe in port. and delivered over
to her mother. She was 10 meet US at
Malta"
can you tell me anything about the 1T
tie one, Stirling; you may live. but you may
not. YOU know-it is bsst to be prepared.
At present l do not even know the child's
name"
He smiled feebIy.
"a lady will meet yor at Malta. and will
come on board. and Tiff 1 am not there
| give ner the child. The lady will be the
| child's mother. The little ones name Is
| Angelo, Victoria Angelo"
And what am l to say when I give the
child to Mrs. Angelo?'
Say that Stirling brought her across,
and that he has. atoned."
Il don't understand"
"Noc will she-but that does not matter.
She need never know. Angelo is dead. and
she gets the child. Look at me, doctor.
/ You do not know the wicked sort of per-
: son you have on board. l killed Angelo
"What!' I cried.
YES, practically I did. I did It on pur-
pose. / hated him. he and l were partners
in the same business. up country about 20J
miles beyond Bombay. The plague came.
and I brought some infected sh cts from 1
man who died OF it, and put them on An
gelo's bed. He took it and died; l killed
him. ! did every bad thing l could 10 that
man: defrauded him, stole his property.
The reckoning day was near, and l had to
get him out of the way. 1t was eithsr he
or | to go urder. and / had the choice, and
l chose him. He IS dead. and l was taking
the little one back TO her mother. Now, L
will tell you something strange. You see
n devil before you. a devil neither moro
| nor less. but that mite fell in love with me
would not be happy with ANYBODY else
liked to stroke this awful face Of mine.
liked to get into my arms, liked TO Kiss
me; well. she bowied me over. Doctor, l
can't tell you how or why. 1 can bear q
good bit. but just the love OF that little In
nocent was the straw too much. The mother
| had gone 10 England u year ago. broken
down by the climate. but Angelo would not
mart with the child. That child could bowl
any man in all the world over. Well. my
punishment and my redemption. too, were 10
bring her home and put her Into her
mothers arms. But 1t is not to be. l
hoped that l might have reached Malta be-
fore the disease broke out. for 1 guessed. OF
course, that I was infected. 1 am dying
now, and I'll never see that little angel
again. 1 atone for everything when l die
without seeing her. Oh. God! to a mar like
me could any punishment be more? She Is
the one bit Of humanity that ever touched
me-"
His voice trailed away to the faintest
whisper. 1 gave him a stimulant. and after
a little he said:
DO you ask II 1 repent-no. not 4 bit
of it"
/ sat with Stirling for hours BY and by
I went back 20 my cabin. Mira Harris met
me with her face quite white. and tears In
her eyes.
we cannot Mind her anywhere. Doctor.
Do you think the poor little dear could
have slipped overheard?
"Oh. no. Mrs. Harris. che must be on the
ship"
well. sir, every sailor on board Is search
Ing high and low; we are all IN a taking.
The panic about little Victoria spread rap
Idly. and b. lunch time the saloon pas
sengers were in a state of excitement. They
knew that Stirling was Ill. although the real
nature Of his illness was carefully Kept
from them. Ono lady came to the Captain
with tears in her eyes.
my little Doris is Victor1a's age. II the
poor baby could be found she might come
to my cabin to play with Doris"
But V!c's chosen piaymateS were oil d
different sort, a broken-down and battered
doll, and a brokcn-down and battered man.
black as pitch except for that little streak
Of gold which his love for her caused to
shine through his nature.
Toward evening we entered some OF tho
cross currents of the coast Of Malta TIL.
wind rose and the "Arethusa' was tossed
on the waves In Strings cabin the mo-
ton was felt q good deal.
The dying man was now In . state OF stu
Dor, and could scarcely be reused to take
nour1shment. I arranged once again to
spend the night with him
BY 8 o'clock in tho morning We should
reach Malta Could he possibly live 80
lonE7
Night settled down over the big liner.
and Stirling breathed heavily. About an
hour after midnight he dropped Into a still
deeper elumber. His breathing became
fainter, and once / bent toward him, won
dering II the last moment had come. AS I
did so. he started up. fresh strength ami
mated his frame. he opened his eyes and
locked around him-then he uttered q
laugh.
1T Ii time for the Pussy-caIl," he said.
How queer that I should have forgotten.
Little Victoria will wonder: well, never
mind. Victoria, better late than never"
He half raised himself on his pillow. and
forming his lips into an TO-" he began to
make the queer purring sound Of a large
cat.
This curious noise had not continued
more than half q minute before there came
. sustling frnm undsr the berth. and the.