The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-02
At the Last Moment.
BY FRANK II. SWEET.

Bf FRANK H. SWEET.
 Copyright. 1902, by Daily Story Pub. Co)
 This day had finished the loading of the vessel for her trip across the ocean, and now, as the sun was sinking behind the shrouds of the ship to the west, the steve dores iiled in front of the officer who was checking off and paying for the hours they had worked.
 As they received their money the steve dores passed across to the wharf or stopped for a few minutes conversation with each other, or with some of the sail prs who chanced to be near. One of them dropped unnoticed through a hatchway and slipped back in.o the hold where the freight had been slowed. Then he made his way among the boxes and bales until ne came to narrow space which had evidently been left by design, for it was long enough for man to stretch at full length in 1t and contained water and crackers enough to keep off starvation for a week or ten days. After the young stevedore had crowded into it, he drew case Tn front of the Ouen'ng to prevent discovery by a possible prowler or inspec- tor of the freight
 Then he made himself as comfortable as he could in the narrow space and chuckled at the prospect of reaching the other side without cost. He thought eX- ultantly of what he would do when he got there. and Of the other strange lands he would visit before returning home. There
 
 to travel when q little shrewdness and bold face would answer just as well.
 He had s3 in his pocket, the sum paid him on deck a half hour before, but that was as much as he usually had ahead in these days. He had given up work except in case of necessity; and even the B would not have been earned had not this trip across the ocean been planned as part of the gain.
 For an hour he remained awake listcn- ing to the sounds on deck and exulting in his own shrewdness: then, weary With the days labor. his head leaned forward and he sank into a sound sleep.
 Lato the next evening the vessel was ito begin her voyage, and during the early part of the day his attention was occu- pied by the sounds of baggage and the last consgnments of freight being slowed away. But at length listening became monotonous. and even his own thoughts, exultant though they were, grew weari- some. He was not accustomed to being alone or to self-communion. During the past few years. when not asleep, he had generally been with boon companions on a street corner or with them he had been in some mischief. He tried tC keep up his interest in the sounds on deck, and think of the fun ahead of him, rather than of the past. But he could not; 1t all kept surglng over him, again and again, and when he would thrust { away, 1t returned only more strongly and per- si istently Yet he was not leaving much, after all. he told himself grmly; he had not had a home fer three years; he had no position, no friends, no prospects,; even the boon companions would scarcely in- quire after or regret him. Of all the world there was only just one who be- lleved in and trusted him, and he had not seen her for three years. There had been months when he had not even thought of her or of the little rocky farm which he had left because 1t was too slow.
 She had never doubted him for a mo- 1f.,1- N1not f ir1n yanYN he was to provide lovingly for her old age. When some of his worst escapades