The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-20

heads OF the others into the sea. Prob
ably, knowing the nature of the cargo, the
men feared an explosion
A score of boats put out for the ship,
but providing the crew could swim, there
was really not much danger. for the sea
was like a mill pond. Meanwhile the
flames swelled apace, licked up canvas,
, cordage, spars and masts like some insa-
table monster The scene was one of
grandeur and Eleanor watched it with
breathless interest.
"Oh, father she exclaimed, chow terri
bic if any of the poor fellows are below
and cannot escape. The fire may
She turned, thinking her father was by
her side. for he had risen at the same time
as she, but to her surprise found she was
alone. Could he have gone to the shore?
Strange he should do so without warning
her
The nearest way to the shore was thru
the house to the other side of the hotel,
and Eleanor stepped into the salon thru
the open French windows. The gas chan
deliers were unlit, but the room was
flooded with soft moonlight.
She saw her father half reclining in an
easy chair, his face buried in his hands
She ran In alarm and spoke to him. He
made no response, and she spoke again.
Then he looked up, his face in the pale,
greenish light taking a CHASTITY hue. Think
bell for assistance, but with an imperious
| motion of his hand he checked her
Come here he said, in a broken voice,
put your hand in mine. So-thank you,
child"
| She almost started at the icy feel of his
lfingers-suggesting the GOODNESS Of death
and maybe he guessed the thought that
was passing in her mind, for he frightened
his grasp as tho to assure her his strength
was not failing him.
She dared not question him, for in his
face was the old GRIM forbidding look she
| remembered so well a child when she
would creep awe-stricken and wondering
ly from the room, leaving her mother in
tears clasping his hand just as she her.
self was doing now.
They sat silently In the quiet room for
several minutes. There was not much
chance Of interruption; for everybody in
the hotel had rushed to the Shore
THANK you, DEAR" at last she heard
| him say, and then the pressure Of his
fingers relaxed, he slowly drew his hand
away and passed 1t YEARLY over his fore
| head.
THAT burning ship reminded mo of an
incident in my own life," he continued,
slowly and in strangely mechanical
| tone, as tho he were repeating a lesson.
yes, before I married your mother
before started in business in London
when I was comparatively a poor man
I shall never forget it-never!"
| Were you. then, father, ever in a ship
on flre?' she asked, unconsciously lower
ing her voice to the exact pitch of his.
| "Yes-in coming to England from Aus
tralia L-may heaven forgive me- he
suddenly burst out with cry Of agony.
If yielded to temptation was 1t not for
my life? Aye, my life against his, and
which was the better worth preserving?
Had I ever lied, cheated, robbed, as he
had Was I foul-mouthed, foul minded,
a betrayer Of women as he was? Did I
bear the marks Of the lash on my back as
he did? When the Judgment day comes
and his numberless crimes are weighed
against my single one. who shall be held
the greater sinner?'
His voice gradually rose, its vibrations
increasing In intensity, and then died
away. Eleanor listened brea thlessly, ap-
palled at Hugh Tremaine's mysterious.
| terrible self-accusation. She had never
imagined anything 50 dreadful as this. Her
father, who had never wronEed man,
woman or child, who had over and over
again held out a helping band to those
against whom the world had turned be-
cause Of their first fall, guilty Of crime
It was uncomfortable! ...
The girl could not say a word; indeed
such utterances as had fallen upuon her
ear were In the nature of voluntary
confession. and suggested the rawlings Of
a dtsordered mind. Hugh Tremaine sank
back in his chair, and his face was in
shadow. She was almost glad it was so,
for 1t made her shudder to look upon him.
There followed a. minute Of intense silence,
when the throbbing Of her heart was the
only sound that broke the stiffness, and
the tension, to her relief, was brought to
an end by the entry Of the landlord, full
of gesticulation and volubility.
! No one was drowned, he announced, but
the ship was a perfect wreck. It was a
terrible loss for the owner, who was a poor
5 man, and it was doubtful whether he was
. fully insured.
l The landlords voice brought father and
| daughter back to realities, and when the
gas was lighted Hugh Tremaine reused
himself sufficiently to return some sort OF
answer to M. Anatole, who, II he noticed
, anything peculiar about the Englishman
!, put It down to the excitement caused by
the episode. .#..
= Not another syllable did Mr.. Tremaine
! utter on the subject Of his strange allu.
Q sion to. days gone by and self-reproach
T He retired early and seemed anxious tt
:, be alone. Eleanor accompanied him along
E the corridor to his bed room, and he
kissed her, but made no allusion to the
4 scene just past.
That night the old feeling Of terror ant
!, foreboding returned to the girl. The
Q weary hours passed slowly by, and she
L was thankful when dawn came stealing
n into her room.
She slept for couple Of hours, ant
| then was awakened by the noise ant
i clatter Of the servants who in foreign
8 hotels always seem anxious to announce
| to everybody in the house that they, a.
r least, are awake and stirring. It was i'm
t possible to sleep any more, SO she rose
Q When she came down it was too early
s even for the cafe complet, with which
f the day always began, and she saunteret
n into the garden, where all was sweet ant
8 fresh and peaceful. and after a little tim,
l., returned to the house, her jaded senses
n and shaken nerves somewhat restored.
u The major domo met her in the hall
d and with the politiest Of bows handed he
5 a packet of letters which had just ar
> rived for her and her father. She coult
not resist looking thru those addressed
to Hugh Tremaine, and among them sh,
saw one the writing on which was that 0
the detective, Chatwood.
The sight of the detectives letter wa
disauieting. She would have given any
n thing to know its contents. She watche.
9 her fathers face narrowly when he ap