Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-03

- - '>es, - Astr=eANI
81 must be home before II o'clock"
declared Mr.. Pence. My folks will
be worried to death" Mr.. Pence
seemed much annoyed and disturbed.
THAT is later than had calculated
to remain out" said Mr.. Carmody.
You will have To give us that %
knots an hour in order TO get us back
in time"
Capt. Waters stood in the door
way, his form showing clear against
the moonlit sky.
You r not going home tonight,
gentlemen" said Hestor, with studied
deliberation. II have decided to en-
joy your company for an indefinite
period. You are to take n we'll
earned vacation at the expense and
under the management of your hum
bic servant, the owner of the ocean
going steam yacht, the Shark"
What mad jest is this, Walter!"
exclaimed Sidney Hammond, as he
advanced in a notwithstanding man.
ner towards Hestor. Capt. Waters
also stepped forward. Mr.. Morton
and his associates were SPECIFICS in
amazement. Put tho boat about at
once, and do not mar by your i'll
timed jokes, an OCCASION which has
been so thoroughly enjoyed by all
your guests" IIammond's eyes
flashed in anger.
This is no merry jest or joke"
said l%Iestor, who though slightly
pale, was cool and collected. sWe
are not going back to New York to-
night nor for many days to come. l
have determined to ascertain whether
or not the universe will continue to
run without the aid of you gentle
men, and have adopted this pleasant
method of making the test. Of
course there r bound to be some
trltiing annoyances and some worry
o~ccasioned, but with your aid these
can be reduced to a minimum"
With the exception of Mr.. Kent,
the guests had arisen from their
chairs. Their faces were a study for
an artist. Mr.. Rockwell was in a
rage, and nervously grasped a heavy
decanter, as if to use it as a weapon.
If you r in earnest, this is an
outrage for which you shall suffer-"
he shouted in a voice hoarse with
passion. He dropped the decanter in
his excitement and it smashed in
fragments on the floor. "If you are
sane, this is a crime. If it is a Joke,
it is an intolerable outrage. If you
are crazy, you should be taken care
of by your friends. / am sure he
continued, lowering his voice and
speaking with o calmness. that
Capt. Waters and his crew will pay
no attention to your orders. Surely
he will not detain gentlemen of our
standing against our will"
Mr.. Kent arose deliberately and
paced up and down the dining-room,
smoking his cigar with the air. of a
spectator who was but slightly inter
ested in the matter at issue. Mr..
Pence was in an agony of terror.
This is awful" he groaned. Speak
to him, Mr.. Carmody. Speak to the
captain!"
Mr.. Carmody was a gentleman of
impressive mien. He had retained
his dignity and his composure most
admirably, and addressed Capt. Wa
tiers with the easy air in which he
wont to issue orders to the
managers and superintendent of his
vast enterprises. He calmly drank
a little of a glass of water and step
ping forward, faced Capt. Waters.
That gentleman was a study in
bronze. He was in fun uniform. The
gold braid of his cap, the bars of
gold on his shoulders and sleeves,
and the rows of brass buttons on
his coat, were in sharp contrast to
the plain apparel Of the group which
now clustered around him. A long,
livid car across his left cheek and
extending to the point of his chin,
showed plain in the electric light
which flooded the room. The closely
cropped gray moustache; the shaggy,
black eyebrows beetling over the
cold blue eyes; the iron-gray hair
beneath the cap; the erect, impas-
sive pose of the fgnre-proclaimed
the character of the official who held
in his control the immediate destiny
of the group of men who now con-
fronted him.
Mr.. Kent did not join this party.
He had paused by a starboard win
dow and vas gazing out as if deeply
concerned in a study of the weather.
Hestor stood a little back of the
captain, while Hammond had seated
himself by the. table. In his face
anger and bewilderment struggled
for mastery.
capt. Waters" said Mr.. Carmody,
placing his hand Familiarity on the
broad shoulder of that official, son
behalf Of the gentlemen on this
yacht, I demand of you, as it's cap
tain, that you Immediately put about
and return to New York. You are
responsible. Mr.. Hestor is clearly
irresponsible. 1t is our wish to re-
turn at once"
1T certainly is! It certainly ISL
exclaimed Mr.. Pence, attempting to
grasp Capt. Waters hand. That of
fetal glanced at Mr.. Hestor as if
waiting for him to answer.
"You know your orders" said Hes
tor. "You are the captain of this
yacht"