Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-06-05
Continued from last week.

Continued from last week.
With great oath Bradhurst ex-
claimed: ut is plain enough that you
have brought a girl on board under
false colors, and you may as well make
ready to put her ashore. You see what
she has already done-a hand lost to
one man and wounds for twenty others
and she was on deck less than five
minutes. Heart of God. At that rate
she would have the ship at the bottom
of Davy Jones locker before we could
sail half down the channel"
at was not my fault" sobbed Mary,
her eyes flashing fire. 81 did nothing;
all | wanted was to be left alone. but
those brutes of men-you shall pay for
this; remember what say. Did you
expect Captain Brandon to stand back
and not defend me when that wretch
was tearing my garments OFF,
Captain Brandon, did you say?
asked Bradhurst, with his hat off in
stantly.
yes" answered that individual. Il
shipped under an assumed name for
various reasons and desire not to be
!
secret"
"Do | understand that you are Mas
ter Charles Brandon, the kings
friendF' asked Bradhurst.
Il am was the answer.
"Then, sir, | must ask your pardon
for the way you have been treated
We of course could not know it, but
man must expect trouble when he at
tachcs himself to woman" 1t is Il
wonder the flashes from Mary's eyes
did not strike TIE oil scadog dead. He
however, did not soc them and went
on: I'VE are more than anxious that SO
valiant knight as Sir Charles Bran
don should go with us, and hope your
reception will not drive you back But
as to the lady, you see already the re
suit of her presence, and much as we
want you, we cannot take her. Aside
from the general trouble which wo-
man takes with her everywhere"-M
ry would not even look at the creature
ION shipboard there is another and
| greater objection. 1t is said. you know
among sailors that woman OH board
draws bad luck to certain sorts OF
ships, and every sailor would desert
before we could weigh anchor if it
were known this lady was to 30 with
us. Should they find it out in midocean
a mutiny would be sure to follow, and
God only knows what would happen
For her sake if for no other reason
| take her ashore at once.'
Brandon saw only too plainly the
%rr,t tl.,t lay ~,
| time, but to which he had shut his
eyes, and. throwing Mary's cloak over
her shoulders, prepared to go ashore
| AS they went over the side and pulled
off great shout went up from the ship
far more derisive than cheering, and
the men at the oars looked at each 9th
| err askance and smiled. What a predic
ament for Il princess. Brandon cursed
himself for having been such knavc
| and fool as TO allow this to happen
He had known the danger all the time,
and his act could not be chargeable to
| ignorance or failure to see the proba-
bic consequences. Temptation and self
| ish desire had given him temerity in
place of judgment
When the princess stepped ashore, it
seemed to her as if the heart in her
breast was a different and separate
organ from the one she had carried
aboard.
AS the boat put off again for the ship
its crew gave a cheer coupled with
some vile advice, for which Brandon
would gladly have run them through,
each and every one. He had to swallow
his chagrin and anger and really
blamed no one but himself, though it
was torture to him that this girl should
be subjected TO such insults and he
| powerless to avenge them. The news
had spread from the wharf like wild
fire, and Oh their way back to the
Bow and String there came from small
boys and hidden voices such eXclama-
tons as: look at the woman in mans
clothingr isn't he beautiful manT
Look at him blushr' and others too
coarse to be repeated. Imagine the hu-
initiating situation, from which there
was no escape.
At last they reached the inn, whittier
their chests soon followed them, sent
by Bradhurst, together with their pas
bdkt ulOuty, MllCn ne very HOuSSllJ re-
funded.
Mary soon donned her woman's at
tire, of which she had supply in her
chest, and at least felt more comforta-
BILE without the jack boots. She had
made her toilet alone for the first time
in her life, having no maid to help her,
and wept as she dressed, for this disap-
pointment was like plucking the very
heart out of her. Her hope had been
so high that the fall was all the hard
err Nay, even more; hope had become
fruition to her when they were once
a-shipboard, and failure right at the
door of success made it doubly hard to
bear. 1t crushed her, and where before
had been hope and confidence was
nothing now but despair Like all peo-
pie with a great capacity for elation,