Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-07-10
CopWtoht, IAN oas 1901.
IN ~ Boscep.M Avm C0sNpoNu

CHAPTER XVII CONTINUED. J
"Yes," answered that Individual 90
shipped under an assumed name fol
various reasons, and desire not to b.
known. You will do well to keep my
secret"
do I understand that you are Mas
ter Charles Brandon, the kings
friendT asked Bradhurst.
II 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
taches himself to woman" 1t II ;
wonder the flashes from Mary's eye'
did not strike the old seadog dead. He
however, did not see them and went
on: 1--WE are more than anxious that 81
valiant knight as Sir Charles Bran
don should 60 with us, and hope YOU
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 verywhere"-Ma'
~ would not even look at the creature
ION shipboard there is another and
greater objection. 1t is said, you know
among sailors that woman on board
draws bad luck to certain sorts OF
ships, and every sailor would desert
before we could weigh anchor If ii
were known this lady was to go 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
truth that he had really seen all the
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 a great shout went up from the ship
the men at the oars looked at each 9th
er askance and smiled. What prsdic-
ament for a princess! Brandon cursed
himself for having been such knave
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 a failure to see the proba-
BILE consequences. Temptation and self
ish desire had given him temerity in
place Of judgment.
When the princess stepped ashore, 1t
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 of 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 1t
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 on 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
clotAingw isn't he beautiful man."
"Look at him blush!" 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
sage money, which he very honestly re-
funded.
Mary soon donned her woman's at
tire, of which she had a 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
10 high that the fall was all the hard
or. Nay, even more; hope had become
truition to her when they were once
and failure right at the
1oor 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 great capacity for citation,
when she sank she touched the bottom.
Alas, Mary. the unconquerable, was
lown at last.
This failure meant so much to her.
t meant that she would never be
Brandon's wife. but would go to
France to endure the dreaded old
At that thought a recoil