The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-11-11


@THE battle which will take
Il place tonight yonder be-
YSsfSSsSNN tween those ships decides
Gz&D my fate. 1 hope to God L
may arrive in time to take my part In
1t! The Richard is fearfully short OF
officers at best; Landais, who has the
Alliance, is crazy and a coward; Cotti-
neau in the Pallas is an unknown
quantity, and the rest have fled. Jones
has only Richard Dale and n lot OF
midshipmen with him upon whom he
can absolutely depend, and there are
over two hundred prisoners in the
hold. He needs me. If this breeze
holds on l think we may intercept
the Richard before the battle is joined.
Pray, dearest, as never before, for the
success of our arms! It means life,
and you, for me-"
at means life for me as WELL" she
answered, nesting against him and
nerving herself up to the inevitable
confession. How he would take 1t Ii
did not know, or rather she would not
permit herself to say. She was con-
scious only OF an impelling necessity
to tell him the whole story, though Ii
had deliberately waited until she be-
lieved he could do nothing.
"Ah, yes, tits sweet Of you to say so,
but not the same. Me they will hang,
but not you," he answered fondly.
Eyes, they WILL" she replied. I'll
1 must confess it to you before we go
further. 1t weighs upon me. 1 also
am guilty"
Guilty! You'll OF what, pray? OF
loving mo too muchf" he queried,
laughing in pure lightness of heart.
"No, not that" she answered, "but
that-that order-your reprieve. 1t
was-the admiral did not sign it," she
added desperately.
The secret was out.
"And who did 1t, them" he asked,
still unsuspicious Of her meaning.
AZ did it myself" she answered,
with averted head.
ut is not possiblep he exclaimed,
withdrawing from her a little in his
astonishment.
"'Twas for you-for you I did 1t.
Reproach me not-nay, you shall not!"
she cried, on fire to defend herself and
her love, now the truth was told.
Captain Jones said six hours delay
and you were saved. There was no
other way. I begged, implored,
treated the admiral. BE left me-went
away. 1 saw the man fixing that
block-the rope-I ran to him to- make
M more appeal. He was not there.
On his desk was an order giving me
permission to see you, which he had
intended to give me and had refused
Mt the last moment and left unsigned,
His watch was there and his seal. I
added the rest and signed and sealed
1t myself. Do not shrink from mol"
she pleaded, with changed mood again.
"Your a~nger-your disapproval-kills
me. Is there no excuse that you can
find for me?" Her appeal was so ten
der, her affection so apparent, she was
her own justification.
"NO man would have done it," he
said irresolutciy, wavering.
but every woman would" she re-
piled promptly, pressing her advan-
tage. why are o so silent? Your
precious honor Is safe, and as for
mine
"Twas nobly DONE" he answered
at last, in complete surrender. "There
is not n woman in the world but would
Aoliol SOu " u. NV ~ HAL WIZ
would not love you. You have done
that which / could not, and for me.
My heart before, and nov my life Is
yours, my hearts dearest"
II knew you would not like it." she
answered simply, "but there was no
other way. I confess / was terrified
when Edwnrd"-
Good hcavens!' cried O'Neill. HE
saw the order?"
eyes," said the girl, covering be-
fore him again. In truth, this phase
Of the transaction had actually es-
capped her memory.
Captain Pearson accepted it with
out questioning him?" he queried. She
would have given all the world to lie
to him, but even in tho darkness she
could not be further untrue, in his
very presence, though now like n flash
she saw 1t all.
"He-he doubted it," sho whispered
hesitatingly. "He handed the paper
to Edward and asked him If tiff it
was all right"
land Coventry2"
"He took 1T and looked Mt It, looked
Mt mel had forgotten him, I must
confess"-sh went Oh brokenly-"and
then he handed 1t back to Captain
Pearson and-and said it was correct
the signature, 1 mean"
"Hc knew, think your" asked her
lover, with deadly calmness.
eyes, he knew" she faltered.
"And the sentry-our unheeded es-
cape"
Edward took his place-I might as
well tell you all now" continued the
girl desperately.
"Ah" he said coldly and sternly.
And do you know, Lady Elizabeth,
what the penalty is for such actions
as his?"
NO" she replied in alarm. II never
thought. They Will not harm him. He
Is the son of the admiral. What is it2"
"Thcy will shoot him or hang him
like a dog to the very yardaEm pre-
pared for mev' he answered with stern
emphasis.
mo, no! 1T is not possiblev' she
cried, appalled, at the naked fact.
faye, but 1t Is" he replied, "and 1t is
through your actions aud miy bind
acquiescence therein that this honor
able gentleman is lone to death. This
puts another face ON the whole thing.
You hive made mo n crovan I mn,