Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-05-06

! blood Armand had seen her face more
than once TRANSPORTED by that Won
drous glory of mother love. lie had
that very day heard her grooming softly
as she walked, noted the strange fur
! tivcncss with which she avoided the
too curious gaze of her fellows, Won
dercd what subtle grace nature had
lent for mother eyes to those infant
features.
Now one of the crew stood over her.
plucking at the shawl. She was weep
ing passionatcly, loudly, without pre-
tense of conccalment.
"What devils that?' bawled the
mates voice from Il rope ladder.
"The brat's dead" said the sailor.
elbow me tight, I've been watching
her for two days. The lallop's been
singing to it to pull the wool over our
eyes"
Dead, is it? Pitch it overheard,
then" He kicked down greasy rag
of canvas.
As the man he commanded approach
ed the woman she fell on her knees,
shrinking in close against the bulwarks
and speaking rapidly in some foreign
| tongue.
whats that loblolly?" asked the
mate.
"She says" translated one of the pitt
full group around her, that the land is
so near and the water is cold. She
wants to bury it in the ground"
"Split me-" oathed the mate "is that
all? over with it, jerry
Again she spoke, volubly and with
many groveling sobs.
"She says" said the redemptioner,
"that if it could only be blessed. There
is no priest aboard"
The mate, with his hands on the rail,
laughed at this. "Do what l say, you
down therer he cried. "Will We stand
making mouths all day? Tie it in that
canvas"
The man he had hidden approached
the woman to take the cold little body
from her, but she turned suddenly a
fury and, holding it to her breast with
one arm, fought him off, screaming.
He jumped back, with his hand clap
ped to his armpt. THE Jezebels bit
mel" he yelled.
There was a great laugh from the
sailors, and the mate cursed luridly
from above. Are We mollycoddles,
them" he shouted. AS they hesitated
he scrambled down hand over hand,
damning them for landlubbers and
clearly minded to do it himself.
The Frenchman's fingers, as he stood
beside the Nirginian, gripped the rail.
Swine" he said under his breath.
Then he leaned over and called clearly,
Keep your hand from that womanr'
The mate looked up, astonished, at
the group, for the other passengers had
on.
whats that?' he asked.
Armand repeated his words
The mates face turned Il spOngy pur-
pie, and he laughed in a way that was
not good to hear For answer he reach
ed out hand to the shawl and literally
tore it away from the poor clay it COW
cred
At the instant he did so Armand
; vaulted the rail where he stood, caught
a rope, swung to Il stanchion and land
D.. ed as lightly as Il cat at the side of the
burly ruflian. The act was SO clean, Sc
graceful and so quick that none of the
passengers could have told exactly how
it was done.
The mate turned and, seeing him at
his elbow, struck with all his strength
at the others head.
The stroke was one to stun. but ii
never reached home. The young for
eigner bent one side, not moving his
feet, with Il motion that would have
| spoken volumes to an athlete, and tho
| mates fist banged against the bul
| wark. While he staggered from this
| Armand, Selling ropes end as he
] circled, cut him across the face Will
| such a slash that the blood ran from
the cash.
Now ensued a strange combat. The
| mate, heavy and cumbrous, tried tC
| reach the other with sledge hammer
| blows The Frenchman, slight, wary
| circing, retreating, slipped hither ant
| thither. Three times in as many sec
onds that sbilant "swish" sang, and {
/ red mark sprang out on the brutal face
| AL tuCH SNlllS VI tut hol d sui "
groan went up from the huddled re
demptioners, and at each cut the.
sucked in their breath with delight l.
was a new, strange entertainment 70
them-to have brain sick passenge
descend from his clean deck to cham
pion the cause of a scum.
The Virginian, looking down, wa
quiverng visibly. AS the passenge
evaded blow that would have crush
ed his ribs he could not forbear a shout
"Well done, by the Lord! But war
the clinch! Ware the clinch, mon
sieur!"
| For the mate, though maddened on
| of himself, had shown sudden CLEAN
of purpose. He was forcing the sec
rotary back into corner between bu
wark and stanchion, not striking, bu