Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-11-02
CHAPTER XXXV.
AGAIN DICKORY WAS THERE.

AEkIs ClmeS IN Spanish Town,
~&Ga and with the load
lifted from her heart, Kate helped very
much to promote the gaiety. If this
young lady had wished to make good
colonial match, she had opportunities
enough for so doing, but she was not
in that frame of mind, and encouraged
no sutton.
But, bright as she was, she was not
so bright as on that great and glorious
day when she received Ben Green
ways letter, telling her that her father
was no longer a pirate. There were
several reasons for this gradually
growing twilight of her happiness, and
one was that no letter came from her
father. To be sure, there were many
reasons why no letter should come
There were no regular mails in these
colonies which could be depended upon,
and, besides, the new career of her
father, sailing as a privateer under the
kings flag, would probably make 1t
very difficult for him to send letter
to Jamaica by any regular or irregular
method. Moreover, her father was a
miserable correspondent, and always
had been. Thus she comforted herself
and was content, though not very we'll
content. to wait.
Then there was another thing which
troubled her, when she thought of 1t.
That good man and steady lover, Mar
tin NeWcombe, had written that he was
coming to Spanish Town, and she knew
very we'll what he was coming for and
what he would say, but she did not
know what she would say to him; and
the thought of this troubled her. In a
letter she might put off the answer for
which he had been SO long and pa
tiently waiting, but when she met him
face to face there could be no more de-
lay; she must tell him yes or no, and
she was not ready to do this.
There was so much to think of, so
many plans to be considered In regard
to going back to Barbados or staying
in Jamaica, that really she could not
make up her mind, at least not until
she had seen her father. She would be
so sorry if Mr.. Newcombe came to
Spanish Town before her father should
arrive, or at least before she should
hear from him.
Then there was another thing which
added to the twilight of these cheerful
days, and this Kate could scarcely I'M
derstand, because she could see no rea
son why it should affect her. The
Governor, whom they frequently met
in the course of the pleasant social
functions of the town, looked troubled,
and was not the genial gentleman he
used to be. OF course he had a right
to his own private perplexities and an
noyances, but it grieved Kate to see
the change in him. He had always
was now just as kind as ever, but he
was not cheerful.
Kate mentioned to her uncle the
changed demeanor of the Governor, but
he could give no explanation; he had
heard of no political troubles, but sup
posed that family matters might easily
have saddened the good man.
He himself was not very cheerful,
for day after day brought nearer the
time when that uncertain Stede Bon
net might arrive in Jamaica, and what
would happen after that no man could
tell. One thing he greatly feared, and
that was, that his dear niece, Kate.
might be taken away from him. Dame
Charter was not so cheerful, either.
Only in one way did she believe in
Stede Bonnet, and that was that after
some fashion or another he would
come between her and her bright
dreams for her dear Dick0ry.
And so there were some people in
Spanish Town who were not as happy
as they had been.
Still, there were dinners and little
parties, and society made itself very
pleasant; and in the midst of them all
a ship came in from Barbados, bring
ing a letter from Martin Newcombe.
A strange thing about this letter was
that it was addressed to Mr.. Delaplaine
and not to Miss Kate Bonnet. This, of
course, proved the letter must be on
business; and, although he was with
his little family when he opened his
letter, he thought it we'll to glance at
it before reading it aloud. The first few
lines showed him that it was indeed a
business letter, for it told OF the death Of
Madam Bonnet, and how the writer,
Martin Newcombe, as neighbor and
friend of the family, had been called
in to take temporary charge of her
effects, and, having done so, he has
tened to inform Mr.. Delaplaine of his
proceedings and to ask advice. This
letter he now read aloud, and Kate and
the others were greatly interested
therein, although they cautiously for
bore the expression of any opinion
which might rise in their minds re-
garding this turn of affairs.
Having finished these business de-
tails, Mr.. Delaplaine went on and read
aloud, and in the succeeding portion OF
the letter Mr.. Newcombe begged Mr..
Delaplaine to believe that it was the
hardest duty Of his w.ole life to write
what he was now Obliged to write, but
that he knew he must 10 it, and there
fore would not hesitate. AT this the
reader looked at his niece and stopped.
go on" cried Kate, her face a little
flushed, "go on!"
The face of Mr.. Delaplaine was pale,
and for moment he hesitated, then,
with sudden jerk, he nerved himself
to the effort, and read on; he had seen
enough to make him understand that
the duty before him was to read on.
Briefly and tersely, but with tears in
the very ink, so sad, were the words, the
writer assured Mr.. Delaplaine that his
love for his niece had been, and was,
the overpowering impulse of his life;