Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-19

back TO Parton, WHO replied, although not
always, with great intelligence.
1T. It would be ,s difficult 70 he emo 10
one of the LITTLE wa& ofzTumpled paper
fell into his scooped pain at the holes
mouth. He almost laughed audibly as his
fingers pressed the paper wads and felt
the hard, irregularly shaped core in each
of them. At last the cavity was empty.
and he had his fortuAs inghis pockets once
again. D d
This accomplished, d shSsted to Captain
Sears.
Fine what We wal1edg Aasked that sea-
man In low, bass rtmblesfrom the dark
Yes" said Parton
Well. let's git out o. this, them said
the captain Th air down here is staler
than last years newspa per, and it smells
darn sight wuss!
The two men met just beneath the open
hatch They were then standing in a good
three rect OF water, which swung with the
gentle motion of the ship as she felt the
slow heaving of the long swell from the
Atlantic. Just as he was about to put his
foot upon the ladder to climb to the open
air above, Capt. Sears noticed something
which the lantern light showed white, lying
beneath the water close behind the ladder.
He stopped over to look at it, and swung
his lantern so that he could see. He gave
another glance at the thing which had at
tracted his attention, and then he gasped
and stepped back, so that he collided
5ildi ply Will IdTtUn, VINO was De01nQ MIN.
What Is it, captain?' Parton asked
He could see that Sears face had paled,
and his agitation was further evidenced
when he dropped his lantern, which fell
into the water and went out.
Down there!" said Sears, pointing 81
almost stepped on it!''
AS he still pressed backward Parton made
way for him, and himself advanced, hold
ing his lantern close to the surface of the
water and looking eagerly to see what it
was which had so disturbed the captain.
Shining in the Pickering rays of the yell
low light. Parton saw a pale, distorted face
CLEAN up at him. He stopped a little lower
over 1T and recognized it. 1t was that of
Brown, the mate. He must have returned
then, and ignorant of the explosive I'M
agined that the fire would give him time
to find the diamonds. He may have been
dazed by the shock on the very instant
when he had reached the hold, and been
drowned in the water which poured down
from the bursted tank. Perhaps he had
time to make fruitless search for the
hidden stones and was just returning to
the ladder when the conclusion came
which laid him unconscious at its foot,
where the encroaching water ran in on him
and smothered him as he lay senseless At
any rate he lay there dead.
Parton was very well satisfied to let
Capt. Sears take upon himself the telling
of the grewsome tale, and hurried to the
captains group. Before he had crossed
that shaky planking of the dock Norah
had her hands clasped upon his arm. The
captain gaZed eagerly at his face, which
seemed to bob uncertainty about in the
fickering of the lantern light. Norah was
a bit paler even than the moonlight war
ranted. It was Mrs. Burgee who spoke first
in an anxious whisper
Did We git emp she asked huskily.
Parton nodded. He could see that neither
she nor Norah had heard, or, at least, paid
heed to what Capt Sears had been saying.
All their eyes were for him, all their ears
were for what he might say to them.
When they reached the captain, the old
man smiled eagerly, but was evidently not
enlightened by what he saw In Parton's
face He leaned forward, with almost
tremulous eagerness.
He got emf Lyddy said, almost in a
whisper.
The captains lips opened TREMENDOUSLY.
They closed again. Finally they formed
the words:
well, by John Quincy Adams, Shaker
Parton reached over and took the old
mans almost helpless paw in his with a
hearty clasp.
Afterward.
1t may be interesting to those who have
been good enough to read what has gone
before, to hear a hint of what came after.
Examination of the Lydia's hulk by ex-
perts developed that the captains judgment
had been right about the effects of the
Humberite in case of an explosion She
was much less damaged than at first she
had appeared to be. The conclusion had
spent most of its force in the center of the
ship, and it's impulse had been upward. The
Lydia's bottom planking had not been so
much as started. 1t was when the ex-
animation of her condition had been COM
pleted and this cheerful announcement had
been made that plan was born in Norah's
mind, which afterward bore much pleasur-
able fruit.
I'VE are rich now, aren't we Henry?" she
asked one day, while she and husband were
walking toward the house after an inspec-
ton of the ship.
yes, dear" said Parton. Rich enough
to let us do nearly what We please for the
balance of our days and still have some
thing over for the captain and for Lyddy."
Il am glad you spoke of that she said.
Il had thought of it, and l am glad you
spoke of it"
A moment later she questioned him again
Gould the Lydia be rebuilt so that she
would be seaworthy?' was her query
She might be. Her upperworks are gone.
but her hull is quite stanch as ever.
Why?" asked Parton.
II have plan" she said "The old ship
is the dearest thing in all the world to our
old friends, except, perhaps, ourselves. We
owe them much.'
I'VE do, indeedy said Parton. heartily.
Then, If we are rich enough, why not
pay a part of our debt by having her re-
paired?'
"Norah." said Paron, as he pressed her
arm with satisfaction, you are wonderful.
We will do it.
And they did.
The refitting changed the Lydia into some
thing between merchantmen and yacht. Her
first voyage was notable, principally be-
cause of the nature of her passenger list
They were selected by the two women, and
the choice was made, not Because of social
Importance, but because of real and care
fully investigated worth--and need of long
vacations. Her cruise, with the captain In
command rtial1V dfSa bled bI1t CT
ly capable of standing watch in daylight
will long live in the memory of all those
who were on board of her.
(The End
Had Heard of It Often.