Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-10-25
The Hearts s
Highway 1fSi x;,i,i; I /;
MARY E.
WILKINS
ce,yriaAi. 1900. BY DOUBLEDAY. PAGE q CO.


| hidden springs move woman! III
warrant, sir. had you known, you
might have battened down the matches
fast enough on her will, convict though
yMl be, and. faith, sir, but you look
tC me like one who Is convict or mas
ter at his own choosing and not by the
will of any other" So saying, he gave
me look so sharp that for second
I half surmised that he guessed my
secret, but knew better ut once, and
said that our business was to deal not
with what had been, but with what
might be.
well" said he, "and what may that
be, Master Wingfeld, in your opinion?
You surely do not mean to hold the
Golden Horn In midstream with her
cargo undischarged until the day Of
doom lest yon old beldame offer up
her fair granddaughter on the altar
of her loyalty, with me and my hearties
for kindiing, to say naught of yourself
and u few of the best gentlemen OF
Virginia. l forfeit my head IL l set
sail for England; naught Is left for
me that | see that shall save my neck
but to turn pirate and king it over the
high seas. Having swallowed small
morsel of my Puritan misgivings, what
is to hinder my bolting the whole, like
an exceeding bitter pill, to my complete
purging Of danger? What say you.
Master Wingfeld? Small reputation
have you to lose, and sure thy reckon
ing with powers that be leaves thee
large creditor. Will you sail with me?
My first lieutenant shall you be, and
we will share the booty"
He laughed, and stared at him that
he should stOop to jest, yet having
ready leap of cOmradeship toward him
for it. Then suddenly his mood changed.
Close to me he edged and began talk
ing with serious shrewdness which
showed his mind brought fully to bear
upon the situation. You say, sir"
said he, that Mistress Mary Caven-
dish, in spirit of youthful daring
and levity, gave her grandmother list
of the goods which my Lady Culpeper
ordered from England, and which even
now is due?" nodded.
"Know you by what ship?"
"The Earl of Fairfax" I replied,
and recalled as I spoke rumor that
my Lord Culpeper designed his daugh-
ter Cate for the eldest son of the earl
and had so named his ship in honor OF
him.
You say that the Earl Of Fairfax Is
even now dueT said Captain Tabor.
replied that she was hourly expect
ed by what I had learned. Then Cap
tain Tabor, sitting loosely hunched
with that utter abandon Of all the
muscles which one sees in some when
they are undergoing fierce strain OF
thought, remained silent for space,
his brows knitted. Then suddenly my
shoulder tingled with the clap which
he gave it and the cabin rang and
rang again with laugh so loud and
gay that it seemed very note Of the
May day. You are merry" l said.
But 1 laughed myself, though some
what doubtfully, when he unfolded his
scheme to me, which was indeed both
bold and humorous. He knew well the
captain of the Earl of Fairfax, who
had been shipmate with him.
MANY lark ashore have we had
together" said Calvin Tabor, land,
faith, but | know things about him
now which compel him to my turn-the
devils mess have we both been In
but need not use such means of per-
suasion II / know honest Dick Wat
son."
The scheme of which Captain Tabor
delivered himself with bursts OF laugh
ter enough to wake the ship was, to
speak briefly, that he should go with
boat, rowing against the current by
keeping close to bank and taking ad-
vantage of eddies, and meet the Earl
of Fairfax before she reached James
town, board her and persuade her cap
tain to send the cases of my Lady Gull
pepers goods under cover Of night to
the Golden Horn, whence he would un-
load them next morning, and Mistress
Mary could show them to her grand
mother, and then they were to be re-
shipped with all possible speed and Sc
crecy, the Earl of Fairfax meanwhile
lying at anchor ut the mouth of the
river, and then delivered to my Lady
Culpeper.
There was but one doubt as to the
success of this curious scheme In my
mind, and that was that Mistress Mary
might not easily lend herself to such
deception. However, Captain Tabor,
with a skill of devising concerning
which I have often wondered whether
1t may be more common in the descend
ants Of those who settled in New Eng
land, who were in such sore straits to
get their own wills, than with US OF
Virginia, provided way through that
difficulty.
otis full easy" said he. "YOu say
that the maids sister will say naught
against it-and your"
81 will say naught against her safe
ty," said I. "What think you care
for any little bubbles Of the truth
when that be in question:
"Well," said Captain Tabor, "then
must you and Mistress Catherine Cav
Catherine anxiously waiting
on the hank OF the stream
~