The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-30


the darkness of the night watch and
kissed the deck of that ship because
knew her dear feet had trod it. She
was never engaged to me. She treated
me as fairly as ever a woman treated
| a man | have no complaint to make.
1t was all love on my side, and all
good comradeship and friendship on
hers. When we parted she was free
woman, but / could never again be a
| free man.
Next time I came back from sea-
[ heard of her marriage. Well, why
shouldn't she marry whom she liked :?
Title and money-Who could carry
them better than she? She was born
for all that is beautiful and dainty. /
didn't grieve over her marriage. /
was not such a selfish hound as that
| just rejoiced that good luck had
come her way, and that she had not
thrown herself away on penniless
sailor. That's how L loved Mary
Fraser.
well I never thought to see her
again, but last voyage 1 was promoted,
and the new boat was not yet launch
ed, so / had to wait for a couple OF
molths with my people at Sydenham
One day out in a country lane l met
Theresa Wright, her old maid She
told me all about her, about him.
|
men. 1t nearly drove me mad. This
drunken hound, that he should dare
to raise his hand to her, whose boots
! he was not worthy to lick! | met
Theresa again. Then I met Mary
harsef-and met her again. Then
she would meet me no more. But the
other day [ had q notice that | was
to start ON my voyage within a week
and / determined that | would see her
once more before / felt. Theresa was
always my friend, for she loved Mary
and hated this villain almost as much
as | did. From her ] learned the
ways of the house. Mary used to sit
up reading in her own little room
downstairs. / crept round there last
night and scratched at the window. AT
/ first she would not open to me, but
in her heart | knew that now she loves
| me, and she could not leave me in the
! frosty night She whispered to me
to come round to the pig front window.
| and [ found it open before me, so as
| to let me into the dining-roOm. Again
/ ! heard from her own lips things that
made my blood boil, and again
cursed this brute, who mishandled the
woman J loved. Well, gentlemen, /
was standing with her just inside the
window, in all innocence as God is my
| Judge when he rushed like a mailman
into the ROOM called her the Vilest
name that man could use to wo-
man, and welted her across the face
with the stick he had in his hand
| had sprung for the poker, and it was
ia fair fight between us. See here, on
my arm, where his first blow fell.
Then it was my turn, and ] went
| through him as if he had been Il rot
| ten pumpkin Do you think / am
sorry? Not /! 1t was his life or
mine, but far more than that, it was
! his life or hers, for how could | leave
! her in the power of this mailman?
| That was how ] killed him. Was |
! wrong? Well, then, what would eth
er of you gentlemen have done, if
you had been in my position?
She had screamed when he struck
| her, and that Brought old Theresa
| down from the room above. There
/ was a bottle of wine on the sideboard,
and ] opened it and poured little be-
tewen Mary's lips, for she was half
dead with shock. Then | took drop
myself Theresa was as cool as ice
and it was her plot as much as mine
! We must make it appear that burglars
| had done the thing. Theresa kept on
repeating our story to her mistress
| While | swarmed up and cut the rope
of the bell. Then l dashed her in her
| chair, and frayed out the end of the
! rope to make it look natural, else
1
| a burglar could have got up there to
cut ii. Then l gathered up few plates
/ and pots of silver, to carry out The
| idea of robbery, and there / left them,
with orders to give the alarm when /
had q quarter of an hours start. ]
dropped the silver into the pond, and
made off for Sydenham, feeling that
for once in my life 1 had done a real
good nights work. And that's the
truth and the whole truth, Mr.
Holmes, if it costs me my neck
/ Holmes smoked for some time in 81
lence Then he crossed the room, and
shook our visitor by the hand.
That's what 1 think" said he. II
know that every word is true, for you
have hardly said a word which / did
| not know. No one but an acrobat or
a sailor could have got up to that
bell rope from the bracket, and no
one but sailor could have made the
| knots with which the cord was fast
ened to the chair Only once had this
| lady been brought into contact with
sailors, and that was on her voyage.
and it was some one of her own class
of life, since she was trying hard to
shield him. and so showing that she
loved him. You see how easy 1t was
for me to lay my hands upon you
when once l hard started upon the
right trail"
II thought the police never could
have seen through our dodge"
and the police haven't, nor will
they to the best of my belief Now,
look here, Captain Croker, this is a
very serious matter though ] am will
ing to admit that you acted under the
most extreme provocation to which
any man could be subjected. | am
not sure that in defence of your own
life your action will not be pro-
nOunced legitimate. However, that is
for a British jury to decide. Mean
while | have so much sympathy for
you that if you choose to disappear in
the next twenty-four hours, / will
! promise you that no one will hinder
you"
And then it will all come out ?P
Certainly it will come out J."
The sailor flushed with anger.
What sort of proposal is that to
make a man? / know enough of law
to understand that Mary would be
held as accomplice. Do you think |
would leave her alone TO face the
music While I skunk away? No, sir,
let them do their worst upon me, but
| for Heavens sake Mr.. Holmes, find