The Topeka state journal., 1906-03-01
THE EVENING STORY
&c and ProposaI.

10y 4HGS w E1cA gent.
Perhaps one reason why Hoffman re-
spected his nephews was because OF the
excellent understanding between them
selves and Alice Cutter. Evan was
oashful and self-conscious in her pres
ences but the twins were her chums and
Evan envied them.
He had been trying for six weeks to
decide whether or not Alice cared for
him, and he was afraid to put his fate
10 the test. He was not much of
ladies' man. Until he had seen Alics
his yacht had been his sweetheart, and
a cruise with a lot Of good fellows OUT
weighed all the alIurements Of feminine
society.
Now he regretted a little-just lit
tle-his devotion to the sea. He did
not even know whether Alice thought
of him as his nepheS1s uncle or as him
self. UnVersed in the ways Of women,
he could not decide. He might have
asked his sister, but he dreaded Ger
trude's gibes, so he devoted himself
more than ever to the twins, and thus
gained a right occasionally to enter the
charmed circle, the center of which was
Alice Cutler.
Then came the twins inspiration.
Bedtime tales of the Spanish main had
fired their imaginatiOns. Here they
were on the Gulf Of Mexico, whence the
start. Nothing would satisfy but that
they should go upon a pirating expedi-
ton.
Their mother was glad enough to be
rid of them for the week the cruise
would occupy, and Alice Cutler manu-
factured q most imposing skull and
cross bones flag to be broken out from
the mast head when the quarry should
be sighted. The twins carefully looked
after the saluting cannon and its sup
ply of ammunition, and laboriously prac-
ticed carrying wooden daggers between
their teeth.
Then came the day of embarkation.
The twins kissed their mother goodby,
as dutiful pirates should, and set out
with Alice for the pier, while EVAN
hurried ever to the postoffIce to make
sure that q belated business letter was
properly posted.
He cursed his fate with true piratical
fervor when he came to the dock and
found that Alice had returned to the
hotel without a goOd-by for h1msen,
but once on board and under way, he
became absorbed in the twins play.
1t was one of their greatest charms
that they could make believe" with
such absolute seriousness as to con-
vince an outsider that their pretense
was real. and Evan grinned over their
circumstantial account of the capture
of a beautiful maiden, whom they were
holding for ransom.
I'VE just tied a handkerchief over
her mouth" exclaimed Dudley, IAN
says: less we get ten thousand dub
your ears .
AN she cried" supplemented Cor
don, "and tried to take the bandage on
and we tied her hands and it was
doubleoons, not dublins what we said"
Taint, its dublins," defended Dud-
ley. and by the time the arbitrator had
decided that neither was right on the
pronunciation of doubloons. the twins
We're ready to go down into the cabin
and decide upon their course.
7 9r4-,
Evan, "is to get out in the Gulf and
lie in wait for the galleons from the
mines. They should have left Vera
Cruz day before yesterday. Shall we
do that or shall we set sail for Brazil.
land a force and DIunder the store
houses of the natives?"
''I don't think mother would like
1t, objected Dudley. It's too far
away. Besides we've the beauteous
maiden to ransom. We ought to ca Bile
her father as we promised
Pirates don't CABLE suggested
guise."
7 guess modern pirates use the
cable, laughed Evan, stopping a
demonstration. You youngsters had
4 better pile on deck and keep a sharD
/ lookout for treasure shfps''
/ The twins departed, still arguing the
question OF to cable or not to cable
ana l1ght1ng cigar, Evan gave himself
over to wondering why Alice had not
waited to bid him good-by She had
i half promised that she would be on
/ hand to wish him good luck on his first
piratical adventure. It was not like her
1 to break her word.
He was still lost in thought when the
steward came in to set the table for
lunch.
Beg pardon, sir" he asked. 'shan I
set place for the iady?"
Have the boys been telling YOU about
their captive?" laughed EVAN. Il sup
posed that captives on pirate ships were
fed on bread and water
The young lady in the cabin. sir, the
one the young gentlemen were telling
you about. sir
There's no young woman in the
cabin" denied Evan. IT'S a part of
their make-believe."
4 thought you knew, sir" persisted
the steward. There's a lady in that
cabin"
Hoffman made two steps to the door
/ indicated and threw it open. There q
the bunk lay Alice Cutler, bound hands
and feet and with towel across her
/ mouth. It was the work of a moment
( to release her, but it was five minutes
before her lips permitted her to speak
Don't mind" she smiled as she lis
/ tened to Evans hOrrOr-stFicken eXpla-
| nations. Il imagine that the boys took
| their piracy too seriously. It was all
! done so suddenly that I could not help
myself, but I was sure that you would
find it out when you came on board
And to think" he groaned that I
was sitting in the cabin all the fore
noon. and you were lying here suffer-
ing"
1T wasn't so very bad" she conca
| lated, "and the boys were so full Of
their cruise that you really cannot
blame them. I hope you will not pun
ish them
Punish them he echoed savageIy.
IF they are going in for this sort of
piracy they should be strung up at the
yard arm.
With a whoop the boys came tum-
bling down the companionway- AS
their glance fell upon their captive they
/ Jumped upon their uncle and began to
~ AM fair, protested Gordon. ..to