Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-03-30
CHAPTER Ill

70 Nul Il Hlllt SNORT Dy eRl-
gencies of shipboard, the cuddy was
wont to pass some not unpleasant even
ings Mrs. Vickers, who was poetical
and owned guitar, was also musical,
and sung to 1t. Captain Blunt was a
1ovial, coarse fellow; Surgeon Pine had
mania for story telling, while If Vlck-
ers was sometimes dull, Frere was al
ways hearty. Moreover, the table was
well served, and the sultry evenings
passed away with a rapidity of which
the wild beasts tween decks had no
conception. On this particular even
ing, however, the cuddy was dull Din
ner fell fiat, and conversation languish-
ed.
mo signs of breeze, Mr.. Best ?'
asked Blunt, as the first officer came in
and took his seat.
None SIR"
"Ihese-he he!-awful calms," says
Mrs. Nickers. "A week, is it not, Cap
tain Blunt?"
Thirteen days, num-" growled Blunt.
1T Is Infamous the way they crowd
these ships. Here we have over two
hundred souls on board and not boat
room for half of 'em."
Two hundred souls! Surely not"
says Nickers by the regula tions-"
"One hundred and eighty convicts,
fifty soldiers, thirty in ships crew, all
told, and-how many ?-one, two. three
seven in the cuddy. How many do
you make that?"
we are just a little crowded this
time" says Best.
1T is very wrong" says vickers,
pompously, very wrong By the regu-
| latiOns-"
But the subject of the regulations was
even more dstasteful to the cuddy than
Pines intermnable anecdotes, and Mrs.
Nlckers hastened to change the subject.
Are you not heartily tired of this
dreadful life, Mr.. Frere?"
well, 1t is not exactly the life I
had hoped to lead" said Frere, rub
bing freckled hand over his stubborn
red hair; but l must make the best
of it."
"Yes, indeed" said the lady, in that
subdued manner with which one COM
ments upon a well-known incident, 'it
must have been a great shock to you to
be so suddenly deprived of SO large a
fortune"
Not only that. but to find that the
black sheep who got it all sailed for
India within week of my uncle's death
Lady Devine got a letter from him on
the day of the funeral to say that he
had taken his passage in the Hydaspes
for Calcutta, and never meant to come
back again"
Sir Richard Devine left no other
children?'
mo; only this mysterious Dick, whom
never saw, but who must have hated
me-"
Dear, dear! These family quarrels
are dreadful things. Poor Lady Devine.
to lose in one day a husband and a
sonv'
And the next morning to hear of the
murder of her cousin! You know that
we are connected with the Bellasis fam
lily. My aunt's father married sister
of the second Lord Belasis."
Indeed. That was a horrible muir
der. So you think that the dreadful man
you pointed out the other day did it?'
THE jury seemed to think not" said
MIR. Frere, with laugh; "but don't
know anybody else who could have a
motive for it. However, I'll 90 on deck
and have smoke"
Il wonder what induced that old
hunks of shipbuilder to try and cut
off his only son in favor of a cub of
that sort" said Surgeon Pine to Cap
tain Vickers, as the broad back of Mr..
Maurice Frere disappeared up the COM
panion.
Some boyish follies abroad l believe:
self-made men are always impatient of
extravaganza. But it is hard upon
Frere. He is not bad sort of fellow,
for all his roughness; and when a young
man finds that an accident deprives him
of quarter of a million of money and
leaves him without a sixpence beyond
his commission in a marching regiment
under orders for a convict settlement.
he has some reason to rail against fate"
How was it that the son came in
for the money, after all, then?"
| why, 1t seems that when old Deyine
returned from sending for his lawyer to
alter his will, he got fit of apoplexy
the result of his rage, l suppose-and
when they opened his room door in the
morning they found him dead"
"And the sons away on the sea some
where" said Mr.. Vickers, "and knows
nothing of his good fortune. 1t is quite
a romance"
II am glad that Frere did not get
the money" said Pine, grimly sticking
to his prejudice; 81 have seldom seen
a face l liked less, even among my yell
low jackets yonder."
"Oh, dear, Doctor Pine! How can
your" interrupted Mrs. Vickers. John,
l will go on deck"
At the signal, the party rose
| (To Ne continued.)