The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-12-29
CHAPTER 1.


logne. Roderick was asleep, and Mary's
oretty head had fallen against the cushion.
As I reclined at greater length on the
cushions of the stufy compartment, l
Thought how strange a company we were
then being carried over the dull, drear
pasture land of France, to the lights, the
music and the life of the great capital.
Roderick and had been at Caius Col
iegt, Cambridge, together, friends drawn
the closer in affection because our condl-
lions in kith and kin, in possession and
in purpose, in ambition and IN idleness,
were so very like. Roderick was an or
phan "a years of age, young, rich, des-r-
ing to know life, caring for no man, not
vital enough to realize danger, good
fellow, a gentleman. His sister was MS
only care. He gave to her the strength of
an undivided love.
For myself, Twas % when the strange
things of which L am about to write hap
pened to me. My father had left me
100000, which 1 drew upon when l was
of age; but, shame that l should write
It, had spent more than 100000 in four
years, and my schooner, the Celsis, with
some few thousand pounds, alone remain
ed to me- OF what was my future to be,
knew not. In the senseless purpose OF
my life, l said only, ut will come, the
tide in my affairs which taken at the
flood should lead on to fortune" And in
this supreme folly lived the days, now
In the Mediterranean, now cruising round
the coast of England, now flying of sud-
den to Paris. A journey fraught with
folly, the child of folly, to end in folly,
so might it have been said but who can
foretell the supreme moments Of our lives,
when unknowingly we stand on the
threshold of action2 And who should ex-
pect me to foresee that the man who was
to touch the spring of my life's action sat
before me-mocked of me, dubbed the Per
feet Follower whose dead body l was to
tread the paths of danger and the intri-
cate ways of strange adventure?
But [ would not weary you with more
of these facts than are absolutely neces-
sary for the understanding Of this story,
SURPRISING strange. Mary and Roderick
each other, sick to WEAKNESS with refec-
tons upon the probability of being late
or arriving before time. At last he spoke,
and. speaking, seemed to be the Perfect
Fool no longer.
They're both asleep, aren't they? he
asked suddenly. "Would you mind max
ing sure, for have a favor to ask"
He was looking at me with a ftful
pleading look unlike anything he had
shown previously. assured him at once
that he might speak his mind; that, even
IL Roderick should overhear us, l would
pledge my word for his good faith.
II wanted to speak to you some days
ago." he said earnestly and quickly. as
his hands continued to play with paper.
'It must seem curious in your eyes that
I, who am quite stranger to you, should
have been in your company for some
weeks, and should not have told you more
than my name, Martin Hail. As the thing
stands, you have been kind enough to
make no inquiries; if 1 am an impostor,
you do not care to know it; If am a
rascal hunted by the law, you have not
been willing to help the law; you do not
know if l have money or no money,
home or no home, people or no people,
yet you have made me-shall l say. a
friend?"
He asked the question with such gen.
tie infexion OF the voice that felt a
softer chord WAS touched, and in response
I shook hands with him. After that he
continued to speak.
II am very grateful for all your trust,
believe me, for l am a man that has
known few friends in life. You have
given me your friendship unasked, and
It Is the more priced. What l wanted to
say is this, if should die before three
days have passed, will you open this
packet of papers l have prepared and
sealed for you, and carry out what is writ
ten there as well as you are able? As for
the dangers, they are big enough, but you
are the man to overcome them as I hope
to overcome them-if live"
The sun fell over the lifeless scene with
out as Martin Hall ceased to speak.
had thought the man fool and witless,
fighty in purpose and shallow in thought.
and yet he seemed to speak of great mys-
teries- of death. In one moment the
testers cloak fell from him, and l saw
che mail beneath.
Tell me, are you quite certain that you
are not talking nonsense?" l asked. "If
you are not playing the fool, Hall, you
must be more explicit. In the first place,
how did you get this absurd notion that
you are going to de into your head? sec
ondly, what is the nature of the obligation
you wish to put upon me? Why should
you, who are going to Paris, as far as l
know, simply as a common sightseer, have
any reason to fear some mysterious ca
lamity In a city where you don't know a
soul?'
"Why am going to Paris without aim.
do you say? Without aim-I, who have
waited years for the work l believe that
shall accomplish tonight! l will tell you.
I am going to Paris to meet one who, be-
fore another year has gone, will be want
ed by every government in Europe; who,
If do not put my hand upon his throat
In the midst of his foul work. will make
graves as thick as pines in the wood there
before you know another month; one who
is mad and who is sane, one who. if he
Knew my purpose, would crush me as /
crush this paper; one who has everything
chat life can give and seeks more, a man
who has set his face against humanity,
and who will make war on the nations.
who has money and men, who can COM
nand and be obeyed in ten cities, against
whom the police might as well hope to
light as against the white wall IF the
South Sea a man of burmese 81 dna DIV