The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-03-14

l. "a sAeS
that enabled young Roy Hazard to
carry out his plans. With no witness
to inform the father Of the flight OF
his girls, on January 18 they left Los
Angeles for San Francisco, where they
we're Joined by 81 szzard, who had gone
on the dap previous to secure passage
On the Valencia, which, he knew
would carry them far beyond pursuit
ty human law In a few hours.
o. the ships register their names
were entered as Mr., West, Mss Mar.
tin and Miss Sampson. Mabel, for
the purpose Of coucealment, was Miss
SAMPSON" and Lllu was Miss Mar
tin" Their relationship to Hazard,
or West" was not discovered by
their fellow passengers until the Val
encla had struck the rocks and was
pounding herself to pieces upon them
The Rowland girls occupied state
room Is, next to that occupied by
Professor Bunker and his family. Pro.
fesscr Bunker afterward told OF hear
ing the girls address each other as
Lulu" and Mabel" BE saw them
in company with young Hszz srd, but
thought nothing Of 1t at the time,
surprising them more acQuaintances,
SUCH al readily spring up on any Voy-
age.
FUa1TIyEs WERE CONSCIENCE sTRICK-
EN-.
The early hours Of this trip were
spent uueventfully enough. For hours
the good ship plougbed her way north
ward on a fair sea. Tlen she eucoun'
tered q heavy fog which, as q, Close,
white pail, embodied her, and from
which she was not freed until she was
= shapeless wreck on the cruel fang
like rocks that jut from Sea BRO
Reef.
As the weather grew worse and the
sea rose to meet the wind with vafr
buff tings, the Rouland girls were
compelled to remain III their state
room or the cabins of the ship Their
misery must have been terrible to
to them. fleeing as they were from
all they loved and held dear, and en-
barked, as both knew IL their con
ssifnc,s, up IN anything but a prom
tsing or honorable course. Seasick,
c ,nscier c,.stricksn, homesick and
lonesome botn be vailed their fate,
nor could the words Of encouragement
Of young HazzEd, In scarce better
plight than themselves, rouse or rally
them.
To the three fugitivss the murk,-
mess ard storm without found its
O.. unterpart in the dread, uncertainty
p.rplexlty and fear which possessed
5beir hearts.
Young Hazard knew that 10 taking
L .lu from Los Angeles so that she
might not testify against against his
father be was committing not only a
civil but q moral wrong as we'll. He
vas forcing the girl to 60 far from her
home and friends, and he knew not
what the future might bring forthias
a result. His offer and promise OF
marriage might even be broken
oocs far from danger OF pursuit he
knew.
Mabel Rowland felt that she had
slnned against her sister In entering
up } the plot which was to force her
10 marry a man for whom she cared
notbing. Sne even suspected that
Hazz ,rd would not keep his promises
but she had been dazzled by his man.
ner and persuaded by his arguments
to conspire against her sister. Then
she remembered how false she had
been to her father and mother In in
terceptlng letters which had been
written them concerning Lulu and
which heedad in time might have pre-.
vented all Of this trouble.
As fer Lulu, her grief and fear far.
ly oVsrwheimtd Ter. She had desir-
ed to face the elder HI Ii lrd In court
to denounce him and to tell every.
thiug that she knew about him, and
j lst how much she herself was to
Dame, for being acquainted with the
facts to which she bad had been sui.
poenad to testify. Sic was a fugi
live from Justice, fleeing upon the
promise Of marriage to q. man for
whom she had do af ,ction.
Little wonder, then that when In
black middight the stanch ship strucS
the hidden reef with q fearful shock
then backed IF into deep water and
began to sink, these three-Hsz zaro,
Mabel and Lulu Rowland-~ere PAL
ic-strieken aL The thought Of death IN
a measure ten fold greater than that
which smote the other passengers ano
most OF the crew. .
b ,rd found the girls in that
scsne If heartrenoiog Confusion wneu
mother and babe were torn asunder
only to DO engulfed in a common death
a moment later In the black aud boil
ing water where husband and wife
died together, when the great waves
washed from the decks eac time they
broke over the Str 4ggiing ship a score
OF hu nan lives.
Ba IL .rd found the Rowland girls
and evan aoovs thu roar Of che. storm
ABOVE the shouts Of the (f1c rs Of the
sinking ship as they gave their orders
above the yells Of men, the screams
of women and the piteous wailIng OF
children, the Voice OF bis conscience
accused him with beirg the nudersr
Of these girls for had IL not BIZ for
him they would never have left their
homes.
Even in those terrible hours those
WAC escaped that experience say h.