The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-03-16

tin" Their relationship to Hazard,
or "WeSt,n was not discovered by
their fellow passengers untilith Val.
enoia had struck the rocks and was
pounding herself to pieces upon them.
The Rowland girls occupied state
room 18. next to that occupied by
Professor Bunker aud his family. Pre-,
fesscr Bunker afterward told OF hear.
ing the girls address each other Of
Lulu and 'Mabel.n He saw them
In company with young Hazz ,rd, bu,
thought nothing of 1t at the time,
supposing them more acquaintance
such as readily spring up on any voy,
age.
FUGITIyEs WE'RE CONSCIENCE sTRICK
EN-.
The early hours Of this trip were
spent uneventfully enough. For hours
the good ship ploughed her way north.
ward on a fair sea. Then she encoun.
tered q heavy fog which, as a close,
white pail, embodied her, and from
which she was not freed until she was
q shapeless wreck on the cruel fang.
like rocks that jut from Sea Bird
Reef.
AS the weather grew worse and the
sea rose to meet the wind with vair
buff stings, the Rowland girls were
compelled to remain in their state
room or the cabins OF the ship Their
misery must have been terrible tc
to them, fleeing as they were from
all they loved and held dear, and EN-.
barked, as both know IN their con
s%cifnces, upon anything but q prom
Using or honorable course. Seasick,
conscierc ,.strlcken, homesick and
lonesome both be walled their fate,
nor could the words Of encouragement
OF young Hazard, In scarce better
plight than themselves, rouse or rally
them.
To the three fugltives the murk,-
moss and storm without found it,
counterpart in the dread, uncertainty
perplexlty and fear which possessce
their hearts.
Young Hazard knew that IL taking
Lulu from Los Angeles 80 that sh,
mig 1T not testify against against biz
father he was committing not only 9
civil but a moral wrong as we'll. Ht
was forcing the girl to 60 far from heI
home and friends, and he knew not
wha6 the future might bring forth as
a result. His offer and promise OF
marriage might even be broken
onco far from danger Of pursuit he
knew.
Mabel Rowland felt that she had
Slnped against her sister In entering
upon the Ilot which was to force her
10 marry a mar for whom she cared
notEing. She even suspected that
Hazard would not keep his promises
bat she had been dazzled by his m4u
Der and persuaded by his arguments
to conspire against her sister. Then
she remembered hoW Ease she had
Beer 10 her father and mother In In.
>ercepting letters which had beer
written them concerning Lulu anc
which needed In time might have pre-
ven1cd all OF this trouble.
AS for Lulu, her grief and fear ia r
ly Overwhelmed her. She had desir-
cd 10 lace the oder HI 2 ird in cour
e. oenounce him and to tell every
oling that she knew about him, ant
lHt how much she herself was tt
o anne, for being acquainted with thu
tacls to which she had had been sui
q enad TO testify. she was a fugi
i've from justice, fleeing upon TIT
promise OF marriage to q man To-
whom she had do aft 4ction.
Little wonder, then that when II
black mlddight the stanch ship strucl
the hidden reef with q fearful shocl
then backed eff into deep water and
oegan TO sink, these three-Ho III ir6
Mabel and Lulu Rowland we're pan
iC-atricken at the thought Of death IL
a measure ten fold greater than tina
which snoLe the other passengers AM
most OF the crew.
Hazard found the girls in that
scene or heartrendinR confusion Whel
mother and babe we're torn asunde,
only to be engulfed in a common deati
a moment later In the black and boil
ing water where husband and wifi,
Gled together, when the great wave.
washed from the decks eacl time the,
broke over the struggling ship a scor,
OF human lives
llazz srd found the Rowland girl,
ana even above the roar Of the storm
above the shouts Of the Otlic5r re- OF tn,
sinking ship as they gave their order
above The yells Of mon, the scream,
Of women and the pitcous walling O
chiioren, the voice Of his conscienc,
accused him with being the muderel
Of these girls for had IL not b,t> fol
htn they would never have left thell
homes.
Even in those terrible hours those
wac escaped that experience say H4z
z.rd and the Gwo girls clung close to.
gether. The swamping Of two Of the
steamers boats before they could be
cut loose and the horror Of the cries OF
thirty or forty people drowning to
gether 80 terroized the man and the
girls that they refused to even at.
Tempt to leave the ship In the other
boats and life RATS which followed.
Together they faced peath, and al.
though thay could not cheer or en-.
c uiaRe n another, they fought for
life side by side With a frenzy whIcn
showed how they feared to die. AS
the vessel sank lower and lower in the
Rater these three and Others left on
Che wreck by the WAYS climbed the
rigging. For hOufs-hours almost
never ending In their excluclating
aRony--H zzsrd and Lulu and M .bel
Rowland b, tiled with the wind
ought with tie sea and struggled TO
res st Thy cold that slowly oyerc %
them so that n after another they
HeIe washed from their places ana
antly lost In the raging break
ers.
Il, L. Hazards accuser Is dead