Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-04-27
BYE BURTON E. TEVENso

him and Bethune to be the same person.
/ That was my great advantage In
I any event, we were in no danger from
/ him; he was probably following us
| only that he might warn his confeder-
ates, should we seem likely TO discover
| them. Certainly they were i'm no pres
/ ent danger of discovery and perhaps
might never be. But his following us
| his disregard of the grave danger TO
/ himself, gave me new measure of his
savage determination to battle us: |
| found myself more and more beginning
I 10 fear him. My fancy cast about him
a sinister cloud from the depths OF
| which he peered out at us, grim livid
| threatening.
Should / inform Mr.. Royce of this
| new development, l asked myself: then
/ / remembered the Doctors words. He
must have rest and quiet during the
! coming week, he must be free from
| worry.
4 trust that I'm not in the way. Mr..
: Lester inquired Il low, provoking
! voice at my side, and / awoke to the
tact that | had again been guilty of
/ forgetting my companion.
Miss kendall."I began desperately.
/ let me confess that I'm in an exceed
| ingly VeXatious situation. The fact
that | can't ask advice makes 1t worse -
You can't ask even Mr.. Royce?' she
/ Queried, with raised brows
! He least OF all. You see he's Just
recovering from q severe nervous
! breakdown-he must have quiet-that's
! one reason he's taking this voyage" "
Il see, she nodded.
| glanced at her again--at the open,
| candid eyes, the forceful mouth and
chin-and | took a sudden resolution.
Miss kemball," said II am go
/ ing 20 ask your help-that is, If / may"
| 'Of course you may"
! We'll, then, that man who came on
/ board last Is the inveterate enemy OF
| both Mr. Royce and myself We're
/ trying to unearth particularly
atrociOus piece of villany i'm which he's
concerned. l have reason 10 believe him
capable of anything and a very fiend
I Of cleverness. / don't know what he
I may plot against us but I'm certain
/ he'll plot something. Mr.. Royce doesn't
I even know him by sight, and shouldn't
be worried; but unless he's forewarned.
! he may walk right into danger | want
| you TO help me keep an eye on him
/ TO help me keep him out of danger. If
we look after him close enough, | shan't
need to warn him. VIII you help me?''
Her eyes were dancing as she lookd
up at ME.
Why certainly" she cried. so
We're to have a mystery just we
I two"
Just we two!" l assented with a
QuicEened pulse.
She looked at me doubtfuny for a
moment
Il must remember Mr. Graham's
warning. she said. You have invented
| this astonishing story just to entertain
ME, Mr. Lester?'
ION my word, no." I responded. a
| little bitterly Il only wish / had!''
There. she said contriteIy: II
shouldn't have doubted, Forgive me,
Mr.. Lester Only it seemed SO fantas-
tic-so improbable
1t is fantastic" l assented but. un-
fortunately, il is true We must keep
thune"
Which is mis- real name?"
Those are the only ones know. but
| doubt If either is the true one"
Royce and Mrs. Kemball joined us a
moment later and we sat watching
the low distant Long Island shore until
the gong summoned us TO lunch. A
word 10 the steward had secured us one
Cf the small tables in an alcoye at the
side-Mrs Kemball and her daughter
surrendered the grandeurs OF the cap
tdin's tables willingly. even gladly. to
minister to us-and the meal was a
| merry one, Mr.. Royce seeming in such
spirits that l was more than ever de-
termined not TO disturb him with the
knowledge of Martigny's presence.
AS the moments passed, my fears
seemed more and more uncaned for. IT
was quite possible | told myself. that
had been making bogy of my own
/ imaginings. The Frenchman did NOT
| appear in the saloon. and. afterwards
an inquiry of the ships doctor devel-
oped the fact that he was seriously IN.
and quite unable to leave his state
room.
There were others on board who
claimed their share of the charming
Mrs. kemball and her daughter Mr.
Royce knew few Of them, too, and in
troduced me TO them, but / found their
talk somehow fiat and savorless |
fancied that my companion looked
| slightly wearied, too. and at last we
stole away to our deck chairs, where
we sat for an hour or more looking out
across the dancing waves, listening to
the splash of the boat as she rose and
fell over them. He was thinking. no
doubt, of certain dark beauty, whose
caprices there was no explaining. AS
for Newell, l had suddenly devel-
oped sturdy preference for blue eyes.
l may as well confess at once that |
was seasick. 1t came next morning,
ten minutes after l left my berth-not
violent sickness, but g. faintness and
giddiness that made me long for my
berth again. But Mr.. Royce would not
hear of it. He got me out on deck
and into my chair, with the fresh
breeze blowing full in my face. There
was long line of chairs drawn up
there, and from the faces of most of
their occupants, | judged they were
far more miserable than l. At the
end of an hour, thanks to his treat
ment, / felt almost well again. and
could devour with some appetite the
lunch which Mr.. Royce ordered for me.
After a while the doctor came down
the line, and looked at each of us, stop
ping for a moments chat The more
serious cases were below and all that
any of us needed was a little encour-
agement.
Won't you sit down a minute, doc
tor?" ! asked, when he came to me, and
motioned TO Mr.. Royce's chair.
Why. you're not sick" he protested.
laughing, but he dropped into the va
cant place.
1T wasn't about myself l wanted to
talk l said How about your other
patient-the one who came aboard
.ast?'
His face sobered in an instant.
"Martigny is his name" he said, "and
he's in very bad shape He must have
been desperately anxious to get back
TO France Why. he might have
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