Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-02-14
VENGEANCE ON
THE Dead
ny JOHN CUsHMAN.

Arthur fought his way ike mad
man to the head of the stairs and
caught Lillian in his arms.
Stand back" cried the mate. "The
boat is full-one, two"
mot for myself-for her." shouted
Arthur.
Pass her In. then" sang the mate.
mo men in this boat. All the women
and children go first"
Desperately Arthur tried to lift the
| girl into the boat just as it was being
| lowered.
He> would have succeeded, but
young man leaped upon the gunwale.
| pushing her aside In his frenzy and
elambering in himself. The girl gave
a cry and stretched out her hands for
help, clutching the edge of the boat.
The young man was tHSped and Ar
thur could see his facege1t was livid
with fear. Great beads of sweat mois-
tened the long lock of dark hair that
aung above his forehead. With an
oath the coward turned upon the girl,
heating her hands down, and as she
still chung he caught up an oar and
struck her across the face.
AS Arthur tried to support her LII
lian's gown was torn and she shot
downward into the sea.
Coward" screamed the mate as he
turned.
His pistol flashed and the young
man threw up his hands and toppled
overheard.
Arthur already had dived after Lii
liam. He did not want to live unless
he found her. He swan this way and
that under the water, and felt about
with his hands. He could not touch
her.
When he came to the surface for
moments breath he looked around
wildly. Lillian was not in sight. The
boat containing the women was row.
ing rapidly away from the ship. The
coward was floating, dead, with pale,
upturned face, a few yards away. 1t
was as If the lake refused to take the
| miscreant to her bosom.
Arthur filled his lungs with air and
dived again.
When he opened his eyes he was on
land, surrounded by friends. For
moment the awful scene was hidden
from him. Then he remembered.
'Lillian?" he asked. They shook
their Leads.
For month"; Arthur was like mad
man. He was filled with a consuming
hatred for the youth who had MUIR
dered Lillian-who had taken her
place in the boat and then had beaten
her off into the water. The man was
dead, and it is awful to hate the dead
Arthur felt that he could pursue him
through world after world to get his
just vengeance.
He travelled from place to place, try
ing to forget, and at last the day came
that he found himself in a cottage In
the presence of an old couple-gray
haired, gentle, and yet sad. He
learned the cause of their sadness by
accident. Their only son had been
lost in the wreck of the Sunflower-
he had gone down in the company Of
Lillian and the other Inflated ones who
persisted In that disaster.
81 was there" said Arthur. his grief
anu HIS hStiCh SOAiin6 o'SA au
afresa.
Then the tongues of the aged couple
were looseG.
"And to think" cried the old man.
that so many lives were lost that could
have been saved. have followed the
sea. / was commander of the Cas-
paria, but / am ashamed of my profess
sion. They were cowards-cowards-
and the brave ones are dead. Cow
ards and dogs!"
| MY boy did his duty" said the
mother, tears rolling down her cheeks.
He has come to me in dreams. He
comes every night. have seen him
fighting to rescue the women and chill
I dren, giving up his own life that they
might be saved"
| ct is my one comfort" said the old
man, simply. ito know that he died
the death of the brave and the noble"
1T Is all that enables us to live"
said the mother, ito know that our
boy was hero"
She came toward Arthur, with
| trembling steps.
Here Is his photograph" she muir
INJURED. Perhaps you have seen him"
| For a moment Arthur's heart ceased
to beat. He knew the face instantly.
The thin features, the bright eyes, the
long curl that clustered about the fore
head.
His hands clutched the photograph.
He felt like tearing 1t into pieces and
fiinging the bits into the old woman's
face. She was the woman who had
brought a murderous coward into the
world.
He handed the photograph back to
her. His fingers were shaking. His
eyes were aflame.
"You knew him-you saw him die?"
the mother cried. You know nay
brave boy?"
Arthur bowed. For a moment he
could not speak.
Eyes, saw him die" he said. as he
turned away. II saw him at the last.
He was In one of the boats that was
saved, but he leaped into the sea to
make a place for a woman"
Heaven be praised for that am
proud that he gave up us life for
Others" said the old m1n.