The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-04-25

CoTneTS OF ner eyes, ana gave lie
glimpse of little white teeth.
Il think we'd better sit down" shs
said. Your knees seem to be still
| somewhat shaky. Mother and Mr.
\ Royce have deserted us
So we sought a seat near the stern
where we could watch the city sink
| gradually away in the distance, as the
great boat glided smoothly out into the
bay, her engines starting OH the
| rhythm which was to continue cease
lessly until the voyage Is ended. l con-
fess frankly / was worried. had not
thought for moment that Martigny
would have the temerity to board the
same boat with us-yet ii was not SC
wonderful after all, since he could not
guess that suspected him, that / knew
him and Bethune to be the same person.
| That was my great advantage. In
| any event, we were i'm 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 q new measure OF his
| savage determination to battle us; /
found myself more and more beginning
to fear him. My fancy cast about him
| sinister cloud, from the depths of
which he peered out at US, grim, liyid,
threatening. . N @ aN#
Should inform Mr.. Royce of this
new development, 1 asked myself then
/ remembered the doctors words. He
must have rest and quiet during the
| coming week; he must be free from
worry. -..r...
Il trust that I'm not in the way. Mr..
| Lester" inquired a low, provoking
voice at my side, and / awoke to the
fact that l 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 L can't ask advice makes it worse -
You can't ask even Mr.. Royce?" she
queried, with raised brows
''He least of all. You see he's Just
recovering from a severe nervous
breakdown-he must have quiet--that's s
one reason he's taking this voyage" /"
II see" she nodded.
L glanced at her again--at the open,
candid eyes, the forceful mouth and
chin--and | took sudden resolution.
Miss Kemball," I said "I am go-
ing to ask your help--that is, if L may
OF course you may"
We'll, then, that man who came on
hoard last Is the inveterate enemy of
both Mr.. Royce and myself We're
trying to unearth a particularly
atrocio"s piece of villany in which he's
concerned. have reason to, believe him
capable OF anything, and very fiend
OF cleverness. 1 don't know what he
may plot against us, but Tn certain
he'll plot something. Mr.. Royce doesn't
even know him by sight. and shouldn't
De worried; but unless he's forewarned,
he may walk right into danger. I want
you TO help me keep an eye on him
to help me keep him out of danger. II
we look after him close enough, / shan't
need to warn him. Will you help me?'
Her eyes were dancing as she lookd
up at me.
why, certainly" she cried. so
were to have a mystery-just we
two.i"
Just we two" assented with a
quickened pulse. .. ~.
She looked at me doubtsuIly for a
moment. @
Il must remember Mr.. Graham's
warming" she said. You have invented
this astonishing story just to entertain
me. Mr.. Lester?'
"On my word, no." / responded, a
little bitterly. II only wish j hadm'
There" she said contritely; Il
shouldn't have doubted! Forgive me,
Mr.. Lester. Only it seemed so fantas-
tic--so improbable"
1T is fantastic" assented, "but, un
fortunately, ii is true. We must keep
an eye on Monsieur Martigny or Be
thune."
Which is his 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 to the steward had secured us one
of the small tables in an alcove at the
side-Mrs. Kemball and her daughter
surrendered the grandeurs OF the cap
tain's tables willingly, even gladly, to
minister to us-and the meal was a
merry one, Mr.. Royce seeming in such
spirits that / 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 uncalled for. 1t
was quite possible, / told myself, that
/ had been making a 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 ill,
and quite unable to leave his state
| room.
So afternoon and evening passed
| There were others on board who
Mrs. Kemball and her daughter Mr..
| Royce knew a few of them, too, and in
troduced me to them, but I 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 nc
doubt, of a certain dark, beauty. whose
caprices there was no explaining. AS
| for newell, had suddenly devel
| oped a sturdy preference for blue eyes
may as we'll confess at once that
| was seasicx. 1t came next morning
ten minutes after left my berth--no
a violent sickness, but a faintness anC
giddiness that made me long for my
berth again. But Mr.. Royce would no
hear of it. He got me out on decl
and into my chair, with the fresf
breeze blowing full In my face. There
was a long line of chairs drawn III
there, and from the faces of most o
their occupants. / judged they wer'
far more miserable than /. At tn,
end Of an hour. thanks to his treat