The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-05-14


thing. And good liquor too Dios
! II must have coef him dollars"
What object had he In coming ol
boani instesd Of your
"Ah. there you beat me senorita.
have twisted my POOR brain with think
ing Of that. We only earned dollai
head. and bunkering a ship from 4
fat lis hard work while II lasts. where
as one would expect Jose TO ride TWEEN
~ miles the other way TO escape such
task. But he was In the plot. and hs
she'll tell me why orr
BY force OF habit Frascuelo put his
right hand 10 his belt, but his sheath
knife had been taken from him. lie
smiled sheepishly. yet his black eyes
twinkled
"Plot! Why do you speak OF plotf'
asked the girl, hoping that the word
betokened some more promising clew
than she could discern thus far.
"Why did the furnaces blow upi
Tell me that and | can answer you.
Good, honest coal isn't made of gun
powder. Jose or some one behind him
meant TO sink the ship. and as
might have proved awkward they were
willing that should 30 down with
her. Maybe ! shall meet Jose II We
get out of this rat trap. Then We shall
have little talk"
Despite the mans shrewd guess as
10 the cause of the accident In the
stokehold Elsie was at q loss TO con-
hect the freak OF some Valparaiso loaf
er with the deep laid scheme which
contemplated the destruction OF the
Kansas. She had followed the discus.
sion In the chart room with full appre-
citation OF It's significance. Valuable
as the ship and cargo were, there was
far more at stake In the effect Of the
loss on the copper markets Of the
world The most important copper ex-
porting firm In Chile would practically
be ruined, while the Paris "ring," OF
which she had read in the newspapers,
would have matters Its own way.
Financial interests of such magnitude
would hardly be bound up with the
carousals and quarrels Of Frascuelo
and Jose the Winebag" Yet
Have you ever heard of Senor Pc
dro yentana," she asked suddenly
HAS he to do with mlnesf" inquired
the Chilean tentatively.
"Yes."
81 know him by sight, senorita.'
would he be acquainted with this
man Anacleto, do you thinkT
Cant say. Jose would know any
body whom he could touch for few
pesetas."
She left him, promising to visit him
daily in the future. As she walked
back toward the bridge companion
she met DR.. Christobal. His fit Of III
humor had gone. He was all smiles,
but Elsie, having extracted such In
formation as Frascuelo possessed, was
bent on adding to her store Of knowl-
edge. Incidentally she meant to widen
the doctors views.
"Wby have you taken to lecturing
met" she asked, with simple direct |
ness which Chrlstobal was not slow
to profit by.
Because, though old enough to be |
your father, l have not yet reached
years OF discretion"
you mean, ! suppose, that II every |
one attended TO ones own affairs il |
would be less splteful world? ! am
inclined to agree with you. Unhappi-
~ life is largely made up Of these
minor evils. Yet should have thought
that the desperate conditions under
which we exist at this hour might pro-
tect me from ncharltableness."
"You are pleased to be severe"
mo; 1t Is the last privilege OF dan
ger that shams should vanish Yet
we plumb the depths of absurdity
when we contest the right Of any wo-
man, even a young and unmarried one,
to appreciate oil that brave man has
done and is doing to save her life"
Elsie was speaking without heat.
She might have been reasoning some
disputed point In ethics. The Span
lard was obviously thrown of his
guard
"You seem TO demand an explana-
tion," he said with some warmth.
We'll, you shall have 1t. ] am not
nan to finch from the disagreeable.
admit sort Of impression, might al
most describe It as conviction, that
Captain Courtenays manner toward
7ou betokens a growing admiration"
This is the widest folly" cried
Elsie In bewilderment. IL cannot
imagine what put such notion into
;our head"
"Iet me at least lay claim TO spe-
les OF altruism,' he replied. Il can
zee fifty excellent reasons why our
Young and good looking commander
hould be drawn to you, nor can urge
me against H."
But he is already engaged to an
,ther woman, SO my one reason IL
worth more than all your ffty."
"Ab, can that really be soT'
The tense eagerness In his voice
night have warned her were II not
hat she was shocked by the bitterness
which welled up In her heart. She
vas amazed by this introspective
glimpse. IL alarmed her. She must
onyince herself al all costs that she
Iad spoken truly.
Although the evidence she rendered
vas OF dubious value, she sfroye to ad-
ance her argument further
Il have priced our friendship great
=. Dr. Christobal," she said, speaking
With & calm delibernteness that rang
'ollow In her own ears, so greatly
hat ] am compelled 10 utter this pro
est. Now, to end distastefui con.
royersy LEI me tell you what know
0 he true. When the ship was strand
q and we all thought our only chance
{ safety was to take 10 the boats. By
fuke. the accident of the moment.
eas left alone In the captains cabin.
he sea was breaking In through the
oorway. and II brought an odd relief
> my oyerburdened mind when ] en-
Favored 10 rescue the contents of n !