The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-07-30


itor insisted upon seeing Mr.. Constable's
friend"
There was a passage of bells from the
bridge to the engine room. and the Mad
anne came to life. Constable climbed to
the bridge. The stranger below on the
pier was in a furious state of mind. and
was trying to force his way aboard. 1t
was plain that Breen was badly wanted,
and equally plain to Constable that he
was running into the danger of entang-
ling himself in the meshes of the law !;
but he was stoutly disinclined to give up
an admirable companion for the voyage.
The progress of clearing went on quick
ly. The Madame's prov was turned out
into the harbor, and the signal given to
free the aft cable.
At this point the insistent stranger
raised his voice and struggled with the
dockman to prevent him from slipping the
rope. Constable stepped to the railing of
the bridge and invoked the assistance of
two men on the pier head.
Take that fellow IN hand" he ordered
He seems to be laboring under q delu-
sion That's good, men 20
The stranger was overpowered, and the
cable cast off. Harsh fragments of speech
were carried upward, but no sentences
that cohered sufficiently for Constable's
intelligence, until the very last, when, as
the ship swung free. he heard plainly:
"I'll get you both. IL l have to follow
you around the world ~
II don't know but what you will" the
mar on the bridge muttered to himself
"You seem moved by a rather emphatic
disposition"
That night, in his oil skins, Constable
paced the hurricane deck His mind was
serene, and he was inclined to regard the
affair of the morning as a far-off thing
which didn't signify. What had placed
Breen in the fugitive lists he did NOT
care to know He was just enough not
to forget that there are regrettable trans
actions in every mans pasta black bum
die of perversities which some men desig-
nate their chamber of horrors" and 9TH
ers call their pet frailties." Constable
felt that he was called upon to Judge no
man. He liked Breen, and did not want
his liking altered, save for the better.
He could not imagine Breen doing a
cowardly thing; and anything else did not
greatly matter.
The spray swept in gusts over the
Nadame's dipping prov. The bare masts,
tipped with lights, swung with a giant
sweep from port to starboard and back
to port again, lingering the black heavens
for the blown-out stars. Constable
couldn't be half-miserable out there on
the tossing floor of the Atlantic.
Mr.. P1gh, the new third officer, secur-
ed at the last moment to take the place
of Mr.. HIATT, who was ill, was on the
bridge now. Occasionally in the glow Of
Pugh's cigar Constable could see the face
of the seaman 1t seemed small, color
less and rubbed out-nOt the face OF a
man who could bring a ship up to port
through a raving gale. 1t was nearly
midnight when Constable went below.
Breen was still reading.
How does it happen, Peter, tina, a
man of your substance happens to be out
here in a sumptuous yacht with only one
guest and that an accidental one?" Breen
questioned.
II have few friends, and little aptness
for entertaining" Constable said. II
wouldn't know what to do with a ship
load of guests. / took out a party once.
The members of this party played poker.
1 would rush down to the cabin door,
calling, Come on deck quickly, my friends.
An old socker of a whale is snoring off
our port bowl All right. Peter some
body would say: bring it righc in. It's
your deal, Dickie.' One man got all the
money finally, and then there were testy
tempers."
"Men-men," said Breen; "bur women
go down to sea in other mems boats"
II don't know any women up there. :"
Constable declared. by up there
refer in general to the States and Can
ada. / shouldn't know what TO do with
women here. They'd be sick. They'd
talk about things they didn't know about,
put on rakish caps, look frowsy when
the wind was on, and when they had
sprung all their changes of rairlent,
they d want to go home"
"Peter, you are on the wrong tack.
There are rich mems sons who can 20
to sea without poker or bridge; and f.mi-
nine aristocrats who know no seasick-
ness, and who look adorable in rakish
yachting caps and blowing hair. Some
time you'll find one"
Breen halted. The other was staring
hard into the prism of glass OIL the
buffet-staring and smiling.
II believe you are jockeying ME into
delivering platitudes, Peter Brecn 6n-
ished.
81 have an uncle in Martinique, Breen
"a fine old chap whom you'll be glad to
know. This uncle has a partner in the
fruit and sugar business. They are keen,
kindly men, both-partners in the higher