The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-05-15

ature was over so, and the cabin,
when he had first entered IT, had
seemed to him overpOweringly hot
and sitting. He warmed himself
with a nip OF gin. lie looked over his
clothes for u trace Of blood, and
was thankful TO find none. He took
of his coat; he examined the solcs OF
blood
He went on deck and cast the re.
volvcr overheard, standing at the taft.
rail and watching 1t sink Even in
the time he had been below the wind
had risen; # was blowing great guns
to seward, the lagoon itself was
white and broken as far as the eye
could reach. Aboard his own sChoon-
cr they were busy housing tho top.
masts, and the yco,heave,yeo OF
stEaininE voices warned him that
Cracroft was hosting in the boats
and making everything snug.
Gregory leaned against the wheel
and tried to think. To throw HOY
blos body overheard would he to nc.
complish nothing. The blood, the
shot holes, the dis0rdnrcd cabin,
would all bctray him. To scuttlc the
schooner with a stick Of dynamite was
better plan. but that involved re-
turning to the Northern Light, with
the possibility of Malge coming off
in the interval and discovering the
murder for herself No, the risk Of
that appalled, him. Besides, what,
ever happened, he had another r"a-
son for keeping the truth from MadSa.
The fact Of Horble's death, even II
she thought it accidental, would
shock her to the core. It was In.
conceivable that she would feel any.
thing but horror stricken, whether
she Judged her former lover innocent
or not She might evon undergo a
terrible renorse At such a moment
how little likely she would be to give
way TO him! OF course she would re-.
fuse Any woman would refuse
Every restraining influence would be
massrd against him. No, his only
hope lay in getting her aboard his
schooner and out Of tho lagoon be-
fore the least suspicion could dawn
upon her Once away, and II might
be- TWO years before she might even
hear OF Horbles death Once away,
and The empty seas would keep his
secret. Once away
He studied the weather with a new
and consuming anxiety. How could
he manage to get out at all, or pick
course through the middle channel,
1t was thick with coral rocks, and In
day so overcast the keenest eye
aloft would be at fault And out.
side, what then? Already It was
working up a hurricane. To run be.
fore 1t would be counting death,
But to stake Madge's life Madge,
whom he loved so dearly! Madge
for whom he would have died,
And yet there was something sub
limo in the thought OF taking her in
his arms and driving before the gale,
tho storm sails treble reefed on the
bending yards. the decks awash from
end TO end. Madge beside him, the
pitchy night in front, the engulilnG
seas behind; to swim or sink. to ride
or smother accepting their fate to.
gether. and, II need be, drowning at
the last in each others arms,
He looked toward the settlement
and saw a crowd OF natives pushing
a whaleboat into the water looked
again, and saw old Maka taking his
place in the stern sheets and assist
ing a woman in beside him. The
woman! 1t needed no second glance
to tell him II was Madge He had
never counted on her coming OF In
company Fool that he was, he had
taken 1t for granted that she would
BIO alone. Everything. in fact, turned
on her being alone. Then. with
start, he remembered his own dinghy,
and how 1t would betray him He had
made 1t fast on the schooner's star.
board quarter, near the little &C.
commodation ladder. Going on his
hands and knees, lest his head should
DO seen above the shallow rail, he un.
loosed the painter, worked the boat
astern. and drew 1t again to port.
Then he crouched down in the alley.
way and waited
A few minutes later and the whalcr
was humping against the schooner's
side. II might have been humping
against Gregory's heart, so agonlzing
was the suspense as he lay breathless
and cramped between tho coftinlike
width of the house and rail
1T was kind of you to bring me
of, Maka," said Madge.
The old Hawaiian laughed mu.
sically in denial. NO not" he cried.
you must come below and see the
captain" said Madge
Gregory was In cold sweat OF AZ.
prehension.
TOO much storm" said Maka,
doubtfully. Il go homo now. and put
rocks on the church roof"
Five minutes won't matter" said
Madge.
Again Gregory trembled.