The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-22

power him. On the night before the day of sailing he found himself on the wharf staring with wild and bloodshot eyes at the ship that was to bear her away. He groaned. He felt himself gong insane That Arthur Wardlaw, the traitor, should be married to the beautiful, worshiped girl was more than he could bear. Sud- denly he came to desperate, unreasoh- able crazeu resolution.
 The next day, just as the Proserpine was weighing anchor, a tall. smooth shayen clergyman came alongside and presented an order for passage made out in the name of the Rev. John Hazel. It was inevitable that the two, being the only passengers on the ship, should be thrown together more or less but the clergyman took great pains to maintain rigidly the position of one who shows a fellow passenger such courtesies as are her due. In their conversations, however, he betrayed so wide and great knowl- edge on almost all subjects that Helen Rolleston soon became exceedingly inter ested in him.
 The ship was well in the South Pacific and distant about thousand miles from Robinson Crusoes island of Juan Fernan- deg, when Hazel overheard a conversation between the mate and the captain that told him that they planned to scuttle the vessel.
 Before he could decide on action the word went forth that there was leak. The water gained fast. The boats were ordered over and provisioned. Hazel looked after Miss Roleston and gathered all the articles that he could think of as being of possible use in such an emer- geney. These he put into the cutter into which he helped Miss Rolleston. This boat contained, besides the two passen- gers, six seamen.
 Wylie, the mate and the rest of the crew got into the longboat. Both craft set sail, and stood slowly along with the sinking Prosperine, waiting for the cap tain. When that worthy at last came on deck he was crazed with drink. He de- clared wildly that he would not desert his ship Suddenly the vessel lurched, dipped her bow under and raised her huge stern clear from the sea-
 At that moment cry. "Scuttled, by Godv' broke from the boatswain. The Prosperine diving into the sea, showed two great splintered holes in her run, just below the water line.
 The two boats circled around, but there was no sign of the drunken master. He evidently had been sucked down with the ship. After a debate it was decided that the best chance was to run for Juan Fer nandez, although nobody knew just what its bearings wers. The boats thereupon
 
 night. When morning came the long boat was nowhere in sight
 Wylie had changed his mind during the night and mad decided to run for the sail ing track. He therefore had changed his course completely, and after fifteen days at sea was picked up. He made his way to England as fast as he could.
 The vessel that carried him reached the mouth of the Mersey at the same moment with a big ship. Wylie looked at her. She was the Shannon.
 When Wylie was landed at'the pier tho shannon was landing her passenger, a tall, noble-looking soldier, in whom Wylie did not recognize vuiss Rolleston's father. A little while later Arthur Wardlaw, sit ting in his office, in London, received a telegram: Have arrived. Will reach London 2:30,i Rolleston."
 A smile of great joy came over his face and transfgured it. Whatever else might be fhis faults, he loved Helen Rolleston with a perfect and unselfsh devotion. He lfopened little morocco case that was on his desk surrounded by silver rail. The exquisite face of the girl smiled out at him. He stopped and kissed her rever- ently.
 The next moment Wylie was announced For a second Wardlaw turned pale. Then he recovered himself and ordered him ad- mitted.
 The man lost no time. Well. sir,'' said he, ''the jobs done, and nobody the wiser The Prosperines at the bottom and them that might have suspected something, a clergyman and young woman that was passengers aboard, is down at the bottom, too, by this time. I see the Shannon is in, so your gold is safe I had luck in that Job, too. I managed to hide in the ware house one evening. They locked me in and gave me the whole night to myself By the time morning came all the gold
 was in boxes marked for the shannon and all the lead and copper was in the Prosperine's boxes.
 Then he went on to tell of the scuttling When he got to the part where the boats parted company he burst out, suddenly T tell you, sir, if you had to do 1t and see 1t and tElnk of 1t afterward. you'd u wish all the gold had been in hell before you put your hand to such work That