Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-07

Schi" Siiii WEI, ] II IEN D. c0anEe OF
air, doctor. This place is sitting all
the life out of me. can hardly
breathe, ! think I'd rather like to
hear the swish of the waves, though
+ heard too much of them once.
And that very night Mir Martin. the
secretary booked deck cabin on the
Canewdon Castle which left for Cane
town in 8. fortnight John Shil real.
led the value of the Doctors advice.
HIS health was breaking down under
the strain. He required change of
air, and life on boafd ship would be
tolerable. It did not matter to him
where the snip was bound for. If she
were to drop anchor off the Needles
H. would derive just as much benefit
from the voyage. The e would at any
rate be the sound of voices around
him, and the cheerful hustle of life.
Nothing indeed could be- more
dreary than the lorely months at
Black Hall The eternal darkness
was beginning to prey upon his mind,
and he was feced WITH the awful pros
pect of madness. rs Leonore had
foretold, he was strong at first, but
he had grown wcakcr day by day. Tho
idea of suicide was becoming more
and more definite in his mind The
immortality of the act was scarcely
Derceptible in his own case He was
society Life has no place for ders-
licts. They should be destroyed and
sunk deep the sea of death.
And self-destruction was so easy.
More than once he had fun bled his
way to the desk which held a loaded
revolver, and had taken the weapon
In his hand. He Lad only to place
the muzzle to his temple, pull the trig-
ger, and 10! there would be an end to
all the darkness and all the pain. No
magician's wand was more wonderful
than that slender tube of steel.
Yet he had hesitated He had not
been afraid of death, but afraid Of
what his death might mean to Laura
Tankerlane. Each lime he had seen
her face in the darkness, and her eyes
and lips had pleaded to him.
Well" he said to himself as Dr.
Hardy left the room, there is the last
chance. I will see if change of life
Is likely to do me good. If it does
not, I shall know what to expect. I
A fortnight later the Canewdon
Castle stea-led slowly down South.
ampton Water, and swung westwards
on her journey to the Cape.
John Shil stood on deck with Mr..
Martin by his side He looked towards
the shore, and though sea and land
were both alike to him, he felt the
same emotion that comes to everyone
on board an outward bound ship In
his minds eye he could see the land
fading into the distance, and the
broad stretch Of water before him. He
could hear the throb of the engines,
and realized that every stroke of the
piston took him farther from home.
He could even hear the f1utter Of way
| ing handkerchiefs. and the last cries
of those on shore, and then he heard
the sob of woman, going, perhaps,
| to spend her life in land where she
would never see her loved ones again
| He himself had nothing to leave,
save darkness, but the sense of part
ing on board a liner is magnetic, and
even the loneliest soul throbs at the
touch of it.
| Then suddenly he heard voice that
he knew-just a few words to cabin
steward about some luggage
He did not turn round. orspeak, or
even move. But his hands grippel
the iron rail as though he would tear
it from the deck.
1t was the voice of Sir William
Tankerlane.
Tankerlane was rot aware of Shil's
presence on the ship until she was
two days out from Southampton Head
winds and rough sea in the Channel
soon sent him to his cabin in the
throes Of sea-sickness. and for forty.
eight hours he did not leave his bunk
of passengers and saw the name OF
Mr. John Shil.
His first impulse was to remain out
of sight in his cabin, and then he re
membered that Shil could not see him
and he resolved to merely keep on;
of the blind mans way. He had only
to be silent when his enemy was neal
to him. and all would be we'll He die
not know that Shil had already hear1
his voice. 1t was indeed most IN
fortunate circumstance which HAD
brought them together on the samt
steamer. But there could be no vic
lent scene between them if they dis
not meet Tankerlane was not afralG
of blind and helpless man, but hi
knew that long months Of loneliness
and gloom might have driven Johr
Shil to the verge of madness.
Shil. on the other hand. was vel
aware that Tankerlane was on board
and the circumstance did not make
for that peace of mind which was ont
of the main objects of his voyage
Martin" he said to his secretary
when they were alone i'll their cabin
there is passenger on this shtl
whom I know, for / heard his voice
His name Is Sir William Tankerlane
want you to find out whether his
wife is on board. where he is going TO
and all about him, You must do this
without attracting comment. Get int
conversation with him. if possible, blu
do so at once, before he finds out tina
you have any connection with me,
The faithful Martin, although n
was nothing of detective, accor,
plished his task, and Shil learned tina