Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-05-15

~s A~~Asc1 INV RuCu
be was in imminent danger Of LOSING
and how much the loss meant to him
IS he plunged along through the dark
ness on the way 10 Portsmouth.
Ellen had advanced much farther on
her journey whom she ran into the
calm which latsf overlook Seton. III
was just as wen, she thought, for she
would scarcely have dared TO under.
take the navigation Of Portsmouth
harbor In the night, and II the breeze
sprans up after midnight, as It was
apt to do. she calculated from the
hours she had been sailing and the
probable speed Of the boat, that she
would be able to reach the harbor at
daybreak. Ellen intended to board
the New Eagle, which she knew from
the advice she had received from the
supercargo, was about ready to sail.
She had nothing to do in Portsmouth
save to purchase a few necessaries
and then she would order her shin To
be got under way for PHILADELPHIA at
once.
All Ellen's ready money, except what
she carried on her person, had been
left to Darlington In the cheque on
her desk. but she still retained con.
troll OF several stout merchantmen
which had come to her from her father
and the New Eagle was the best Of
them. Once she set foot on the docks
OF that ship, she would be perfectly
safe. Meanwhile, as she had been
up practically all the night before. she
felt that she must have some slumber
She furled the sail of the little boat
turned the tiller over to Debbie with
instructions for her to let the shallop
drift and to waken Ellen in two hours
by the watch. Then she stretched
out her tired body beneath the
thwarts, pillowed her head on her
arm and went instantly to sleep with
the readiness Of Q sailor who learns
to take his rest and refreshment when.
ever 1t can be had.
1t was very lonely and miserable for
poor Debbie. She was fIyinR Ike
Ellen from that she loved best. but
unlike Ellen there was no reason on
earth for her to break away. It was
only the constraint put upon her BY
the stronger will that had brought her
to this wretched pass. She sat idly
In the stern sheets, holding the tiller
while the tears tYickled down her
pretty red cheeks. She wished that
she we're anywhere else under heaven
than in this boat. She looked a
Ellen almost nalevolently, surveying
her slight ana hoyish figure with q
yenomous glance and the thought thai
since clothes Of the other sex se WI
became her, Ellen shsuil have been
born Q man. r. e.. t
Poor Debbis felt very wretched and
very lonely tossing idly about in the
quiet seas under Hs calm stars. She
wondered If Sir CHARLES did really love
her IS she had nprs than once indi
Gated, or whether he we're like the
faithless Carringtpn and the insidious
Strathgate. We there no honor and
virtue among nsn in England, she
queried. And alas, out Of her ex
perience, she found little COMFORTING
assurance. Yet Q man who could sit
for an hour with Z woman looking al
Baxter's Saints Rest"-surely that
was the test Of love II ever there
could be one!
Deborah knew nothing about the
proverbial willingness of the devil to
steal the livery Of heaven to delude
mankind, and especially womankind
and II she had, she would have
spurned the thought as doing an in.
Justice to her ideal of Sir Charles.
And indeed. whatever else Sir Charles
might be capable Of, he was really
In earnest-not over Baxter, that was
q mere incident-but over Debbis. II
he had not been. nothing on earth
could have induced him to toll and
sweat over an oar through half the
night three or four leagues behind.
After long while Debbie felt sorry
for Ellen. The latter had turned IN
her sleep and Debbie could see her
face clearly in the rising moonlight.
There were traces Of tears upon It.
Debbie forgot her own grief, which
vas largely experimental, in commits
Grafton for Ellen's real misfortunes.
And 80 she resolutely kept herself
awake and let Ellen sleep until long
past midnight, Indeed, unused to the
hard bed in which she lay, Ellen at
last woke Of her own motion, and 70
preaching Deborah for her disobedI.
ence Of orders made the tired girl
lie down, while she herself took the
helm to watch. .-
There was nothing to do except to
look out for passing vessels and she
had plenty Of tins for silent thought
about her past her present and her
future.
Ito be COntinued)
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