Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-26
CHAPTER XXXVI.
The End.

CHAPTER XXXVL.
The End.
The steamer was the Star liner Meronic,
on a pleasure cruise from New York to
the Mediterranean. and now on her way
to Naples from Alexandra. and as we
went up the gangway a whole crowd Of
trippers welcomed us with staring eyes.
gaping mouths and a babel Of wonder
ment and commiseration.
Among the voices heard one which
recognized. No one having once heard
Senator Farnworth, and heard 1t often.
for he was my fathers lawyer and close
friend AS passed I looked straight
into his face. but although he returned
the stare, he did not know me.
My. but 1t was good to see a friend
once again.
The captain questioned me. and told
him that we had been blown out to sea
during the gale Of the previous night and
wished to go to Naples.
He ran his eyes over my queer dress
suspiciously. You speak like a New
Yorker" he said.
mot altogether unnatural. captain. I
am one. My name Is Cuthbert Dali
rymple.'
whats that he says?" broke in the
loud tone Of John Farnworth, as the
senator pushed through to the captains
side. -
You should know Sugar Dalrymple's
son. SENATOR" I said, with smile. This
was how my father was known among
his business cronies.
He stared at me in amazement, and I
saw the light of recognition leap suddenly
into his eyes. Gee whiz it is the boy;
but how in thunder did you ~~t into that
rig?' he cried. Say. you fellows. this is
Seth B. Dalrymple's boy. alive and well.
And who's the young Lady," he added,
excitedly. as he clutched hold of me.
This lady is Signorina Correggio. and
sorely in need Of both food and rest. Will
you see to that. captain?'
my wife'll fix that all right" said the
senator. Il guess the lady won't want to
be bothered with heap of questions
either and to the modification Of the
other ladies. who were athirst with curl
osity we four went off to his stateroom,
where l left Masita in Mrs Farnworth's
care.
And now tell me where in thunder
you've been at all this devil of time
ing themselves all over Europe, to say
nothing of the U. S., and Japan and a
few other little places. to find you?"
IT'S a queer story and a long one. and
I'm too used up to tell 1t just now. I'm
as hungry as a runaway niger and
nearly as black as one
We'll fix that right now" he replied.
and he did. A bath, hearty meal and
q sleep Of some hours made a new man
of me- He sent a steward to me with a
decent suit of clothes and clean linen.
and went on deck in the afternoon and
over a cigar I told him everything that
had occurred since 1 had recovered my
senses.
claimed "They said they'd find you in
yfalY' and then he told me his story
A scoundrelly Italian. named Paulo
Tancredi member of the formidable
BLACK Hand" gang chad been arrested
in New York for numbering compatriot
and. in order to be revenged on the men
who had betrayed him, had confessed
that he had joined with them to murder
me that night In the Italian quarter. This
had been done at the instigation of the
BLACK Hand" gang. whose enmity my
father had incurred. had been carried
into lhouse. stripped Of everything.
clothed in some filthy garments belonging
to one of the gang. and left for dead.
When they returned for the purpose of
getting rid of my body. they found me
alive. but without the least knowledge Of
what had occurred or who 1 was. 1 was
chattering Italian, and they had then led
me to believe that l was one of them
selves until chance had come to ship
me on to Italy IN the company of man
who was. believed to be in league with a
Lot of kindred scoundrels in southern
Italy. This man had lost his life in q
brawl on board ship. and from that point
all clew to my whereabouts had been lost.
The presumption was that he had some
confederates on board. and that one or
other of them would know where to look
for me, and ii was this clew which Pink
ertons were following up.
AS Tancredi had only been arrested a
few weeks before, there had not yet been
time to find the other men. How I had
come to join Beltano. or how had wan
dered down into Sicily. I never learnt;
but what the senator told me made it an
open guess that in some way the men
had been with in the steamer from New
York had taken me there.
And now what would you advise. seria-
tori" I asked. when he had finished, and
we were nearing Naples.
Stay right where you are. boy. You're
safe under the American flag. Stop under
1t. and leave me to do the rest I'll send
a cable to your pap. and I'd give a thou
sand dollars to see his face when he
reads 1t. But you can't be at both ends
of wire. worse luck. so I must imagine
IT. You stop right here. anyway and as
for those fellows who've been playing you
for this. I'll give 'em hill" And as soon
az he could get his big legs>on shore he
was OF.
It was all very we'll to say stop there
under the protection of the nag. but
there was Masita.
1t Was certain that she would wish to
return to her home, and equally certain
that I should not let her go alone. how
ever anxious I might be to keep away
from the scene of my recent experiences.
But when the senator came back he
brought news which put a different COM
plexion on matters.
i've made things hum at the consulate
and have news for you. Lively doings
down at that little island Of yours. Some
body gave it away that your friend. Sig
norma Correggio. was a prisoner on the
island. and as the authorities wanted
decent excuse for paying q surprise visit