The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-28


 lie and slackened the cords that they had tautened to swing the men to the yard. The Rover was quick to seize the occasion. He stepped haughtily among them and sid:
 "Disperse! My pleasure will be known tomorrow"
 In the cabin splintered by the fight Mrs. Willis told her story. She had been married secretly in her youth to Cap tain de Lacey of the British navy He had fallen in battle soon after by the side of her father, who was then rear admiral.
 Owing to the secrecy of the marriage she had not assumed her husband name; and when she received news that her in- fant son had been lost with the ship that was conveying him from the West Indies, where she had left him temporarily, she felt no inducement to go through the formality of claiming to enter her hus- bands family and reopening old wounds.
 The sailors circumstantial account con. firmed everything, and left no doubt as to the Identity of Lieutenant Ark.
 The next morning the reunited mother and son came on deck of the tattered cruiser to find the warship and the pirate sailing peacefully side by side on a placid sea, with the hazy blue outline of land on the horizon ahead, while several merchant vessels sailing unharmed near by showed that the freebooters were not bent on hostility.
 Captain Heidegger paced the poop of the Red Rover in deep thought for several hours. Then he ordered his men to as- semble on the deck beneath and said:
 Years have united us in a common fortune. If I have been prompt to pun ish, have been ready to obey. You can not charge me with injustice But ths covenant Is now ended. I take back my pledge and return you yours Such was the condition of your service. That you may have no ground to murmur, I give you all my treasure" He lifted his red flag and displayed great pile of sacks Of gold. "This was mine," said he. 'Now it is yours. It shall be put into wonder coaster, and you may take it where you will. The ship is already mine. All take for my share is the prisoners. Disperser'
 If the gold had not tempted the free booters sufficiently, if they had been tempted to rebel, an expressive glance of Captain Heidegger's eye toward the cruiser would have quelled the thought The warship was close abeam of the pi- rate, with her own people at the guns and matches lighted, clearly waiting for a signal. The freebooters looked. Thei, every man rushed for his effects When all had left the gold was lowered into the boat and sent after them, and the coaster sailed for the land.
 Lieutenant Ark immediately gave or ders to make sail on the cruiser, whose command now devolved on him. So long as sight could reach the lonely man who remained on the deserted Red Rover, neither he nor his mother nor Miss Cray son took their eyes from him. The free- booter lay with her maintopsail to the mast, stationary some beautiful fabric held there by fairy power. Suddenly a har springing flercely from sail to sail A cloud of smoke lowered aloft. Then came the roar of explosions.
 When the cloud lifted from the sea at last the straining eyes on the cruiser saw only an empty space of sea where that glorious vessel had f1oated.
 From that time the dreaded Red Rover became legend, to be spoken of for many years in yarns on forecast1es and around lonely fires. But with the changing years came new and nobler subjects to fill the minds of the people of the Americas
 The British colonies of North America revolted. The beautiful haven of New port sheltered hostile fleets and then well comed friendly ships.
 So 1t happened that one day when the town was celebrating the news of the surrender of the most enterprsing of the British generals a gallsnt frigatc lay in the very spot which the Red Rover had occupied more than 20 years before. The flag that foated at her gaff bore a con- stellation of stars. Her commander was Captain Henry de Lacey.
 As evening came he was rowed ashore to a stately house on the hill, where he was met by a woman whose name once had been Gertrude Grayson. Shortly after ward another cruiser but one of less magnitude, entered the roadstead also bearing the friendly ensign of the new states A boat soon left her and made its way to wharf. There the men lifted curtained litter and bore it slowly to Captain de Laceys house.
 When Captain de Lacey withdrew the curtain tho face that met his was that of a dying mana worn and haggard face that spoke eloquently of other and longer suffering and torture than merely that of recent wounds.
 With ghastly smile his eyes wandered from face to face until they became riv- eted on the features of her who had been known as Mrs. Wyllys.
 "Brother! cried she. "Oh, my brotheri Henry, there can be no further mystery. This Is my brother, your uncle. can keep the secret no longer!'
 Captain Heidegger!" cried Captain de Lacey in the same moment looking down sorrowfully on the dying man.
 His wife recoiled step as she mur- mured: "The Red Rover!'
 "Yes," gasped the dying freebooter. For many years I hid my repentance and my disgrace together, but this war for liberty drew me from my concealment. The cause needed us both, and both she has had You served as one who never offended might serve; but cause so holy might not be tarnished by name like mine. May the little I have done for good be remembered when the world speaks evil of my hands. Sister-mother- pardon
 He lifted roll. With supreme effort he raised himself and, with both hands elevated, let fall a bazonry of stripes with a blue field of stars. We have tri- umphedv' he gasped and fell back, dead.
 Next Sundays one-page classic will be Paul Clifford" by Edward Bulwer Lyt- ton.