The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-03-18
CHAPTER X.
(Cnnfin,radl

(C0ntinued)
AS for the girl herself 1t was
some time before she had recover
| ed sufficiently from the shock to
be able to speak with any compos-
ure of the past. Then her history
proved but brief one. She was an
English girl-a Londoner. in fact
who had set out with her father,
who was retired banker, on a
trip round the world. Their inten-
tion was to spend few weeks in
China and Japan, but, as we have
seen, Capt. Macshiel and his asso
ciates decided otherwise.
Towards the captain, who, as
have said, treated her with the ut
most civility, she acted with COM
mendable tact. The mate never
troubled her beyond Good morn
ing. MISS" though Gupp displayed
an ardor which under other cir
cumstances might have been COM
mendable. AS for poor Hayling, she
at first seemed to regard him as a
most abandoned ruffian, and it ne
cessitated a somewhat prolonged
play of my persuasive powers to
convince her to the contrary.
81 shall never forget how stern
| he looked as he sat in the boat"
she said. cor how sharply he spoke
| to poor Capt. White"
81 saw you watching him"
"He fascinated me. could not
help thinking Of the faces in the
rock carvings we had seen in
Egypt. You are sure he is not a
wicked man."
l could not help smiling at the
ingenious query.
81 know little of him, Miss Wal.
| tham"-for such was her name
"but from the little l do know.
there is no man in the world whom
| would sooner trust"
perhaps I don't do him justice,
she said. 81 was horribly frightened
and he has such a strange, grim
face. l am sure his ancestors must
have come out of Egypt"
Just then the subject of our con.
versation came aft, and as he ap.
preached | saw her eyes fly to his
face, and l noticed her mouth
culver. l beckoned him over and
introduced him in the orthodox
style-"Miss Waltham, this is our
second officer. Mr.. Hayling." Hay
ling raised his cap and looked de-
cidedly uncomfortable, while the
girl strove her hardest to atone for
past misconduct. A few common
place remarks, a few congratula-
tory words from him respecting her
rescue and recovery, and then with
a smile he was gone. But | noticed
that her eyes rarely left his face,
and that when he went away they
instinctively followed him.
81 think you may be right" she
said. your friends eyes are al
most timid."
HE is not the bloodthirsty ruff
fan you imagined?' l inquired,
somewhat quizZingly.
How could l have been so fool
ish? What does he think of me?'
Everything that you could
wish"
But called him such horrid
names!"
"And what do you think he calls
you?"
Tell me-"
"Our Lady Of the Sea-"
ooh" she said, evidently much
affected, 81 am so sorry. l beg his
pardon-a thousand times"
| So that was all right. Having
once looked fairly into Hayling's
eyes, she had seen what ought to
have been patent to the meanest in
telligence-an honesty coupled
with a most curious self
dependence.
Thanks to the unexpected cour-
tesy Of Capt. Macshiel, the girls
life was made as easy as circum-
stances would permit; but Mac
shiel though ostensibly the COM
mander, had lost something of his
power since he had openly taken
to evil ways. This was quickly
seen in the changed manner of the
junior officers, and the way they
hung about the after-deck-not to
mention an occasional excursion
aft on the part Of the more pre-
sumptuous of the men. More par
ticularly was this noticeable in the
behavior of the man Gupp.
The result was that Jack soon
became as good as his master; and
if Mr. Gupp felt inclined to take
his ease on the quarterback, he &C
cordingly took it.
1t was therefore with feeling
of uneasiness that l beheld him
succumbing to the witcheries of the
girl; for / feared the wOoing OF
Mr.. Gupp would be attended with
ilul results.
CHAPTER XI
1t all happened on the day after