Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-09-03

impression there was party named
Almanack aboard this wessel?"
Calendar
Gave 1t yer own wye" Stryker con-
ceded gracefully.
''rhere isn't, is there?"
you card me-"
Then" said Kirkwood sweetly, "1'm
sure you wouldn't be Interested"
The captain pondered this at leisure.
"You seemed pretty keen abaht SEEM
'im," he remarked conclusively.
81 was"
"Seems to ME l did ear the nyme
sumw'eres afore." The captain up
reared to wrestle with an obdurate
memory. "Ow!" he triumphed. II
know. e was a chap up Manchester
wye. Keeper in loonatic asylum e
was. That yer party?'
NO" said Kirkwood YEARLY.
81 didn't know but mebbe twas.
Excuse me. Thought as 'ow mebbe
you'd escyped from is tender care,
but, fndin' the world cold. chynged
yer mind an wanted to gov back"
Without waiting for reply he
lurched into his room and banged the
door to. Kirkwood, divided between
amusement and irritation, heard him
stumbling about for some time, and
then IL hush fell. grateful enough while
1t lasted, which was not long, for no
sooner did the captain sleep than
penetrating snore added itself unto
the cacophony of waves and wind and
tortured ship.
Kirkwood. comforted at first by the
blessed tobacco. lapsed insensibly into
dreary meditations.
OF one or two things he was conyinc-
ed-for one, that Stryker was a liar
worthy of classification with Calendar
and Mrs. Hallam. His impregnable
conclusion was that those whom he
sought had boarded the Alethea, but
had left her before she tripped her an
Choir. That they were not slowed
away aboard her seemed unquestion-
4 able. The brigantine was hardly large
enough for the presence of three per-
sons aboard her to be long kept Sc
cret from an inquisitive fourth-unless,
indeed. they lay in hiding in the hold,
for which, once the ship got under
way, there could be scant excuse. And
Kirkwood did not believe himself a
person Of sufficient Importance in Cal
endars eyes to make that worthy en-
dure the discomforts of tween decks
Imprisonment throughout the voyage
even to escape recognition.
With every second, then, he was
travelling farther from her to whose
aid he had rushed. impelled by mo
tives so hot headed. so innately chiy
alric, so unthinkingly gallant. so ex
ceptionally idiotic!
What else could l do?" he defended
himself against the indictment of com
mon sense IL couldn't leave her t.
the mercies of that set of rogues. Ant
heaven knows | was given every rea
son to believe she would be ABOARD
this ship! Why. she herself told mi
that she was Sailing.'
Heaven knew, too, that this folly o
his had cost him pretty penny frs
and last. His watch was gone beyont
recovery. his homeward passage for
feited. He no longer harbored illu
sions as to the steamship company pre-
senting him with another berth in lie1
of that called for by that water soake,
slip of paper then in his pocket-cou1
tesy of Stryller. He had sold for
pittance Il 1.-THE of its value. his pei
sonal jewelry and had spent ever
penny he could call his own. Wit
the money Stryker was to give him h
would be able to get back to Londo
and his third rate hostelry, but nc
; with enough over to pay that on
weeks room rent. Or
"Oh, the DEVIL" he groaned, head
hands.
The future doomed wrapped in III
speakable darkness. lighted by no leas
ray of hope. 1t had been bad enoug
to lose comfortable living through
gigantic CONFUSION Of nature, but
think that lie had lost all else throus
his own egregious folly, to find hin
sell reduced to the kennels!
Stryker. emerging from his room fc
breakfast. found the passenger with
hostile look in his eye and a jaw 81
in ugly fashion. His eyes. too. wei
,, the abiding place of smoldering devil
. and the captain, recognizing them, CO..
: siderately forbore to stir them up wit
any untimely pleasantries. To
sure. he was autocrat Oh his own shi
and Kirkwood's standing aboard W;
nil, but then there was just enoue
:. yellow in the complexion of Stryker
:. soul to incline him to sidestep troub
), whenever feasible. And, besides,
: entertained dark suspicious of b
guest-suspicions he scarce dared vol
even to his inmost heart.
;, The morning meal, therefore. pass
off in constrained silence. The CAPITA
ate voraciously and vociferously, pus
ed back his chair and went on de-
to relieve the mate. The latter,
stunted little cockney with wien
countenance and mind as foul as t
" tongue. got small change Of his {
. tempts to engage the passenger in CO
versation ON topics that he consider
fit for discussion. After the sixth
= eighth snubbing he rose in dudgec
y, discharged q poisonous bit of ms
, lence and retired to his berth, leavi
:, Kirkwood to finish his breakfast
peace.
h Ito be continuedl
y Maude Tyner, St. Louis, Mo.
CO r,opv yyn,,,a,, cufar fror, ocpc