The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-04-03

face. The roar grew ominous and the
doomed vessel quivered as though In
mortal agony. A boat swung In the
davits nearby, but he gave It no heed.
The means of escape were in his grasp
but he waited, and his smarting eyes
glowed with an uncanny gleam upon
the awful scene.
Suddenly an inarticulate cry issued
| from between his olinched teeth, and
he crouched low beside the rail The
crew, after a last futile struggle
against the oncoming flames, had fall
en- back and scattered to save them
selves as best they could. From their
midst staggered a blackened figure
with smoking clothing and blistered
| features IL was Winterson lie reel.
ed toward the rail- curslng horribly
the crew, the inky darkness and every.
thing with which he came in con.
| tact
Steve, his face twitching and eyes
shining like twin stars, waited for him
to pass then rose quickly and 4
h.ovy block Of wood clutched in his
| hand descended with sickenng
crush upon Winterson's skull The
mate crumpled to the deck like a
thing of straw, and Steve dragged the
body to where the boat swung, de.
posted it in the bottom, clambered in
himself lowered away and grasping
the oars silently pulled from the Sally
Ann, his face working and body quiv-
! ering, out, out upon the broad bosom
| Of the Pacific until the fire grew to a
rosy speck in the distance, and finally
| faded from view as the tiny boat sank
in the trough of a huge roller.
| In TIE misty gray of morning the
two men glared into each others eyes.
Steve sat in one end of the boat,
a heavy revolver pointed at the 9th.
er's breast, his eyes glowing insanely.
| Maybe you remember me now, Win.
terson, you cur! God how I've waited
and prayed for the time when could
bring you to account Maybe you re.
member back there in Trenton three
years ago-three centuries It has been
to mel was happy in my new home,
plain seafarer though was. with my
wife, heaven rest her SOUL and few
of the comforts of life to subsist upon.
Cruise after cruise | made, and she
was always there to welcome me- And
then you came, like the snake I'm Eden
and one day | returned home, she was
not there to greet me and the house
was deserted You had been there,
like thief i'm the night, and stolen
her from me-stolen the little woman
who was more to me than life itself
you dog! And then trailed you TO
Welden where you had tired of your
pretty toy and cast her aside. found
ner there, Winterson, found her and
she confessed all. Confessed, ha-ha
and killed her with these two hands
Winterson, do you hear, with these
two hands | choked the breath from
her body. You never knew did you
but | did, and then | started after you
For three years have starved and
struggled to get you Winterson, the
one missing cog In the machine!"
| His voice rose TO a scream and his
face worked horribly as he surveyed
the covering figure with blstered
blackened features. His eyes glittered
behind the shaggy brows and insanity
lowered near.
And then / found you, and you spai
upon me. Ha--ha Winterson you spai
upon me, and | signed to ship with
you, and you didn't know me. Who
started the fire aboard the Sally Ann!
Who but me, and you knocked me
senseless because ! wouldn't go into
the hold. God, how I've waited for
this moment to see you cover and
cringe with bulging lips and fear
dlmmed eyes! You're doomed Winter
son, doomed do you hear. ha-ha, and
your locks are shorn as was Samson's
of old"
He staggered suddenly to his feet
eyes bright and face aglow. Don't
you hear her Winterson?" he whiS
pered Look" and he pointed down
into the green depths, "she Is calling
to MS. See, see her still, white face
turned up to me. Ha-ha, she is vel
coming me as in the old days"
His face was radiant Then a
change came over 1t and his breast
heaved convulsively
Goa, WHAT'S that! A shadow has
come between! can't see her. Wait
it moves, It's taking human shape
It's face leering into hers and-and
she smiles back at it! can't see It.
its turning away Now, now its twist
ing around. Wait, wait! Now | see It.
see it. God its Winterson, YOU
You tiend! Go away--away. Yes, she is
smiling at him and at me, at mel Now
its gone. She beckons to me and to
you!"
His cleaning eyes fell upon the
figure huddled in the bow, and parox.
ysm of insane rage convulsed him.
She beckOns, do you hear? We
must go to her you and /, Winterson,
down there into the depths, ha-ha-
into the depths where Shiny things
crawl and feed, feed upon the dead
do you hear?"
With bound he was upon the COW,
ering wretch. One horrid screech
burst from Winterson's bloodless lips