Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-05-27

captain Of the Belle was an old &C
quaintance. and 1 had hoped to find
him on the upper deck.
He Bowed again. more profoundly
than before. spreading his hands and
lifting his narrow shoulders.
"Msieu win mex hisself at ONE
h-altogether at ONE Moi, Hill been
the captain of the Belle Of N Orle'n'.
Oui. Msieu."
After that there was nothing for It
but to get away as quickly as pos
sible, to 90 below and find some one
who could staunch the flow of dag
gered curiosity. Kinney, the steam
er's clerk. answered indifferently well.
Capt Placide? Oh, yes; he's cap
tain fast enough. and owner too. for
that matter. Haven't you heard?"
! had not heard; had only seen.
We'll, we don't know much more
about him than he knows about
steamboating. which is nit All ! can
tell you is that he came along on the
levee one day at New Orleans and Of
fered to buy the boat-offered two
prices and got her. And since he's
been persuading himself that he is
running her, though johnson, the
mate, does that. Queer little guy;
though I'm bound to say he treats
us all well enough"
l turned away, quite speechless.
There was only one explanation. M.
Placide had won the capital prize at
last, and the Belle was his conception
of the biggest thing he could find to
buy.
Placide met his fate. She was a sweet
faced young woman with soulful eyes
and girlish air. and she came aboard
at Natchez-under-the-H one night
with an elderly Mephisto who intro
duced her as his daughter.
AS once before, l CHANGED to be one
OF the Bellies passengers; and when
they met at the dinner table in the
grand saloon, these two and the little
captain, / saw the end from the be-
ginning The elderly man was bird
Of prey; and Mile. Carinthe, despite
her angelic face and convent manner.
was too evidently his confederate.
With good weather, and few land
ings to hinder. 1t is no more than a
swift nights run from hatcher to the
city. For the first half of the night
Placide sat at a table in the forward
saloon opposite the elderly gambler,
playing steadily, with mademoiselle's
hand on the back OF his chair. How
much Of the capital prize there was
left when the young woman proposed
an adjournment to the saloon deck aft
know not. nor ever shall know.
But of the denouement / write as an
unwilling witness. My stateroom
opened upon the after guard. and the
head of my berth was within a foot
of the closed venetians. A half-hour
after the adjournment from the card
table I heard low voices and slow
steps on the guard. as Of lovers prom
enading.
"You are a man OF honor and a gen.
tleman. Capt. Keynes" were the first
words of my overhearing. Il can trust
you'll am sure can trust you"
ITO the death. nam zelle." could
picture Placide's low bow with his
hand on his heart.
MY father is in great trouble; It is
not like him to play as he did tonight,
but he is desperate. You are listen.
ing?"
ITO h-every word. mam'zelle. You
do me YER great honair."
1T is about-about money. this trou
BILE. My father owes a great debt to
a man who has no mercy. He is rich
this man; and II IF will marry
him-oh, Capt Reynesl l can't say
any more, not even to you!"
Twice they passed and repassed the
I latticed door in silence, and at the
\ risk Of having a duel on my hands
\ was trying to nerve myself to cry out:
/ "Gardez vous. mon anil" But at this
4 third time of passing P1acide was
speaking and 1t was too late.
Tomorrow morning. mam'zellei
there is no notaire on the Belle. MATS
we sail go and tell your good ladder
You ave the word of honair, man
'zelle; the word of a French zhentle
man"
When I was leaving the boat the fol
lowing morning Capt. Placide wa
seated at the gaming table Of tn
night before. His vis-a-vis was thu
elderly rock, and there were paper
between them. At his right sat |
lawyer-lke person, a stranger; an
mademoiselle was standing with he
hand on the back of his chair.
A fortnight later chance led me ono
again through Royal street Passin
the hamboyant house with the high
plated door, sudden desire to Sc
Placide's successor in the little bal
ber's shop made me stop and enter.
Nothing was changed within. Tn
hotwater copper was kissing cheer
fully on the tiny heater; a frows
Scotch terrier, the exact counterpart
of Bismarck. rose lazily and yawne
at me. Then the door opened fror
the bedroom beyond, and a trim littl
man, in spotless jacket and spati
stood on the threshold, bowling an