Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-01-21
CHAPTER VI.

CHAPTER VI
1t had been easy enough for Miss Ellen
to immure herself in her stateroom as a
| city of refuge. The gentle urging of her
| lover that she come forth upon the deck
especially in the evening, when work was
! IN a measure intermitteA, had only inten-
siitcd her determination to stay whore she
| was. Although she was prisoner, al
| dough she had been refused permission
TO 20 aboard one Of the other ships, al
! though she had not been permitted to see
! the commanding officer, there was a sense
! Of luxury and satisfaction in the thought
! Jhat she could, nevertheless, thwart the
imperous captain by disregarding his
wishes even in small matters.
He had spoken 10 her Ourngcously dur
jng the chase by the Wamogo, lie had
treated her with no consideration after
wurdS-so she thought-and she deter
mined to pay him up by being as contrary
and as obstinate and as self-wiled as pos
Sible. When he ceased to ask her to
come on deck, however, when he acqul-
esccd in her decision and left her severely
alone in her sc}f-enforcd isolation, the
role she was playing lost its charm, and
naturally her eagerneSS to get out OF
what she now thought of as a hateful
ittle holo increased in proportion to his
Indifference,
If she could have manufactured an
excuse adequate to the complete reversal
Of her determination. she would have been
ont long since Her pride, however. OF
which she had great stock, kept her in.
She went through a whole gamut of emo
tons. First she would and then she
wouldn't then she could and then she
couldn't. In the end. torn by all sorts of
conflicting feelings, she did nothing Re-
sentfully. she stayed where she was.
When Chloe delivered the captains mes
sage she received it with an immediate
throb of gladness. The longer she was
deprived of the sight of her lover, albeit
he was not a particularly handsome OBJ
iect. the more she wanted to see HIM.
Again. she didn't know what was going
on exactly. that is, during her secluslon'
and as curiosity is nearly as strong III
woman as it is in man. she wanted TO
know where she was to be taken. what
was to be done with the ship, and how
the Ellen was concerned.
Nor was tnefe any SATISFACTION III
thvarting a man who was so hatetully
willing to be crossed. That morning,
therefore she had about made up her
mind to 90 on deck, excuse or no excuse.
Smiths harmless message instantly chang
ed her decision irrevocably. His au-
thoritv could be braved, after all, and
she would brave it.
Tell him." she Sal6, shutting her lips
tightly together, her blue eyes sparkling
with a fire that made them almost black |
violet, | should say, if | were writing
romance instead of chroncing facts
tell him that | do not wish to see him.
That | do not intend to see him. That l
shall stay here in the prison in which he
has thrust me until he is ready to put me
ashore
"Yas'm," said Chloe, rolling her eyes at
this portentous message. accompanied, as
it was. by every mark of Indignation and
disdain.
"Cap'n Smif, sub. Missy Elm, she say
she amt gwine ter come out'n de doah.
She doan lax yo'. She doan have muffin
fer do wild no Yankee po' white trash.
She gwine ter stay in dat ar prison cell
twell you-all gwine ter tho her on de
sho'. She moughty enragc, suh 1o'
beta done lef her lone. Wen Missy
Elm git mad, suh-u-u-m.'
ibid She say those things just as yon
repeated them:" asked the captain. Smil-
ing in glee at the excited sable moSSen-
ger of his goddess.
"NNell. sub. not prozactly dat away,
but | scnsed 'em right, an | gibs yo' de