Imperial Valley press., 1910-12-31

or moment.
 She did not repent of what she had done, nor of the way in which she had done it, yet she felt a definite sense of personal dishonesty and or disloyalty toward Mornington. The very trust that he reposed in her, the readiness with which he had received her explanation and had allowed him self to be deceived smote her keenly.
 She felt like traitor. She wanted three things at the same time. She wanted that note, and now that she had undergone SO much and ventured so much to possess it, she wanted 1t more than ever. She wanted Morning tons respect, and she wanted to justi- fy it. Lastly, she wanted her own self-respect.
 Of the three desires she was sure of nothing but the note. And with the choice plainly before her, she had chosen the note. Perhaps had she alone been concerned she could have fought down the temptation and have handed 1t to him then and there. 1n- deed, there came into her mind the fieeting intention so to do. e
 But she realized also that if the note contained anything incriminat> ing-and the mere fact that so much had been risked by the mate to get it into her possession was evidence of it's characteristic would be betraying the mate, and perhaps the men of the crew.
 Like everybody else, once em- parked on a course of dissimulation every way spelled treachery and dis aster. All this gave her very trou- bled feeling indeed.
 "I--I wish you wouldn't look at me that way" began Mornington as he saw the grief in her face. "No, no, don't mean turn your face away from me altogether; that makes night where stand. But don't grleve about it. It's all right No harms done"
 q know, but I am a prisoner-your prisoner
 Sometimes, Mistress Susan, I want to forget that and sometimes it's my sweetest thought"
 He spoke softly, leaning over the rail and looking out through the open gangway ill the ships side. She would have won a proposal from him then and there had she been artful enough or even had she been merely acquiescent, but she could not allow him to say word of love to her while she had that note against which her heart was beating.
 q am your prisoner" she said, mo matter how you feel, and I shouldn't have left the quarter deck, but I thought when the wind whipped my kerchief out of my hand that it was no harm to get it.''
 There was no harm at all, my dear child" he returned promptly, with that air of paternalism with which he sometimes strove to disguise his anything but paternal feelings for her Say no more about it. I am ashamed to have brought any more trouble to you by what seemed my harsh words"
 "They were not harsh. They were kind and generous, like everything else you have ever said to me. I can never repay you-never-never I should have stayed on the quarter deck or in the cabin"
 Don't say that" he began.
 q must I will"
 Her lips trembled. She was on the verge of breakdown. Not because she was woman given to tears on little occasion, but because the situa- tion was fast becoming unbearable. The more magnanimously and gener- ously he forgave her and the kinder he became the worse she felt. She was sure that she must terminate the .ntervfew immediately or else she would betray everything So she re- sorted, for the first time in her life, to the old feminine form of evasion or escape.
 TT don't believe I'm well," she faltered, who had never experienced
 
 a sick day in her life.
 He was all solicitude at once.
 "No," she returned in answer to his protestations, there is nothing you can do. I shall go to my cabin for while"
 And you won't hesitate to call me