Imperial Valley press., 1910-12-31

lO blt idNt tHuJ luS yVuub hldh huu not asked for any. For he,too, though with fuller recognition of his feel ,ings, was trembling in the balance. In short, when Susan Hubbell saw that note in the hand of Owen Conant N she determined to possess herself of it and then be guided by circum- stances. Since she had been a cap tive she had remained abaft the main mast. No restrictions had been placed upon her movements, but she had not thought it proper 10 go forward nor had she desired to do so.
 Although her captivity was made as little irksome as possible, she was still captive, and she was not will ing to subject herself to a possible recall or rebuke by venturing beyond the limits which instinctively apper- tained to her situation and station. Her calm acceptance of the situation had thrown Mornington completely off his guard. His infatuation- for he recognized 1t as such if he should once let himself go-had blinded him to any possibility of danger from the woman he loved.
 Delilah was the last person that Samson feared, doubt not, and here was no daughter of the Philistines.
 Susan turned and observed MT. Mer- ryfeld in somewhat animated discus sion with his superior. A sail had been sighted to leeward, and though lfH was more than likely to be British or neutral ship, yet every sail in war ( time was a potential enemy; hence Mornington's scrutiny of the horizon.
 The glass was passed back and forth between the lieutenant and the mid shipman, as it was MT. Merryfield's watch and as he was great stickler for the regular observance of routine, with bow to Susan and brief word that he was going below for better glass which he had observed in the captains cabin, he descended to the quarter deck and entered the cabin.
 Mr. Merryfield had picked up the telescope and was still staring down to leeward.
 A rare combination of circum- stances had created an opportunity for her. Susan did not hesitate a sec ond. Making carefully certain that no one was looking at her, she un- loosed the thin, fiimsy bit of silk she wore tied underneath the collar of her loose sailor blouse as neckerchief, slipped far up to windward and threw it high into the air. It was blowing fresh on the quarter. The wind caught the kerchief and, guided by prayer Nfrom her, carried it beyond the gang way into the waist. Had it not caught on one of the boom boats it might have gone farther forward.
 The breeze was strong, and the cast of the silk, made with great skill, had been eminently successful. Quick as thought she ran down the ladder to the quarter deck, making no sound as she went, and before anyone could have stopped her-Mr. Merryfield be- ing deeply engrossed and seeing noth- ing-she reached for the kerchief
 For one whose life had often de- pended upon the sureness of her grasp pended shroud or stay, she bungled un. nardonably in the act of lifting the silk and the wind whipped it out of her hand and blew it farther along the gangway abreast the formaSt. In stantly the mate picked it up and handed it to her as she came tripping after it.
 "Avast, there." growled the sailor on guard threateningly; no gam ming'-he was an old whaler, hence the homely sea phrase for converse ton" 'twiXt the prisoners and the suarter-deck"
 MT. Conant looked at him as if he would like to kick him overheard, but he suppressed his wrath and re- marked
 q only picked up the lady's necker- chief"
 "That'll do. Pipe down, now. Beg pardon, miss, but it's orders"
 Certainly; I understand" said Su. san, turning and walking aft.
 Nothing could describe the quick ness with which during the colloquy she had disentangled the note from the kerchief and thrust it into her bosom. When Mornington, who had