Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-03-16

IN blankets and dosed like an
old salt with Timothy's rum. 1t is
little wonder that I became almost
angry at their solicitude, and was
ready to behave like a spoiled child
which does not know its own good for
tune.
why do you do all this, Joan?" 1
asked her. when half an our of it had
passed. Am I a child to be petted and
Tell Captain Larry that l an coming
up to the bridge. You cannot suppose
that I shall be content to lie here now.
Tell him l am coming up at once. 1t is
nonsense to make such a fuss"
Joan shook her head as though. thus
only a man would talk like that"
she exclaimed, and then-"Only a
man would be so ungrateful."
Il demur to the charge. You set a
great crowd Of DULLES on me to hold
me down by violence. and then talk of
ingratitude! Do you not see. my dear
girl, that / must know what is going
on? How can I lie here when there is
so much Observation-Disclosures so many
things may happen? Please do as 1
tell you. and let Captain Larry know
at once"
She came and stood by my bedside,
and touching my fingers for an instant
with her own-a gesture which thrilled
me as though some strange current
of q new life burned in my veins-she
said very quietly:
There Is nothing happening. DR..
Fan. II you went up to the bridge.
Iyou would see nothing but the fog.
That is what Mr.. McShanus is looking
at now-at that and the punch bowl.
We cannot see the others-we h
never see them again, I hope"
1t was calmly said. and yet what a
tale Of woe it voiced: days of her own
agony among the r%uffians. intolerable
hours Of suffering and distress I
thought her then n of the bravest of
women think so to this hour.
JOAN" I said, "how did you come
here? Where did Okyada find you? I
have thought much about 1t, and I
believe that 1 know. But o tell
me yourself. You hid in one of the
boats the men lowered when they
wished me to go on board their ship.
I thought it must be so. There was no
other way"
h had seated herself by this time
in a girlish attitude at the foot of my
though to express a sense of her indif-
ference; her hands clasped, her yves
avoiding mine as though she feared I
would read the whole truth therein.
You were a wizard always, DR.. Ean.
MY father, that is General Fordibras,
said so-Mr. McShanus thinks it, and
SO does Captain Larry. Yes, 1t was in
the last of the boats thatA hid myself.
l saw them lower it. and then. when
they all go into h first two, I climb
myself under h %tarpaulin. Have you
ever been really afraid, DR.. Ean-afraid
for an instant of something which
seems to be worse than you thoughts
can imagine? Well. I have been afraid
like that ever since Mr.. Imroth took me
Il m tho fpoi6 &o n rrA ----~
tell you-yes. so afraid that I would
lie for hours. and shut all sights and
sounds from my ears, n r thai the
day would find me dead. I tell you now
that you may not speak to me of it
againl could not bear 1t, God knows
I could not.'
Fol an instant, and IN instant only.
her courage failed her, and burying her
face in her hands h wept like a child.
Herein l think she gave expression to
sion to that pent-up anguish she had SO
long supported silently and alone. I
did not seek to comfort her, did not
answer q word to her piteous entreaty.
The circumstances Of her rescue must,
In the end. be their own answer to her
fears. I thought.
said gently. 1T was a clever thought
to hide yourself in the boat, and I
wonder 1t occurred to you. OF course
! should have been disappointed IL L
had been wrong. Directly they told
me that you were no on the ship, I
into n Of the neglected boats, and
that Okyada would find you there.
That is q fellow who reads my mind
more clearly than I can read 1t myself.
He Is the true wizard. We must keep
Okyada always with us when we 20
back to the old home in England, Joan.
I would not lose him for all the riches
on your Diamond Ship and more. Yes,
indeed. we must never part with Oky-
ada.
This was said with some eanin
and Joan Fordibras would have been
unworthy of the %cleverness with which
credited her; had the intent of 1t
I knew that 1t would be 30.
II must go to Paris" she rejoined
with a dignity inseparable from such
an answer. General Fordibras will
be waiting for me there. I must 20
to him. DR.. Fan. It was never his In
tention to send me on the ship-no, I
Will do him the Justice to say that.
roth and those with him. My father
would nave taken me back to America.
He promised me that the day 1 went
to Valley House. ! believe that he was
In earnest-he never told me a lie.
"A point in his favor and one of the
you away that night my friends saved
me. I should have thought OF tina I
should have guessed as much.
lnsenstbly, you will see. ] had been
J leading her to tell me the whole story
OF her life since we had been separat-
ed at Valley House. Her determina-
tion to go to Paris 1 found worthy of
loyalty to this arch-villaln. Fordi-
bras, remained amazing in lta conciet.