The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-01-12
MCOURAGE Of
CAPTAIN Plum
!. D. JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD
lHIUSIRA11ONS @ lANDS GKETINER
1T is not very far now," she whis
pnrod v,,,,ck
r 1904 ;by oBBS-r1aRRILL cf,r-rPArxS-


pered. you must go!"
Only little farther" he begged.
She surrendered again, hesitatingly,
and they went on, more slowly than
before, until they came to where the
path met the footway that led to
Obadiah's.
"Now-now you must CO." whis-
pered Marion again.
In this last moment Nathaniel crush
ed her hand against his breast, his
body throbbing with a wild tumult,
and half of what he had meant not
to say fell passionately from his lips.
Forgive me for-that-back-th
Marion" he whispered. ut was be-
cause love you-love you" He
freed her hand and stood back, choking
the words that would have revealed
his secret. He lied now for the love
of this girl Neil is out there wait
ing for me In a small boat" he con-
tinued, pointing beyond Obadiah's to
the lake. Il will see him soon, and
then l will return to Obadiah's to tell
you if he has left for the mainland.
Will you promise to meet me there
tonight"
Il will promise"
AT midnight"
yes, at IL o'clock"
This time 1t was Marion who came
to him. Her eyes shone like stars.
and If you make Neil go to the
mainland" she said softly, when l
meet you will-will tell you-some-
thing"
The last word came in GREATNESS
sob. As she slipped into the path
that led to ST. James she paused for
a moment and called back, in low
voice: Tell Neil that he must go for
Winnsome's sake. Tell him that her
fate is shortly to be as cruel as mine
tell him that Winnsome loves him,
and that she will escape and come to
him on the mainland. Tell him to go
-go!"
She turned again, and Nathaniel
stood like statue, hardly breathing,
until the sound of her feet had died
away. Then he walked swiftly up the
foot path that led to Obadiah's. He
forgot his own danger in the excite
ment that pulsated with every fiber
of his being, forgot his old caution
and the fears that gave birth to tt
forgot everything in those moments
but Marion and his own great happi-
ness. Neil's absence meant nothing to
him now. He had held Marion in
his arms, he had told her of his love,
and though she had accepted 1t with
gentle unresponsiveness he was
thrilled by the memory Of that last
look In her eyee, which had spoken
faith, confidence, and perhaps even
more. What was that something she
would tell him If he got Neil safely
away? 1t was to be a reward for his
own loyalty-he knew that, by the
half fearing tremble of her voice, the
sobbing catch of her breath, the
strange glow in her eyes. With her
brother away she would confide in
him? Would she tell him the secret
VI uSL 6ldNSOOm " 0JIdu6 ma
thaniel was conscious of no madness
in the wild hope that filed him; moth
ing seemed impossible to him now.
Marion would meet him at midnight.
She would go with him to the boat,
and Nen-ah, he had solved the prob
lem He would use no force. He
would tell her that Neil was In his
canoe half mile out from the shore
and that he had promised to leave
the island for good If she would go
ont to bid him good-by. And once
there, a half mile or mile away, he
would tell her that he had lied to her;
and he would give her his heart to
trample upon to prove the love that
had made him do this thing, and then
he would row her to the mainland
1t was the sight of Obadiah's cabin
that brought his caution back. He
came upon 1t so suddenly that an ex-
of surprise fell unguarded
from his lips. There was no light to
betray life within. He tried the door |
and found it locked He peered in |
1t the windows, listened, and knocked,
and at last concealed himself near !
The path, confident that the little old |
councillor was still ct st James. For I