Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-10
CHAPTER V.
Wherein the Duke Is Marked in
Farewell,

Farewell.
When We preached the subject to Mas
ter Ficklin the next day at his house he
would not hear of it. He examined the
parchment with interest. but poopOohed
the tale. because. forsooth, it had no
legal backing and was couched in the
phraseology Of the sea rather than In the
dry verbiage of the law. He pointed out
that he had only succeeded in saving this
last two thousand pounds of my lady
fortune because he had skillfully con-
cealed its existence from Sir Geonrey,
foreseeing that all that he could come at
would be recklessly flung away in the
barOnet's mad battle with fortune lie
felt some computations of conscience
about having concealed even this. and
expressed them. and then he pleaded art
fully that as he had gone against his
sense of right for the sake of preserving
this money his wishes as to the spending
of il ought to be respected, especially
when they concerned SO intimately the
welfare of my lady. for he asked per-
tinently what would happen to her when
all was gone and she had found no treas
ure, the very existence Oh WHICH lie al
fected to diSbelieve.
very hard headed. practical person
was Master Ficklin. He was not cut out
for an adventurer. that was patent Sui
his statements and propositions were en-
titled to the highest consideration. his
arguments. indeed, appealed to my better
Judgment, and l seconded them to the
best of my ability in spite of my own de-
sires. I had a rowing spirit and IN my
blood something Of the gambling strain,
and the longer I dwelt upon a possible
treasure hunt the more alluring grew the
prospect and the more certain became
that it was there. 1t is so easy to per-
suade ourselves what We wish. Besides.
1 luxuriated in spirit at the thought OF
long months at sea with my little mis-
tress 1t is true she honOred me with
her friendship now, but in no other way
could 1 hope to enjoy much OF her so
ciety in the future. She was too young
and too beautiful for obscurity. sooner
or later true men would love her, the
gay world would seek her out, she would
enter upon her proper station again, and
then where would I be? Selfish! Aye.
but 1 am frankly telling the truth in
these rambling recollections
But I had stern ideas Of duty. too, and
Master Ficklin's good sense ever ap--
pealed to me. Yet when did mere good
sense ever appeal to woman against
her wish? My lady had the gambling
instinct, tool wonder she did not nave
it stronger, since twas in her blood
and she would fain challenge fortune.
She was of age and what she had left
was absolutely in her control. put mao
she been but sixteen l make no douDt
she would have had her way. She has ever
had it and ever will have it, so far as /
am concerned. Master Ficklin- has gone
to his we'll earned rest these many years
as l write, but / am quite warranted. l
am sure, in saying the same thing for
him.
Well. the end of it was she made over
her two thousand pounds to me with
out requiring me to give any bond, which
Master Ffcklin would fain have insisted
upon and which would have been en-
barrassing, indeed, for me, for my bond
would have been my own capital, which
/ was going to embark in the enterprise
in secret / had saved up that money
with no one knows what foolish dreams.
realized these dreams would come to
naught had no one dependent upon me:
brother or sister 1 never enjoyed. and
father and mother were both dead. What
need had I for money? l could always
get berth on good ship as mate, or
perhaps as master, Tor which l was fuliy
qualified, and l could always earn enough
for my needs and to spare. Let her have
1t whose need was great and whose de-
sire was greater. might have bargained
for a share Of the treasure did We find
any. but l scorned to do 1t. l would
give all and expect nothing Tor 1t. There
was a certain salve to my pride to be-
come a benefactor to the woman I
But 1 must not anticipate in my story:
trouble came soon enough, as you snail
see, ana treasure, 100.
At any rate. not being in any hurry.
although / was frantically urged by my
lady, who could scarcely possess her soul
in patience before she began her treasure
hunting. l looked about a good deal in
order to get just what I wanted. Finally
chased stout little ship of three hun
dred and fifty tons burden called the
Rose of Devon, which had been engaged
in the West Indian and the American
colonial trade. The name caught my
fancy. too. for was not my little mistress
the Rose Of Devon herself? You that
read may laugh at me for my posying
thought If you will. I care not for it is
true.
1t was my first design to have gone as
fain have had 1t so. but after reflection
l decided it were better to have q much
older man than l to command SO long as
she went as a passenger, and so l en-
gagged a worthy seaman, one Samuel Mat
thews, old enough to be my father, with
whom ! had often sailed; In fact the
man under whom l made my first cruise.
I did engage myself as mate. however,
and even tried to induce Master Ficklin
and his sister to go with us, whereat that
worthy couple held up their hands In hor-
ror. preferring one his musty parchments
and suits-at-law and the other her we'll
ordered house and spacious garden. 1
was not sorry for their decision. l want
ed to be alone with Mistress Wherefore.
with what vague idea or dream l dared
not admit even to myself.
It seemed proper in venturing among
islands filled. according to common re-
port. with savage peoples to provide for
fighting; therefore, after consulting with
Capt. Matthews. whom l fully acquaint-
ed with the entire project in all it's de-
tails. I shipped a crew of thirty men, and
l provided In the equipment plenty of
muskets. pistols and cutlasses. with the
necessary powder and ball, and, in addi-
ton. small brass cannon, which 1
mounted on the forecastle. Nor did our
cargo lack means for friendly trading
and barter should such be found prac-
ticable.
Naturally the unusualness of these
preparations attracted attention, and al
though Capt.E Matthews and l kept the
destination OF the. ship and the purpose