The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-04-26

why, II not to escape such 0bserva-
don? Then, he toll himself, he must
be right In his supposition that she
lad something to fear, someone to
avoid. What or whom? What was It
all, what the mystery that, as he
watched her, seemed to grow, to cling
about her like some formless, i'm
palpable garment?
Events conspired to weave the man
int the warp and wool of her AFFAIRS;
more quickly than he could grasp the
reason for his sudden action, he found
himself a-foot and dashing aft at top
speed. But an instant gone Mrs
Prynne had passed him, unmolested
and wrapped in her splendid isola-
ton; and then from the after part Of
the deck he had heard slight and
guarded cry of distress, and a small
scufliing sound.
In two breaths he was by her side
and found her struggling desperately
In the arms of lascar-a deck-hand
On the steamer.
At first the strangeness Of the bust.
ness SO amazed O'Rourke that he
paused and held his hand. briefly
rooted In action. For although 1t was
apparent that she had been caught of
her guard. wholly unprepared against
assault, and while she struggled fierce.
ly to break the lascar's hold, the WON.
an still uttered no cry. A single
scream would have brought her aid I;
yet she held her tongue.
The two, the woman's slight, white
figure and the lascar's gaunt and sin
envy one, strained and fought, swaying
silently in the shadows, tensely, with
the effect of fragment Of some dis
ordered nightmare. But then, as the
lascar seemed about to overpower his
victim. O'RoVke. electrified, sprane
upon the mans back. With one strong
arm deity he embraced the fellow, ar
elbow beneath his chin forcing his
head up and back. With the Other
hand O'Rourke none too gently tore
away an arm encircling the woman
Then wrenching the two apart, he
sent knee crashing into the small Of
the lascar's back, all but breaking hin
in two. and so flung him sprawline
into the scuppers.
Without a word the man slid upoI
his shoulders a full half.dozen feet
while O'Rourke had momentary
glimpse of his face in the moonlight
-dark-skinned and sinister of expires
sion with its white. glazing eyeballs
Then, in one bound, he was on hi.
feet again and springing lithely back t.
the attack: and as he came on a jag
ged CLEAN of moonlight ran like light
ming down the sinuous and formidable
length of kris, most deadly o
knives.
O'Rourke fell back a pace or two
His own hands were empty; he hat
nothing but naked fists and high couT
age to pit against the lascar and hi
kris. Keenly alert. he threw himsel
into pose Of defence.
But O'Rourke' had forgotten tn
woman; 1t was enough that he ha
made possible her escape, and he ha
no thought other than she had fed.
was. therefore, with as much surpris
as relief that he caught the gimme
Of her white figure as she thrust hel
self before him and saw the lasca
bring up in the middle Of leap, hi
nose not an inch from the muzzle Q
an army Webley Of respect-compellin
caliber.
simultaneously. he heard her voice
clear and incisive II low Of tone
Drop that knife!"
The kris shivered upon the deck.
FAITH" murmured the Irishmal
"and what manner of woman il thiI
now?"
The lascar stood az rigid as thong
carven out Of stone. long, gaunt leg
shining softly brown beneath his COO