Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-16
CHAPTER VII.-Continued.

My pistol was still in my hand and she
made g. clutch at it, but 1 was too quick
for her I caught her by the wrist. The
spell she had cast upon us by her sud-
den entrance. her beautiful presence. by
her proud, brave demeanor, was broken
by that touch. The men laughed. God.
the remembrance OF that laugh makes
my blood boil even now
''I wish you joy of her" said one.
You will have a time tanning her,
cried q second.
"Ab. YOU think so.' I cried, determin-
ing to carry out the deception to the
bitter end and to leave no chance Tor tne
least suspicion to arise. l seized her by
the shoulders, secretly praying God 10
forgive me for what / was about 10 do'
and shook her violently back and forth.
1t was easy enough. A baby IN my
hands would not have been more helpless.
'tSilence, you fools" 1 cried, as the men
began to laugh again, and then 10 her:
You belong to me, woman. 10 you
hear? I've bought you. am your mas,
ter Get back into your cabin L VIII
have speech with you later Helpless,
she could do nothing. 1 thrust her into
the cabin, shut the door and faced the
men. "Will you gentlemen leave me
alone to tame this she-devil for a niue :.
while. and 1 will be on deck presently,
"Very we'll said Pimball. 'but before
we co. he pointed to a heavy oot1le IN IN
the rack, Il propose that we drink the
health of the new navigator and his
lady,
Right O." said I.
I reached for the glasses that were In
the rack and poured out SUN Drain .oI
each man and added mighty little water
to it. The room was soon meg WIZ
hooking, jeering toasts to my health and
happiness. I drank with them. nave
ever believed that when you do thing
It is better to do it with your whole heart,
or YOU had better not try at all, ana 1
did not propose to spoil the game that
had progressed successfully SO far by
not Joining in. So 1 drank with the rest,
although l would rather have swallowed
poison. They went out one by one' Flm-
ball last.
don," he said, earnestly and suspicious
ly, too, cor by Cod"
'sYou will play fair with me. Or
There is my hand on it." he inter-
rupted, and I took, aye, and shook It,
Il wish you joy of your woman ne
sneered.
"You will see how tame she is tomor-
row." I laughed, as he climbed up the
ladder and soon disappeared
My first instinct was to draw the hatch
In fact, Pimball himself kicked them to-
gether I turned to the shut door OF her
cabin. To throw open the door was the
work of a minute. There she stood. She
had twisted some kind of a rope out of
the sheets, which she had hastily torn
up. Her purpose was plain. She had in
tended to end her life by hanging her
self from the hook in the deck beam
above, to which one end of her rope was
secured. and she would have done it, too,
If 1 had not come in in the nick Of time.
l stared at her for moment and then
reached forward and tore the plated
strands out of her hand and from around
her neck and threw them to the deck. 1t
was evidence to me of the deepness of
her despair that she had attempted such
a thing It showed me for one thing the
excellence OF my acting. for couldn
have conceived that she would do away
with herself IL she had had the slightest
suspicion that I was a true man still. l
had convinced even her of my villainy, !
realized with a sudden pang.