The Springfield herald., 1912-05-24


she pointed to the cabin door. Then
without a word. he went on deck. t.
find the yachts boat manned ant
waiting for him. He said himself thai
many emotions filled him as ht
stepped off the yacht-anger at the
outrage, desire for revenge. but chief
ly the emotions of the thought, wal
there time to reach st. Peters for the
wedding ceremony? He did not doub
that lies would save him from the
American woman, II things 80 hap
pened that he could reach England
by the morning Of the next day. But
could he? Where was he? Where
was he to be put ashore? He asked
the men at the oars these questions IL
a breath, standing up for one moment
as the boat pushed of to shake his
fist at the yacht, and cry. 'D-n you
ALI" But the answer that he got did
not reassure him. He was to be put
ashore. the seaman said, at Crotoy.
the little town on tongue of land
in the bay Of the Somme. There was
a steamer thence once day to Saint
valery. from which point he could
reach Boulogne by rail. He realized
in a moment that all his hope depend.
ed on catching the steamer. II she
had not sailed. he would arrive at
Boulogne before sunset, and, II need
were, could get across by the night
mail and a special train from Folke.
stone. But II she had sailed! This
possibility he dared not contemplate.
The men were now rowing rapidly
towards the shore, whose sandy dunes
and fiat outlines were becoming
marked above the sea-line. The yacht
lay far out, drifting on a CLASSY mirror
OF water: the sun was sinking with
great play of yellow and red fire In
the arc of the west. Maclaren had
then, however, no thought for natures
ing anxiety alone troubled him-had
the steamer sailed? He offered the
men ten, 20. so. hundred pounds II
they would catch her. The remark
of one of them that she left on the
top of the tide begot in him mad
eagerness to learn the hour Of high
water; but none of those with him
could remember it. He found himself
swaying his body in rhythm with the
oars as coxswains do; or standing ur
to look at the white houses shore
wards Another half-hour's rowing
brought him sight of the pier: he
shouted out with a laugh that might
have come from jackal when he
saw that the steamer was moored
against 1t, and that smoke was pour
ing heavily from her tunnels.
Men," he said, "if you catch that
boat, I'll give you two hundred and
fifty pounds!" and later on their le-
thargy moved him to such disjointed
exclamations as For the love Of heav-
en-. get on to it!"
If one had peered into the faces Of
the yachtsmen critically, one might
have detected the ripples Of smirks
about their lips; but Maclaren could
not take his eyes away from the
steamer, and the import of the sup
pressed amusement was lost upon
him. The little town of CrotoS with
the garish etablissement des bains.
the picturesque church, and the time
wrecked ramparts escaped by the
ceaseless play of currents. was then
not half mile away; but bell was
ringing on the pier, and there was all
the hurry and the press known in zone
packet or lone train" towns. Those
who had much to do did 1t slowly, that
they might enjoy leisure to blow whis-
ties or to shout; those who had little
atoned by great displays of ineffective
activity. Some ran wildly to and fro
near the steamer; others bawled in
comprehensive calculations, and in
cited, both those who were to leave by
the ship, and those who were not,
to hurry, or they would be late. Pres
emily the little passenger steamer
whistled with a hoarse and lowing
shrek, and cast foam from behind
her wheels. Maclaren observed the
motion, and cried out as a man in
pain, waving his arms wildly. Those
on shore mistook as much as they
could see of his surprising signals for
a parting salute to the vessel; and
she left ten minutes after her time
him.
He was hot from the battle Of ex-
element, rivulets Of perspiration
trickling upon his face; but he had
breath to curse the crew of the yachts
boat for five minutes when he stepped
ashore; and the request of the cox
swain to drink his health stirred up
uncounted gifts for oath-making with
in him. In quarter of an hour he
was raving about the town of Crotoy,
threatening to do himself injury II a
boat were not forthcoming to carry
him to St. Valery, whence he could
get train to Boulogne. But the day
was nigh gone, and the local seamen
were at their homes. Few cared for
his commission. and the man who took
it ultimately set him down just twenty
minutes after the last train had left.
The accounts given in the society
pabers for the abandonment of the
wedding between Lord Maclaren and
the Hon. Christine King were many.
The true one is found in the simple
statement that his lordship did not
reach England until the evening Of the
day which had been fixed for the
ceremony. So the presents were re-
turned-and 1 kept the pearls which
were to have made the famous anchor
bracelet. And when 1 think the mat
ter over, l cannot wonder at Maclar-
ems hatred of them, or Of his wish that