The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-02-06

alone; the man at the Wneel was
nonentity- bronze statue in faded
shirt, ragged turban and soiled cum
ne:|ound.
Then lis yourself will be glad,
gath2r. ~ I>e RID of US, MADAME"
She smiled, deprecatory. ''Wha'
would you?" she asked in French
with a significant glance up into
O'Rourke's eyes.
Its not precisely pleasant to be
constantly apprehensiVe," the woman
continued in the same tongue, "eVen
when one has Colonel O'Rourke to
look to for protection"
"Ah, madame!" expostulated the
wande1er. But what makes ye so
positive I'd not turn tail and run away
from any real danger?"
She gave him a look that brimmed
with mirth. "a man who is a cow
ard" she said slowly, doesn't stand
still and draw a revolver when a
heavy knife is thrown at his head
"Quick told ye, MADAME"
"No, 1 saw-heard the quarreling
on the forward deck and got to the
companionway in time to see what
happened. Had you not been SO In
tent on your search for the knife, you
would have seen me. AS it was, /
slipped below again without attracting
attention."
But why?'
"To get my revolver, monsieur le
colonel"
"'TWas naught but an accident"
"You do not believe that yourself,
colonel dear; for my part, +"
"Weu?"
Someone tried my door last night,
after you'd retired"
eye are sure?" doubted O'Rourke,
disturbed.
"Quite. I was awake thinking; I
heard you come below and close your
door at eight bells; long after there
were footsteps someone walking in
his bare feet-in the saloon. Then
the knob was turned, very gently.
Fortunately, the door was bolted;
someone put a shoulder to it, but 1t
held fast. I caught up my revolver
indeed and I am very reckless with 1t,
sir!-and opened the door myself. The
saloon was quite empty"
''Ye shouldn't have risked that"
'T had to know, with 80 much at
stake" she said simply.
O'Rourke endeavored to manufac-
ture 3 plausible and reassuring explain
alton to the fact. "Quick, Danny, or
Dravos, mistaking their rooms"
1T was none Of them. Captain
Quick was on deck; I heard his voice
almost simultaneously. surely
couldn't mistake that" She laughed.
'Nor would your man OF Mr.. DraYos
have been so stealthy, so instant to
escape"
"But-but-"
'My theory, if you will have it, is
that mine enemy of the Panjnab is
one of the crew Of the. Rance, mon
sieur."
Mrs. Prynne made this statement as
quietly as though she were comment
ing on the weather. But her belief
chimed so exactly with his own that
O'Rourke was stricken witless and at
loss to frame a satisfactory refuta-
ton. He was silent for some mo-
ments, his lips a thin hard line, a
crinkle Of anxiety between his brows.
"If ye'd only permitted me to attend
to him" he growled at length.
"You are right" she admitted, "but
Il am desolated-the mischiefs
DONE"
Faith, yes!" he sighed dejectedly.
His gaze roved the deck and fastened
upon the serang. 't1t might be any
one Of them," he considered aloud.
"Any one. For instance, though
the serang?"
why dye suspect him more than
another?" he demanded, startled.
Call it feminine intuition, if you
like. The man looks capable of any
thing"
Yes. But sure, there's no telling
at ALL"
"No telling" she coucurred quietly.
1--WE can but wait, watch, hope that 1
imagined the hand at my door"
There might be something in
that"
'I am neither nervous nor an i'm
aginative woman"
"At all events, I'll go bail twill not
happen a second time"
How do you propose to prevent
it,"
"Sure, the simplest way in the
world. I myself will stand guard in
the saloon, madam"
"But no, monsieur; I can better af'
ford to lose a little sleep than have
you forfeit your rest. Besides, have
Cecile.
There ensued an argument without
termination; he remained obdurate,
she insistent. Only the appearance OF
Quick on the stroke Of four bells