The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-12-30
ea11H y
The Time Lock
a.
(By Charles Edmonds WalkJ

two girls excused themselves and re-
tired, and Tom was enabled once more
70 contemplate the Kohinur more as
vessel OF which he was master, and
less as an Isolated corner Of Already.
one of the first things he observed
was the presence Of a stranger. For
some minutes. underneath his troubled
meditations, had stirred q vague I'M
easy sense that he was being watched;
and happening to look in a certain d.
rection. his glance encountered a man
whom he had not before seen. He
promptly walked up to the stranger
and demanded to know what he was
doing on board. Winnard, the second
mate. was = witness to the episode,
and he took 1t upon himself to explain.
Hes all right, sir. Mr.. Willard
brought him aboard last night"
With the moral certainty that the
newcomer had been watching him all
afternoon, Tom went to his cabin.
Alone, he took up again the burden
OF his doubts and uncertainties.
Should he not warn Willard that
Flint was close upon his trail? What
would Willard think Of the Man Of
Irons interference? His position
strongly urged him to go to the char
terer and lay the matter before him.
Then his vacillating will would take
pendulum swing to the other ex-
IRENE; he ought to 90 over to the
Claremont and phone Flint where Will
lard was to be found; II the latter
were really engaged in no dishonor-
able employment, then no harm could
come to him. But then, II he
was to be believed, Tom would thus
be lending himself to the defeat Of JUS
tice and right.
And so on, round and round in a cir
Gle went his thoughts, with no hope Of
arriving at solution of the many diff
ficulties. If he could only talk to
Della, alone, for half an hour, perhaps
she could help him. But he did not
see her again that day.
Friday evening brought change.
The male element of Wizards party
became animated by an unusual &C.
!! tivity. There was much going and
coming between the Kohinur and the
landing. and the girls retired before
nine o'clock, as If to be out Of the way.
And then, some time close to mid.
night, Max Willard and two Of his
young men boarded the launch; but
now, instead Of going over to the
Claremont landing, the little craft fiut.
tered away downstream and was soon
lost in the night.
Tom retired to his cabin, but could
not sleep He was oppressed by
sense Of anticipation, q conviction that
something was about to happen. When
he heard the launch returning after
two o'clock In the morning, he was
curious enough to 20 above to see II
anything would transpire to account
for the secret midnight excursion.
Willard came first up the ladder, is.
suing low.voiced directions to the two
men. Then they came, with consider
able difficulty by reason Of their un'
wieldy burden.
As we'll as Tom could make out IN
the darkness, in shape and size what
they carried was just such box as Il
used as a container for a coffin. The
three went quickly below with Their
burden, and quiet reigned over the
Kohinur.
In point of fact. from that time on
until the final terrible hour when de
SPAR and horror laid their Icy clutch
upon Tom Phinney's heart, an unnat
ural calm seemed to prevail. 1t was at
II the yacht and all on board were
subdued by an apprehensive dread Oh
, impending tragedy.
And still Tom could not make up hie
mind as to what he ought to do.
But this intolerable hightensiou
mental stress was In a measure re
lieved by two occurrences OF Saturday
afternoon.
About three o'clock Max Willard In
structed him to get up full head Of
steam at sunset, and be In readiness
during the night to drop down the
river.
"Are We to clear tonight" asked
Tom with considerable eagernsss.
81 don't know positively yet" VII
lard replied in lifeless tone. "When
the signal comes to get under way, II
will come In hurry, and from then on
until we are we'll out at sea speed will
be a. matter of considerable impor
lance. You will know before morn.
ing"
Everything is in readiness" Tom
advised him.
"That is very gratifying" The mag.
netic eyes rested searchingly upon the
skipper for moment.
captain Phinney," Willard asked
after the pause, do appear COM
posed?"
"Why, yes" returned Tom In sur
prise. q SHOULDN'T have thought 9th.
erwise.
indeed. save for the burning bril-.
lance Of his eyes, Max Wizards mien
WAS. If anything, dull and dispirited.