The Lamar register., 1913-10-22
The Island Of the Stairs
Continued from page p

but In some way the story leaked out,
and I should Judge that my vengeance
for the insult to my lady was as ade-
Quate as anything could be.
81 am come to take you to the ship"
said to her. 1--WE must get there to-
night to sail with the beginning Of the
ebb tomorrow morning"
II am ready" she said. putting her
hand upon my arm.
We went into the house and from
there to the coach. with her maid and
her baggage, after making her fare
well to her kind hostess. In the even
ing we got aboard the ship, where
saw her safely bestowed in the CON-
Portable cabin ! had arranged for her
and for her woman. When day broke
and she came on deck we were under
way for the Island Of the Stairs. The
great adventure had begun.
six months. but not because they were
uninteresting. oh. no One could not
sail from Plymouth. England. to the
south seas, touching at Madeira. the
Canaries. Rio and Buenos Aires and
rounding the mighty and fearsOme
Cape Horn. without seeing many
things of interest and participating I'm
scenes as dangerous as they were ex-
citing. But ] am not writing book
OF travels.
We were drawing near to the island
we sought according to the calcnla-
tons Of good Captain Matthews and
myself, when something happened.
had brought 1t on myself l realized.
but that made 1t no more bearable
Indeed. was mad. mad all through;
outraged In dignity. Inundated in self
respect. and were II not foolish to
speak 80 Of a man Of my years and
sturdiness ! should say ] was broken
in heart
Ny mistress had been so kind to me
that ! had dwelt in FOOLS paradise.
awoke to realize that she had not
forgotten the difference between our
stations. had forgotten II in these
long months at sea. By heavens. the
sight Of her was enough to make
man forge. anything II he loved her
~ 4!
There! The secret IL out. but make
no doubt you guessed 1t long before
But she had not. There was no mirror
In the cabin. but ! could well guess
that the sight Of me was not sufficient
" prepossessing to make any woman
forget Yet she had been so kind.
was her only confdant or companion
In the ship had forgotten. d
enden vored to leap the gap.
fondly hoped that the one thing in me
that was uly great-my passion FOR
her-would land me safely by her side.
/ die not see bow she could fail to
comprehend 1t, though l did try to dis
guise 1t.
Well, that love Of mine, 1t had not
brought her nearer. On the contrary.
Il had put me under lock and key.
And here l was, shut up like a crimi-
nal In my own cabin in her ship. or
mine. for that matter. Come to think
OF II, that moment l believe love had
completely disappeared. could recall
and can to this day. for that matter
the fierce burning rush of color to her
cheek where | had kissed it; the fire
Of rage and surprise mingled which
sparkled in her eyes. The Duke OF
Arcester ! had marked for life for less
than this. recalled in shame.
hardly recollected the fierce blow of
her hand upon my face. That was
nothing. But ! was undone. All the
patient devotion Of years. all the re-
straint OF the long voyage. had come
to naught-
There was plenty Of bright starlight
on deck She had stepped out from
the dark shadow Of the spencer. and
had followed ON her heels. The first
night watch had not yet been called
and the men. idled about the decks
waiting the boatswain's shrill whistle.
had noted II all | can see their sneer-
ing, laughing faces even now.
As II was. drew myself up and
waited while she sent for good old
Captain Matthews and. vouchsafing no
explanations. imperiously babe him
stow me below as a prisoner In my
cabin. He didn't relish the job, but
= went about 1t forthwith. Indeed. l
did not wait for further orders after
her look and glance. l stalked below
as haughtily as you please 1t was her
ship, as she had said and as she GER
tainly believed. and had 1t not been,
who could deny her anythingf Not l,
forsooth. | could steal a kiss. but not
balk her will. And here ] was the