The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1913-01-01
The STOLEN SINGER

Continued from page q
land he nau moments OF curious per.
plexity about THE was there to watch
for her safety. He pictured her sit
ting somewhere in the endangered YES
sell She could not but be terrified at
her predcament. Whether shipwreck
or abduction threatened her, she must
feel that she had indeed fallen into
the hands of her enemies. He worked
his turn at the pump, then made up his
mind to risk no further delay, but to
search the ships cabins. She was in
one of them, he believed; frightened
abe must be, possibly ILL., lie had
done all that the furthest stretch Of
duty could demand in assistance to
the ship. He would find Agatha Red
mond at any cost, If she were aboard
the Jeanne Dare. Again he thought
TO himself that he was glad he was
there Whatever purpose her enc
mics had, he alone was on her side,
he alone could do something to save
her.
1t was now long past midnight, but
not pitch dark either on deck or on the
seq. The electric lights had gone out
l5hg before, but lanterns had been
swung here and there from the deck
fixtures. AS Jimmy came up, he
thought the men were prepar-
ing to lower the boats, but when
he asked about 1t in his diff
ficult French, the sailor shook his
head. There were more people about
than he supposed the yacht carried;
several seamen, three or four other
men, and fat woman sitting apath-
etically on a pile of rope. He went
from group to group, and from end
to end of the yacht, looking for one
woman's face and figure He saw
Monsieur Chatelard, examining one Of
the boats. He ran down the saloon
stairway, determined to search the
cabins before he gave up his quest
One moment he prayed that the words
of Chatelard might be true, and that
she had never been aboard the yacht;
the next moment he prayed he might
find her behind the pext closed door.
AS James searched below deck, a
house palatial disclosed itself, even in
the dim light of the little lanterns.
Cabins roomy and comfortable, fur
nishings of exquisite taste, all tire
paraphernalia of the cultured and the
rich were there. Some of the cabin
doors were standing open, and none
was locked. Jimmy beat on them,
called from room to room, finding
nothing. Every human occupant was
gone. Sick at heart, he again rushed
on deck. Was he mistaken after all?
Or had they hidden her in some Sc
cret part of the ship where he could
not find her?
When Jimmy got back to the deck
be saw that the groups had gathered
on the port side. Sharp orders were
being given. He crowded to the rail-
ing, straining his eyes to see, and
found that they were transferring the
ships company to the boats A rope
ladder swung from the deck to boat
beneath, which bobbed like cork be-
side the big, plunging yacht. Two peo-
pie were in the boat, a sailor standing
at the bow, and large muffled figure
of woman sitting in the stern. Jim.
my at once knew her to be the
apathetic fat woman he had seen a
few minutes before on deck. His eye
searched the company crowded about
the top of the rope ladder, and sudden
ly his heart leaped. There she was
at the edge of the deck, waiting fol
the captain to give the word for her to
descend to the boat below. AS Jim
my's eyes grew accustomed to the
darkness, he saw her more and more
plainly, pale face framed in DARK
hood, tall, cloaked figure waiting
calmly to obey the word from the su
perior officer.
It was the third time Jimmy ha<
seen her, but he felt as If he had fount
one dearer than himself. His eyes
dwelt on her. She was not terrified
her nerves were not shaken. II an
ready" she said, turning to the cap
tain. It was the Same fno frna vnioa