The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-08-27

Wherein My Lady ls Placed Tn Great
 Peril. AT OW I was a prisoner. said 1 N didn't feel that blow on the cheek. but as I thought on it
 it fairly scared me. hated her. hoped that-no, might as well be honest with myself. didn't care how she treated me, how disdainful were her words, how unjustly she pun ished me, loved her. couldn't help, I didn't want to help it. would kiss the deck plank she hallowed with her footsteps
 There was another side to my con- hnement, and presently took thought on that. I swear that was not think ing of myself, but of her. was ever thinking of her could see dangersthat beset her as perhaps no one else could, and my confinement added to her peril. She didrse realize that; nobody aft on the ship realized it. There was peril, imminent, menacing, about to break, feared
 You see, the fact that we were treasure hunting had got about had not thought much of the crew, includ- ing the viIlainous looking boatswa1n, PimbalI. We had shipped a lot of smart seamen, about the average in quality and above the average in snartness, decided as the days had passed with nothing happening, but PtmbaH had signed some couldnw1sh had been left ashore
 Her presence on the ship, too, was a mystery Alone in the little Rose of Devon with thirty men By evil m1shap the maid she had brought with her had died after a brief illness two weeks out Captain Matthews and I were for turning back, but she said no, she would go on. We had lost too much time already and her all was embarked We were now blowing the blue waters of the Pacific, and I, mate Df the ship and the only other officer Co be trusted, locked up!
 We were nearing the latitude and longitude of the island. Suppose the men rose in mutiny! I ground my teeth in rage. The men liked me well. enough, and had been particular to keep them in good humor, passing over many a thing for her sake that would have followed with a blow had she not been there Captain Matthews had complained once or twice of my lax 1ty, but I knew things that he didn't. ana I had done what I deemed best for her. I pledge you my word that I didn't care a farthing for the treas ure-- rs4e~ had never given it much thought T grew to believe in it less and less as we goe further from home, and if had been stronger for nay duty and weaker in my love I would have dissuaded her from the voyage, follow ing Master Ffcklin's lead
 Now, that she was poor and alone neglected and forgotten, had enjoyed a fooItsk dream that could be com panion to her-a life shipmate!-fo1 the captain was a rough, plain old sail or. What a fool I was! And yet il had worked in some way as had in tended. We had been thrown into closer intimacy by the loneliness of hel position and my faithful and, until thal night, most unobtrusive, self effacins devotion.
 I suppose it never entered her heaC that I could presume to love her, con sequently she was less careful than sh, had been otherwise, and that yer. night when had poured out my decla ration to her she had had no words with which to meet it. I thought he silence was consent. I see now tha 1t was amazement. I seized her in m. arms like the brute she must hay, thought me, lifted her up and kissed her fair on the lips and then on he averted cheek Arcester, the black COul0 nave QOno no WOTS0-
 will never forget how she stigmatizet me''brute, coward, low born.' I don believe she had railed at that scoun dreI duke so fierceIy.
 Well, I didn't care what she ha, called me. Her safety, her life, he honor demanded that I be released That was the paramount concern.
 I listened. I thought I heard a foot Gall in the outer cabin. Could she b there? suppose that I had been lock ed up for perhaps an hour. Aye, O the instant the bell forward struc shree. We kept man-Of-War custom at her fancy. The sound came to m faintly as I listened. Half past ! She could not have gone to her bert yet She must be there in the grea cabin. ventured to call.
 What it cost me any man can imae 1ne-and to humble myself to ask he mercy too. I am man of fierce ten per, as you have deemed, but I ca control it on occasion, and I did now. I shook the door of the cabi gently at first and then vtgorousl and called once and again. There wa no answer. I beat upon it I raise mx Yo1cs. acarcelx thought coul