The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-09-11

Her presence on the ship, too, was
a mystery. Alone in the little Rose
of Devon with thirty men. BY evil
mishap the maid she had brought with
her had died after brief illness two
weeks out Captain Matthews and
were for turning back, but she said no
she would 90 on. We had lost toe
much time already and her all was
embarked. We were now blowing the
blue waters of the Pacific. and |. mate
of the ship and the only other officer
to be trusted locked up!
We were nearing the latitude and
longitude Of the island. Suppose the
men rose in mutiny! | ground my
teeth in rage. The men liked me well
enough. and l had been particular to
keep them in good humor. passing over
many a thing for her sake that would
have followed with blow had she moi
been there. Captain Matthews had
complained once or twice OF my lax
lty, but knew things that he didn't,
Ind l had done what l deemed best
for her. l pledge you my word that
l didn't care a farthing for the treas
ure. had never given it much
thought. l grew to believe in 1t less
and less as we got further from home.
and if had been stronger for my duty
and weaker in my love l would have
lssuaded her from the voyage, follow
SnU Joofor Eick1in's Load
Now, that she was poor and alone,
neglected and forgotten, had enjoyed
Il foolish dream that could be COM
panion to her-a life shipmate!-for
the captain was rough, plain old sail
or What a fool I was! And yet it
had worked in some way as l had in
tended. We had been thrown into
closer intimacy by the loneliness Of her
position and my faithful and, until that
night, most unobtrusive, self effacing
devotion.
| suppose it never entered her head
that could presume to love her, con-
sequently she was less careful than she
had been otherwise, and that very
night when had poured out my decla-
ration to her she had had no words
with which to meet it. l thought her
silence was consent. l see now that
1t was Amusement. seized her in my
arms like the brute she must have
thought me, lifted her up and kissed
her fair on the lips and then on her
averted cheek. Arcester, the black
guard, could have done no worse. l
will never forget how she stigmatized
me-"brute, coward, low born" | don't
drel duke so fiercely.
Well, l didn't care what she had
called me. Her safety, her life, her
honor demanded that l be released
That was the paramount concern.
l listened. | thought l heard a foot
fall in the outer cabin. Could she be
there? l suppose that had been lock
ed up for perhaps an hour. Aye, on
the instant the bell forward struck
three. We kept man-of-war customs
at her fancy. The sound came to me
family. as listened Half past 9.
She could not have gone to her berth
yet. She must be there in the great
cabin. l ventured to call.
What it cost me any man can imag-
ine-and to humble myself to ask her
mercy too. l am a man Of fierce tenn
per, as you have deemed, but l can
control II on occasion, and did It
now. shook the door Of the cabin
gently at first and then vigorously
and called once and again. There was
no answer. | beat upon it. l raised
my voice. l scarcely thought l could
be heard on deck. The wind was
blowing. the sea was heavy, and the
ship was pitching wildly. The strain
ing, the creaking, the grooming of the
timbers would have prevented such a
noise as made from attracting atten-
ton unless some one were in the cabin.
But all in vain. No heed was paid
to me, and yet l could swear that
somebody was there. don't know
how exactly, but | was conscious Of
her presence Perhaps because ! was
so in love with her that l could al
ways tell whether she was about. |
can to this day.
It made me madden than before to
20 thus unheeded was on the point
of giving over my endeavor, but |
thought of the peril in which she
stood.
MADAM" l whispered softly. and
fhan more loudlv "Nfadam"
did not venture to say any other
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