The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-10-23


Get back into your cabin. l win have
speech with you later" Helpless, she
could do nothing | thrust her into
the cabin, shut the door and faced the
men. "will you gentlemen leave me
alone to tame this she devil for lit
tie while. and will be on deck pres
emily" painted out
Very WELL" said Pimball, 'but be-
fore we go'-he pointed to heavy
! bottle in the rack-"I propose that we
drink the health of the new navigator
and his lady"
"Right-or said !.
| reached for the glasses that were
In the rack and poured out stif
dram for each man and added mighty
little water to it. The room was soon
filed with mocking. jeering toasts to
my health and happiness I drank
with the rest. although would rather
have swallowed poison. They went
out one by one. Pimball last
81 wish you joy of your woman" he
sneered.
"You will see how tame she Is to-
morrow" | laughed as he climbed up
the ladder and soon disappeared.
To throw open the door of the cab
in was the work of minute. There
she stood. She had twisted some kind
of a rope out of the sheets which she
had hastily torn up. Her purpose was
plain. She had intended to end her
life by hanging herself from the hook
in the deck beam above to which one
end of her rope was secured, and she
would have done 1t, too. If ! had not
come in in the nick of time.
| stared at her for moment and
then reached forward and tore the
plated strands out of her hand and
from around her neck and threw them
to the deck 1t was evidence to me
Of the deepness of her despair that
she had attempted such thing. 1t
showed me for one thing the excel
lence of my acting. | had convinced
even her of my villainy, realized
with sudden pang.
Hard as stared at her, the glance
that she shot back at me in intensity,
if moi expression. matched my own.
never want to see such loathing
such contempt such scorn on human
countenance again. 1t cut me to the
heart
"A moment" she said wildly, land
! had done it, traitorp'
May. nay" | protested. 81 am a
true man"
"You bargained for me; you bought
mel"
al was not in earnest" | cried, but
she interrupted me in a perfect tenn
pest of outraged feeling.
"My Godw she burst out. "Why
didn't you stay away little longer?
You dog You vile, low
But at that I found voice again. for
was getting angry myself, my tenn
per naturally being none the sweet
est. save ordinarily when she was con-
cerned.
Hear me-" interrupted in turn.
mot a word
"But indeed you must" | persisted.
stepping within her cabin and careful
ly closing the door after me. ut is
your welfare alone that ! seek.
think you should have known that"
After the insult on the quarterback
hst EVENING"" she asked cuttingly.
Madam" said |, controlling myself
sgain. hut with added difficulty. "our
concern is not with kisses, but with
"What?"
Life and 7sSs$R -,
[ hesitated.
"What else? Speak onp -
"Your honor" said slowly. whereat
she stared at my face. doubtless stern
enough in all conscience.
What had to say concerned us both
so deeply that | cared not what she
said. and perhaps that closed cabin
into which | had penetrated was the
likeliest place for privacy in the whole
ship conld by no means be over
heard so determined to speak freely
in way not to he misunderstood.
"I mean You no harm Can you not
see ity burst out 1T was all a
play"
"a play!" she painted. "The murder
of the captain. the mutiny of the men,
the seizure of the ship, the giving up
the chart, your purchase"-she drew
herself up-God, she was a brave little
thing-"of me- she continued, with
your share of the treasure-was that a
playT
part of 1t, madam" said |, stung
by her scorn and stunned again by
the thought that she could ever have
believed me capable of such baseness
who had loved her, worshiped her ant
but for that heeting moment wheI
had kissed her-had ever treated hel
with such humble consideration. :"
bought not you"
what then?"
! THE right to live and serve you
the right for you to live unharmet
and"-
"And what?"
"And be served by me with nj
, thought but for your safety and hap
piness"
She stared at me in deep consterna