The Lamar register., 1913-10-22

ulunt reel tudt dow Oh Tue
cheek. but as l thought on 1t
1t 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.
l didn't want to help it. would kiss
the deck plank she hallowed with her
footsteps
There was another side to my con
finement. 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 dangers that
beset her as perhaps no one else could
and my confinement added to her peril.
She didn't realize that; nobody aft on
the ship realized it. There was a 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 villainous looking boatswain.
PimbaIl. We had shipped a lot Of
smart seamen. about the average In
quality and above the average In
smartness. ! decided as the days had
passed with nothing happening. but
Pimball had signed some l could wish
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
mishap the maid she had brought with
her had died after u brief illness two
weeks OUT Captain Matthews and ]
were for turning back. but she said no.
she would 20 on We had lost too
much time already and her all was
embarked. We were now blowing the
blue waters II 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 mntiny. ground my
teeth In rage. The men liked me we.,
enough. and had been particular to
keep them In good humor. passing over
many thing for her sake that would
have followed with n blow had she not
been there. Captain Matthews had
complained once or twice Of my lax
ity, but knew things that he didn't.
and I had done what ! deemed best
for her. pledge you my word that
didn't care farthing for the treas
ure. | had never given 1t much
thought. ! grew to believe In 1t less
and less us we got further from home.
and II had been stronger for my duty
and weaker in my love l would have
dissuaded her from the voyage. follow
ing Master Ficklin's lead.
Now. that she was poor and alone,
neglected and forgotten. | had enjoyed
a foolish dream that could be a com
panion to her-a life shipmate,-for
the captain WIS rough. plain old sail
or. What fool | was. And yet 1t
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 efracing
devotion.
l suppose 1t 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 I had poured ont my decla
ration to her she had had no words
with which to meet IL. | thought her
silence was consent. 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 OH the lips and then ON her
averted cheek. Arcester. the black
guard, could have done no worse
will never forget how she stigmatized
To