Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1913-10-24

l naO brought II on myself l realized.
but that made it no more baarable
Indeed | was mad mad all througl: |
outraged in dignity Inundated in self
respect. and were it not foolish to
speak so of a man of my years and
sturdiness. should say l was broken |
in heart
My mistress had been so kind to me
that ! had dwelt in a FOOLS paradise.
! awoke to realize that she had not
forgotten the difference between our
stations. | had forgotten it in these
long months at sea. By heavens the
sight of her was enough to make d
man forget anything if he loved her
us |:
There: The secret is out hut make
no doubt you gneSSed il long before
But she had not There was no mirror
in the cai,in hut could we'll guess
that the sight of me- was not sufficient
II prepossessing TO make any woman
forget Yet she had been so kind
was her only cOnfitlant or conlitaniun
III the ship | had forgotten | had
endeavored to leap the gap. had
eondly hoped that the one thing in me
that was .ruIv great my passion fc.r
| her-wonld land me safely by har side.
did not see how she could fail to
| comprehend it, though DID cry to dis
| guise it.
| We'll. that love of mine, it had not
| Brought her nearer. On the contrary
| It had put NE u.4der lock and key
| And here | WAS. shut up like criIui
uai in my own cabin in her ship. or
nine. for that matter. Come to think
81 it, that moment | believe love had
completely disappeared. | could recall
and can to this day. for that matter
the fierce burning rush of color to her
cheek where | had kissed it: the fire
VI rage and surprise mingled which
spanked IN her eyes. The Duke OF
Arc ea,er lau marked for life for less
than this. | recalled III shame /
hardly recollected the fierce blow of
ner hand upon my face That was
nothing. But was undone. All the
! patient devotion Of years all the re-
straint OF the long voyage, had come
to liaugnt.
There was plenty of bright starlight
on deck. She had stepped out from
the dark shadow Of the spencer and
had followed on her heels The first
night watch had not yet been called
and the men. idled about the decks
waiting the boatswain's shr;H whistle
IS, had noted it all | can stM their sheer
ing laughing faces even now.
AS it was. | drew myself up anC
waited while she sent for good ole
Captain Matthews and. vouchsafng NJ
| explanations. .imperiously babe hin
stow me below as a prisoner in N,
cabin He didn't relish the job. bu
went about it forthwith Indeed,
! did not wait for further orders afte
her look and glance. l stalked below
as haughtily as you please 1t was he
ship, as she had said and as she Ger
tainly believed. and had it not been
who could deny her anything? Not
forsooth | could steal kiss. but no
balk her will And here l was tn
mate Of the Rose of/Devon. and bu
for my own remuneration | had bee
hef captain. engaged in this will
goose chase. this foolish search TO
treasure for so it seemed to me ther
locked up below like any mutinou
dog at the behest of a woman that
could have broken between my thum
and finger. And after all | had don
and sacrificed for her too.
Come to think of it, | had alway
loved her. ever since those days whe
|. the gardeners boy, had been be
faithful and devoted slave. An
through the long years when | ha
- been far voyaging in distant seas l ha
= kept her memory.fresh and sweet an
- true Although | had been in man
:, rough places | had seen life from tt
seamy oside. and the common lot of
= sailor of my day had been mine.
There are no better seamen in ma
y row seas or broad than l. had wor
- - ed my way up through the forecast
~ to the quarterback. | had natur
. gift for figures l could take sight al
work out position as we'll as al
:. book taught navigator, and had be-
, a great reader too. My private cab
" was ever crowded with books. Mu'
70 of my earnings were spent that wa
| had wit enough to choose good book
q too. and perseverance enough to stut
hem we'll
IL l knew more than she-oh. mu
III more! = about everything but the I
e ages of good society, and | had
IL least learned something Of good ma
ners in her company since her fathe
IL death My shipmates used to laugh
er me for being book delver-a. wor
Ike tbav vera wont to call it. Well. tn
er didn't laugh very long. There W
be nothing nhvsical for which / ne