The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-06

guess she'll stay here leetle longer,
sir"
Time was vital, and this obstinacy made
Braine furious He reached again for Flor
ence.
Clear out O here, r show your author.
ity." growled Barnes.
She goes with me, or you'll regret IT,"
All right. But l guess til law won't
hurt me none. I'm in my rights. There's
the door, Mister"
| refuse to 90 without her!,
Barnes sighed. He was on land a man NJ
peace, but there was limit to his patience.
He seized Braine by the shoulders and hus-
tied him out Of the house.
Bring your proofs, Mister, an nothin'
more'l be said: but till y bring 'em, keep,
away from this cottage"
And simple minded sailor that he was. 10
thought this settled the matter
That night he kept his ears open for UNI
usual sounds, but he merely wasted his
nights rest Quite naturally. he reckoned
that the stranger would make his attempt
at night Indeed, he made 1t In broad day
light, with Barnes not a hundred yards away.
calking a dory whose seams had sprung
leak. Braine had Florence upon the char
tered yacht before the old man realized what
had happened. He never saw Florence
again; but one day. months later, he read
all about her in newspaper.
Florence fought; but she was weak. AMI
so the conquest was easy. Brane was kind
hml
talked to her. but she merely stared at the
receding coast.
AN right; don't talk II you don't want to.
Here" to one of the men, :" take her to the
cabin and keep her there. But don't you
touch her. III break you if you do. Put
her in her cabin and guard the door. at
least keep eye on It, She may take 1t
into her head to jump overheard
Even the temporarily demented are not
without species of cumming. Florence had
never seen Braine till he appeared at the
Barnes cottage. Yet she revolted at the
touch Of his hand: hated him with a violence
which would have stirred the scientific In
terest Of an alienist. She wanted to hurt
him, torture him, beat him down aud trampls
on him. But as this was a physical impos.
sibility, she did the next most agreeable
thing to her disordered mind. On the second
day ost toward New York, she found 4 box
of matches and blithely set fire to her cabin,
walked out into the corridor and thence to
the deck. When the fire was discovered II
had gained too much Roadway to be stopped.
The yacht was doomed. They put OF in the
baat ard f1~ kafH -
Fate has everything mapped ont like q
game Of chess. You move pawn. and bang
goes your bishop. your knight. or your
king; or she let's YOU almost win game.
and then checkmates you. But there is one
thing to be said in her favor--rail at he.
how we will, she is always giving odds to tina
innocent.
Nike Bannock was In the pilothease, loek-
Ing over his charts, waen the lookout in the
crows nest sang out: :" Two boats adrift
off the port bow, sir!' And Bannock, who
WAS first class sailor, although a rough
one. shouted down the tube TO the engine
room. The freighter came to halt in
about ten minutes. The castaways saw that
"A
the oars
There are some things which science. we'll
advanced it Is. cannot explain. Among
them is the shock which cuts of the past
and the countershock which reawakens mem
DRY. They may write treatise after treatise
and exponnd but they never succeed ID truly
getting beyond that dark wall OF mystery.
At the sound Of Jim Nortcns voice ard at
the sight of his face--for subconsciously she
must have been thinking OF him ali the
while-a great binding heat.wave seemed to
burn across her eyes. and when the effect
passed away she was herself again. A wild
glance at her surroundings convinced her
that both she and her lover were In danger.
Keep back" whispered Jim. Don't
recognize me-"
They believe that I've lost my mind. and
III keep that idea in their heads. Some
time tonight III find . chance to talk to
YOU"
Jim kept in the background. 1t IL doubtful
If Braine would have recognized him. He
was grimy with coal dust. for he had been
put in the hottomless pit a. stoker; AMI
there was three days growth OF beard on
his face.
1t took good deal Of cautious maneuver.
ing to bring about the meeting.
"They ahanghaied me. And thought 80
dead! 1t was all wrong. II was a trick Of
that Perigoff woman, and it succeeded. Girl,
girl, love you better than life!"
~ know 1t now" she said; and she kissed
him. Has my father appeared YETI"
mo-"