The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-19
CHAPTER xiii.
Through Desperate Hazards.

N narD0r or Whltehayen, max
J. ing mystery and fairyland O
the dark water and crowded
shipping on which the riding light!
were already cleaning. Here ant
there motorboats moved swiftly, bu
whether any one of these was the one
in which he had seen the wife wht
was blindly fleeing from his love Lore
CeciPs strainlng sight could not deter
mine
Suddenly Cecirs searching eyes fas
tened upon the figure of woman
near the end of one of the piers.
As he draw near quickly he coult
see that she was no longer young. an6
weeping had disfgured her patient
lined face. She was praying silently
with clinched hands and tightly shut
eyes. Suddenly, with gasp of terror
she stepped to the edge of the plank
ing and for an instant wavered on the
brink. below which the black water
Tapped sullenly against the piles
With flash of comprehension Cecil
leaped forward.
In all the forty years of her dral
rolored life nothing of poetry or ro
tnance had come to Sarah Gray. Sun.
shine itself seemed to stagnate in the
dull little town. and the souls of the
Villagers We're as cramped and prosaic
ns the existence they led. No one re.
nembered that Sarah Gray had once
been a girl or could have dreamed that
her heart still hungered fiercely for the
love that had never come its way.
Sarah Gray was eminentiy respecta-
Bile. even according to Dullwich stand
ards. Her familiar conduct with the
stranger was therefore as inexplicable
as it was shocking.
The stranger had appeared. from no
one knew where. and lodged himself
ut the White Falcon inn. His name.
he had given Landlord Higgs to under
stand. was Captain Lars Peterson.
TO Sarah those were dream days
TO her at last had come romance. In
credible. almost terrifying. unimagina-
bly, sweet. love had swiftly developed
from an apparently chance acquaint-
ance with Captain Peterson.
They would go to America. he told
her. where he had large interests and
where he desired TO establish his per-
manent home. Her old mother would
be left in the care of some good peo-
pie at Dullwich until they had estab-
Iished themselves. when they would
return for her. Sarah would sell her
cottage. draw her savings from the
bank and meet him in Whitehaven.
where they would be married and then
sail in his own ship to the land of
wealth and happiness. And then he
went away. telling her to follow as
soon as she had arranged for her
mother and disposed of their cottage.
Unquestioningly Sarah Gray carried
out the suggestions made to her. Then,
with nearly 1000 in her hand bag, she
hurried joyously to Whitehaven. and
there occurred what one more worldly
wise than Sarah Gray would have
guessed would be the end of her be-
lated romance.
1t was good scheme, Captain Pie
terson had frequently asserted to his
intimates and one which he invariably
worked when his tramp schooner lay
long enough in any port of the seven
seas. to make love to an old maid with
little money, get the money in his
pocket and then brutally give the wo.
man to understand that she had been
tricked. Generally they drowned them
selves and matters were satisfactorily
concluded.
1t was Sarah Gray whom Lord Cecil
snatched back from the edge of the
pier and from whom he soon extracted
the essential facts of her pitiful story.
This mans ship has not vet sailed?"
Cecil asked. his lips drawing into
hard line.
Not vet. think" she answered
duly. There has not been time for
Captain Peterson to get aboard. He
had just left me when-when you came, |
and went In rowboat The ship. the |
Najhoy. was anchored far out. l heard
him say"
Then come" Cecil ordered and hur-
ried the unrcsisting woman away.
Further along the line of wharfs
waterman was just mooring his monde.
script mOtorboat. He nodded indiffer
entity when Cecil demanded If his craft
was for hire and cast off the line he
lad made fast.
Where to?' he grunted as Cecil and
Sarah Gray seated themselves ON the
boards.