The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-12-31

crept into the hold. I don't want him
to know l am on board-he mustn t
know" She locked up into his face
with confidence.
Il can pay for my passage when we
! land" she added quickly
'sBut have no cabin vacant, young
lady"
'Couldn't do some work. be a cabin
boy or something like that" she sug.
gested vaguely, as the ships master
threw back his head and gave vent
to such laughter that tears rolled down
his weather beaten cheeks.
THAT'S good one he roared. by
! George, | believe that would straighten
the whole mess out and make me the
master of the first boat that has had
u cabin boy since the old sailing days
! Young man. he added with mock
| gravity, "I'il take YOU to my cabin
now, where your enemy will have no
chance of seeing you. The steward
will be the only one in our secret He
ran outfit you and pass his Instructions
regarding your duties at night
Lucille clasped her hands delighted
| ~, her eyes twin stars of delight at
the perfect working out of her diff
| ficulties. Working ut night there could
| be but scant chance for LOubequcS
recognizing her, if he retained his
secretive habits ana it was usually at
! nighttime that he paced the deck
and left his cabin alone. No position
could more adequately have given her
an opportunity to search the mans
cabin for the stolen documents and
papers.
The thought Of it fairly took away
her breath, was still all dominant in
her mind while she listened to the
stewards Instructions. She saw inn
mediately that her position aboard was
little more than q jest of the ships
MASTER for she had little to do save
81 bit Of busting about the saloons, and,
| i'll the event OF storms keeping the cap
tain on the bridge for protracted
stretches, fetching him hot tea She
laughed with him ut her position when
she showed herself before lin in Il
iiattv White duck slit. which made her
slender fragility more apparent and
more appealing than ever.
That very evening she found the
suit occupied by the international spy.
Loubeque showed himself ut night not
long after the middle watch, his tall
/; form smothered in Il long ulster. the
| upturneu collar of which conceal led
most OF his features from sight. She
noticed the bulldog grip with which be
! held the cigar between his teeth, its
oil 4
his deep set eyes. She knew the ten
sion under which he labored was prob
ably due to the disquietiug news be
had received at the last moment re-
garding her escape
Every night 1T exactly the same time
he came out upon the deck and for
! two nights Lucille tried to bolster I'D
/ her courage sufficiently to enter the
| sfateroom, but always the sound Of
] that ominous. steady step Oh the deck
! dissuaded her. On the fourth night she
! felt herself trembling with subcon~
scious knowledge that tonight was to
he the time when she made her at
tempt. Consciously, she was positive
she could not force herself to Go it. but
something from within impelled he,
/ feet in the opposite direction from that
! taken by the spy. At the door of the
stateroom she halted. Ioubeque was
moving toward her, silent, inDerturb-
able. grim, fearsome figure Two
bells sounded. lucille watched the
spy His habits were remarkably
regular i'll their very irreguIarity. For
another bell he Wouid not return to lis
Stateroom.
! She turned the Knob and entered
closing the door softly. 1t would be a
simple place 10 search. the furniture
being scanty and I.oubeque travelling
without much luggage.
! Swiftly she worked, turning every
thing upside down aud carefully lay
Ing al signs of her search afterWar,l