Evening star., 1914-12-27
Continued from page 9

gers and had lost the savings of fifteen years
in the wreck. The loss had unbalanced his
mind. As Pericles raised his eyes to Marian
Craig she was talking quickly. nervously:
"That bit of newspaper said she, "has
had the power to reach into the conscience
of the man who sold himself to Nillsen &
Rosenthal to dynamite and lose the Seminole.
He is broken man now, and from his hiding
place he has sent me toto you-to show you
where the wreck lies hidden, and then to
leave it to you to do with him as you please.
He was cruelty wronged by the insurance
companies-by Lloyd 's-mary years ago.
He desired vengeance. He lived for it.
But he feels now that-he knows, Capt'n
O'Brien, that two wrongs do not make
right. Nobody except the faithful old boat
swain who helped him escape to sea from
the wreck and-and myself know how"
"Sh-h! Stop!' exclaimed Pericles in
whisper at the name he saw forming on her
lips, and he sprang to the open door and
he went on, "You must not tell me this mans
name. You must never mention it aboard
here, because I-because-" He paused
with his eyes resting on the wireless table,
and the girl thought she knew what he
meant. "Call him simply-the Captain
when you speak of him."
1t was about half-hour afterward that
Pericles looking very white in the twilight,
summoned Coogan. "Hustle, Johnny said
he in strained voice; "for I'm going to sea
on this tide-in an hour. And have the
steward move my dunnage into your room
so we can bunk together. A passenger is
going along with uS-a lady-M1lSS Craig,
who did those drawings of yours"
"Oh, what luck!" laughed Johnny, turning
away to send his sea-horn voice booming
forward in a shake-a-leg command.
nNE week to day from the red autumn
~ evening on which the Salvador put out
of Seattle her wireless was flashing down
from the north the news that the wreck of
the Seminole had at last been definitely To-
Gated in Clarence Strait, and that every
ounce of her treasure was salvable. But
what the Salvator's wireless did not tell was
that Pericles O'Brien had found the liner in
a rocky, protected, nine-fathom pocket that
never would have been discovered except
for the woman passenger the wrecking tug
carried. And as Pericles closed the wireless
that message, he met the frightened gaze of
Marian Craig, where, white and rigid, she
stood with her vivid dark head against the
gold-framed- copy of her Master"
"You need have no fear now," said Peri
cles gently and yet with face as white as
her own. Il will take you south tonight,
and if we are ever asked, ever questioned, by
anybody, about your presence here-why,
our answer shall be that the West Coast
Wrecking & Salvage Company extended to
distinguished artist an uncommon oppor-
tunity to make sketches
"You do not intend TOTO tell Lloyd's or
or the detectives?' she asked in awe.
I'm wrecker, salvor, Miss Craig, not
policeman was his answer, and at that
with shaking sob she hid her face from him
and went cropping toward the door of her
own room. Pericles took a step toward her.
Indecision was no part of his character; but
he paused now. He wanted to tell her that
he understood, that the whole heart of him
ached for her, that he knew how fine and
true and loyal she was,-a woman in ten
thousand to have been able to do what she
had done, and-but his power of speech
seemed to have departed from him, and as
he stood striving to summon it back the
door of her room closed softly between them.
He turned slowly back to the wireless
table again, and as he leaned against it one
of his strong, bronzed hands came to rest on
message that the Salvador, during the
afternoon had snatched out of the air. He
,icLed II IN and road If once moro.