The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-07-26
cooNalcM or cMakJ 5oe6noe5 somS

she asserted quietly. 1T would be
simple duty to go willingly. The nrst
thing I thought Of was that l ought
to write at once to Mr.. Galbraith, CIV
ing him my address"
Thereupon issued discussion. At
the end Of the argument the conserv'
alive one had extorted q conditional
promise from her niece. The matter
should remain in allegiance until the
question of conscientious obligation
had been submitted to Charlottes Ia
Their and decided by him.
An hour later. when Miss Gilman
was deep in the last installment Of the
current serial, Charlotte let her book
slip from her fingers and gave herself
to the passive enjoyment of the slow.
ly-passing panorama which is the chief
charm Of inland voyaging.
From where she was sitting she
could see the steamers yawl swinging
from its tackle at the stern-staff; ana
after many minutes it was slowly
borne in upon her that the ropes were
working loose A man came ait to
make the loosened tackle fast.
Something half familiar in his man
ner attracted Charlotte's attention.
| and her eyes followed him as he went
on and hoisted the yawl into place.
When he came back she had fair
sight of his face and her eyes met his.
In the single swift glance half.fcrmed
suspicion became undoubted certainty;
she looked again and her heart gave q
great bound and then seemed sud.
denly to forget its ONCE. 1t was use
less to try to escape from the dismay.
ing fact. The stubble-bearded deck
hand with the manner Of q gentleman
was most Enthusiastically a later rein.
carnation of the pleasantly smiling
young man who had courteously made
way for her at the tellers wicket In
the Bayou State Security; who had
smiled and given place to her while
he was holding his pistol aimed at
President Galbraith.
It was said of Charlotte Farnham
that she was sensible beyond her
years, and withal strong and straight
forward in honesty Of purpose. None
q
she saw what was before her, con-
science turned traitor and fed away
to give place to an uprush Of hesitant
doubts born of the sharp trial Of the
moment.
She got upon her feet, steadying her
self by the back Of her shair She fell
that she could not trust herself II she
once admitted the thin edge of the
wedge Of delay. The simple and
straightforward thing to do was to &
Immediately to the captain and tell hin
, of her discovery. but she shrank from
, the thought Of what must follow. The!
would seize him: he had proved tina
= he was a desperate man. and Their
would be struggle. And when tn
s struggle was over they would brin
I him to her and she would have =
q stand forth as his accuser.
. It was too shocking, and she caugh
at the suggestion of an ALTERNATIVE
N with a gasp of relief. She might writ
Y to President Galbraith. giving such
\ description of the deck-hand as woul
N enable the officers to identify hill
q without her personal help. 1t wa
like dealing the man a treacherou
blow in the back, but she thought
81 would be kinder.
IN Aunt Fanny" she began, with ht
NM face averted. Il promised you
NV wouldn't write to Mr.. Galbraith INT
after we reached home-until l hs
told papa. have been thinking abol
y It since, and IL think 1t must
done at once"
Griswoid had come upon Miss Far
ham Unexpectedly. and when he pass
her on his way forward he had SCI
"a the swift change in her face betoke
! ing some sudden emotion, and the n
objection of it troubled him.
What II this clear-eyed young pers
had recognized him? He knew th
the New Orleans papers had COZ
aboard; he had seen the folded CO
geo of the Louisianian in the invalid's ls
Consequently. Miss Farnham knew
-, the robbery, and the incidents we
~ fresh In her mind. What would s
'''o do II she had penetrated his DISCUS
IN. He had a shock of genuine ter
ep. at this point and his skin prickled
at the touch of something loathso
,,ea Up to that moment he had sufe
Of none Of the pains of the hunted
gitive; but he knew now that he
but fairly entered the gates of the
ned laws inferno; that however cum
,sly ly he might cast about to throw
, II. pursuers off the ira (, he would ne
again. know what it was to be VIII
free from the terror Of the arrow
bout fieth by day.
at The force Of the Scriptural SIT
nile came to him with startling emphs
|, or bringing on a return Of the prick
ONE dismay. The stopping Of the pad
ling
hing v,..,. ord tho rafting changer Of
gang-plank winch aroused him to
sei ton and he shook off the creel
rosl numbness and ran aft to rummage
!" - der the cargo on the engineer
guards for his precious bundle. W
so1' his hand reached the place wher
u" should have been, the blood Sui
in' to his brain and set up clamo
DINING in his ears like the roa
'ool" Of a cataract The niche between
VI w coffee sacks was empty.