, 1915-01-14

the quick. The next moment she
wheeled and. raising her hand. dung
toward the rail the key to the store
room door. / caught her hand-too
late.
But fate was on my side after all.
AS ! stood still gripping her wrist the
key fell ringing almost at my feet. II
had struck one of the lower yard
braces. | stopped and. picking It up,
pocketed It.
She was dazed. | think. She made
no effort to free her arm. but she put
her other hand to her heart unexpect-
eddy, and | saw that she was profound
ly shocked. ! led her unprotesting to
q deck chair and put her down in 1t.
and still h had not spoken. She lay
back and closed her eyes She was too
strong to faint. She was superbly
healthy. But she knew as well as
did what that key meant. and she had
delivered 1t into my hands. As for
me. Twas driven hard that night, for
as i stood there looking down ut her
she held out her hand to me. palm up.
cas- she said pleadingly. What
does it mean to you, Leslie? We were
kind to o weren't we? When you
were Ill we took you on, my sister and
l, and now you hate us. Please!'
Some n viii suffer. Would you
have tie innocent suffer with the
guilty?"
IF they cannot prove it against any
one
They may prove it against me-"
your
81 was in the after house." I said
doggedly. Il was the one to raise an
alarm and to find the bodies. You do
not know anything about me. l am
'Elsa's jailbirdr"
"Who told you thatf"
1T does not matter-I know 1t. l
told you the truth, Miss Elsa; | came
here from the hospital. But l may
have to fight for my life. Against the
Turner money and influence, 1 have
only-this key. Shall l give it to your"
l held it out to her on the palm OF
my hand 1t was melodramatic, prob
ably; but 1 was very young, anu by
that time wildly in love with her. 1
thought, for a moment, that she would
take it,. but she only drew a deep
breath and pushed my hand away.
Keep it." she said. Il am ashamed"
We were silent after that, she staring
out over the rail at the deepening sky;
and, looking at her as one looks at a
star. | thought she had forgotten my
presence, 30 long she sat silent. The
voices of the men aft died away
gradually, as, one by one, they rolled
themselves in blankets on the deck. not
to sleep, but to rest and watch. The
lookout, in his lonely perch high above
the deck. called down guardedly to
ask for company. and one Of the crew
went up.
When she turned to mi again. 1t raj
to find my eyes fixed on her.
You are not getting much chance to
rest" she said, with a sigh. and got
up. l wen with her to the companion
way and opened the door,. She turned
and looked at me.
Good night"
Good night. Miss Lee"
IL feel very safe with you on
guard" she said and held out her
hand. 1 took 1t in mine, with my
heart leaping. 1t was cold as ice.
That night, at four bells. | mustered
the crew as silently as possible around
the jolly boat and we lowered 1t into
the water. The possibility Of a dead
calm had convinced me that the sooner
1t was done the better.
We dropped the jolly boat astern and
made fast the rope. 1t gave me a
curious feeling, that small boat rising
and falling behind us, with its dead
crew and its rocking light and on its
| side above the water line the black
cross-a curious feeling Of pursuit. as
II. across the water, they in he boat
were following US. And, perhaps be.
cause the light varied. sometimes Ii
seemed to drop behind, as If wearyine
of the chase, and again, III great leaps,
to be overtaking us, to be almost
upon US.