The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-12-16

investigation would remove the doubt
or confirm H. Somebody on the
boat mus, know the deckhand. or
know enough about him TO establish
his real identity.
Charlotte worried over the vretched
ENHANCEMENT all day. and was so dis
trait and absent minded that her aunt
remarked IL. naming Il malaria and
prescribing quinine. whereat Char.
lotte ~dissernbled and put or q mask OF
eheerTulness. keeping Il on until after
the evening meal and her aun;'s early
retiring But when she vas released
she was glad enough 10 go out on the
promenade just forward OF the star.
board p~aedle-boI. where there we're
no after-dinner loungers. 70 be alone
with her problem and free 70 plunge
onee more into It's i~n;rieaeies.
Il was possibly ten minutes later.
while she stood leaning against a
stanchion and watching the lights Of a
distant town rise Z Of the vatery
horizon ahead. that chance. the FINAL
t-biter IN 50 many human involve.
ments. led her quickly into the valley
o. decision. She heard a mans step
on the steeply pitched stair leading
down from the hurricane deck. Before
she could turn away he vas confront.
Ing her; the man whose name on the
Belle jules crew roster was John
Wesley Gavitt.
Grlswold's appearance was less for.
tuitous than 1t seemed TO be. As a re-
ward Of merit for having saved the
mates life. he had been told Of TO
serve temporarily as man-ot-all.work
for the day pilot. who CHANGED 20 be
without a steersman. His watch IN
the pilothouse vas over. and be vas
on his way TO the crews quarters be
low when he stumbled upon Miss
Farnham. Mindful Of his earlier slip.
he passed her as IL she had been in.
visible. She let him 90 until her OBJ
portunity was all but lost; then. pluck.
ing courage out Of the heart OF des.
peratior. she spoke.
One moment. II you please: III
want 70 ask you something" she fal.
tered; and be wheeled obediently and
faced her.
Followed q pause. inevitable. but
none the less awkward for the n
vbo was responsible. Grisvold felt
rather than saw. her embarrassment,
and was generous enough 70 try TO
help her.
Il think ! know what you wish 10
say; you are quite at liberty TO say
H." he offered, when the pause had
grown into an obstacle which she
seemed powerless 70 surmount
Il thought perhaps-I had hoped
oh. for goodness sake. Why did you
do ~" she burst out. no longer able
10 fence with the weapons OF indirect.
less.
He answered her frankly.
1t was the old story OF one mans
o%verplenty and another mans need.
Have you ever known what II means
TO go hungry for sheer ~poyerty's
sake?-but, Of course. you haven't"
NO" she admitted.
Well. / have; was hungry that
morning; very hungry. ! know this
doesn't excuse the thing-to you. But
perhaps IL may help TO explain It"
Il think ! can un~derstand-a little.
But surely"
He stopped her with e quick little
gesture.
Il know what you are going 10 say
that ! should have been willing 10
work, or even 10 beg. rather than
steal. ! was willing 10 work: was
not willing 10 beg. ! know II 10 ell
wrong from your point OF view; but I
should be sorry 20 have you think
that ! did what believed 10 be
wrong"
But think OF It; 81 you are right.
everyone else must be wrongi"
No; not quite everyone. But that
Is a very large question, and we
needn't 20 into IL. ] confess that my
method was unconventional; a little
more summary than that OF the usu.
rers and the strictly legal robbers, but
quite as deiensible. For they rob the
poor and the helpless, while / merely
dispossessed q rich corporation OF
a portion Of It's exactions from the
many
Then you are not sorry? saw
you yesterday afternoon and hoped
you were"
He laughed unpleasantly. Il wa
sorry. then, and I am now; for the
same reason. have lost the money"
Lost ~" she sasped. "How?"
Il had hidden It. and ! suppose some
one else has found II. II is all right
so far as the ownership is concerned:
but am still self-centersd enough e
be chagrined about IT,"
But you must have returned II IN
the end. You could never have been
content TO keep IL"
DO you think so?" he rejoined. 81
! think ! could have been quite .onteu,
: TO keep II. But that Ia past; II n
: gone, and | couldn't return IL II
wanted to-"
No" she acquiesced; and tina,
makes II all the harder"
~