Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1915-09-24
CHAPTER VII.
The Flash Flare,

Neal I1hTulu VI Tue Ouitcu Otutcn
life.saving service at Seaport, N j,
swung down the narrow lane toward
the beach Before he reached the in
tervening railroad tracks q train
pulled ina shore train from New
York Its last two cars blocked Meals
progress toward the beach--and he
was forced to wait until the train
pulled out again Meantime, while the
train was stationary. Il single passen-
ger alighted "a smartly dressed young
woman.
She stopped, once she had alighted
and glanced about her In uncertain
ty She caught sight OF Neal and
started toward him
IF you don't mind" said the young
woman. In dulcet tones-and with just
the trace OF foreign accent In her
voice-"if you do not mind. should
like to find the post office--if you
have one here"
Neal nodded Il go past there" an.
swered Neal, I'll take you to It
Come with me.
Neal liked her-but she didn't ring
true
This is the post once" he ex-
claimed at length
Neal passed on toward the beach
He had not gone far when he heard u
woman's scream He looked back In
front Of the post office a crumpled
heap turned out to be the pretty WON
an
II slipped Il Notwithstanding
she exclaimed, "and. oh--the pain-the
pain
Where" queried the postmaster
my foot. my ankle" returned the
young lady 1T is bad-bad
She fell back, half tainting. In Meals
arms The postmaster nodded to Neal
"she was going to your mothers
Neal" he said
my mothers" gasped Neal. does
does she know my MOTHER
The postmaster shook his head
She wanted quiet place-not
boarding house nor nothing OF the
kind quiet place for her and her
old father ! gave her your mothers
name didn't know thought may
be your mother might take 'em in"
Neal clutehed her in his strong arms
and staggered to his feet.
"I'll take you to my mothers" he
said aloud that's where you were
bound III Mrs Hsrdins son"
Meals mother, Mrs. Captain Hardin.
had spent a good part OF the last hour
In the attic of her coy little house,
She was delying into the depths of an
OLD leather trunk and that meant
that she was delying into the past.
AT the very bottom Of the trunk
where she had placed them years ago,
was u newspaper package carefully
tied up She orened It and spread its
contents on the lid OF the trunk They
consisted OF the clothing the
clothing OF a little glrl-ihe dress
and the linen articles had turned
slightly yellow even the thirteen
years had left their mark upon them.
But this was not all-there was q
bag OF gold the bag OF gold that the
little girl had brought aboard the Prin-
cess during that day of terror back at
Martinique And pinned to the tiny
dress was still the note hastily pen
ciled by an unknown hand.
am Annette llneton, heiress OF
the lost Isle Of cinnabar. will be
very rich some day. Save my clothes
and the oiskin packet until my father
comes for me, or until an, eighteen.
| must look out for man with ssbsr
cut upon his face. For Gods sake,
weep me SAFE.
She was startled by Annettes cry
from below Hastily she slowed away
l. Q contents Of the newspaper pack
aye and shut and locked the trunk.
When she reached the living room,
she started back A young woman,
her skirt dusty with the dirt Of the
road, was lying full length upon the
lounge Her eyes were closed Neal
was standing at her head, placing
wet cloth unon her forehead Annette
removed her shoe.
"Ah. the pain--the pain" groaned
the sufferer.
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