Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-18


no intention Of carrying the matter as far
as he had lntiinated to Billy. except as a
| last resort He had been nightly smitten
| by the face and fortune Of Barbara Hard
| Ing, and had seen In the trend OF events
| possible opportunity of so deeply obligatins
| her father and herself that when he paid
court to her she might fall willing victim
| TO his wiles. In this case he would be
| obliged to risk nothing, and could make
away with his accomplices by explaining
| TO Mr. Harding that he had been COM
| PEELED TO concoct this other scheme to OBJ
tain their assistance against Smms and
| Ward then they could throw the three into
| Irons and all would Be lovely.
But now that fool Ward had upset the
| whole thing by hitting upon this asinine
| fire hoax as an excuse for boarding the
Lotus in force ana had further dampened
| Therieres pet scheme by suggesting TO
| Skipper Simms the danger Of Theriere be-
| ing recognized as they were boarding the
| Lotus and bringing suspicion upon them
all Immediately.
They all knew that pleasure yacht like
the Lotus was we'll supplied with small
| arms and that at the first intimation OF
danger there would be plenty OF men aboard
to repel assault, and, probably, with entire
| success.
| That there were excellent grounds for
| Theriere's belief that he could win Bar
bara Hardings hand with such flying
start as his daring plan would have as
| sured him may not be questioned, for the
man was cultivated. polished, and, in
sinister way, good-looklng.
The title that he had borne upon the oc-
| cason of his visit to the yacht was all
unknown to his accompfices. his by right
| Of birth There was nothing save long
| dead scandal In the French navy that might
| have proved bar TO an alliance such as
| he dreamed of.
| And now to be thwarted at the last mo-
meut It was uncomfortable. That pig OF
a Ward had scaled his own death war
| rant.
The boats were now quite close to the
| yacht, which had slowed down almost to
dead stop. In answer to the query OF the
| Lotus captain. Skipper Simms was ex-
| planning their trouble.
I'm Captain Jones'" he shouted, "of the
brgantine Clarinda, Frisco to Yokohama,
| with dynamite We disabled our Tudder
! yesterday. an this afternoon fire started
| In the hold. It's making headway fast
| now and'll reach the dynamite most any
| time. You'd better take us aboard, an
| get away from here as quick as you can.
| 'Tatnt safe nowhere within five hunder
| fathoms of her"
you'd better make haste, captain, hadn't
| you7" suggested Mr.. Harding
"I don't like the look OF things sir" re.
| piled that officer "She amt hyin' any
| dynamite flag. an II she was an had hold
| ger to us Any one that has ever shipped
| dynamite would know It, or ought to- It's
not fire that detonates dynamite, It's con-
cussion. No. sir Mr.. Harding, there some.
| thing queer here-I don't like the looks OF
It. why. just take good look at the faces
of these men. Did you ever see such an
ugly.looking pack of unhung murderers IN
| your life, sir?"
"I must admit that they're not nn overly
prepossessing crowd. Norris" replied Mr..
In it'g alwayg either fair
| or safe TO Judge strangers entirely by ap-
| pearances. I'm afraid that there's nothing
| else for 1t in the name of common human
| ity than to take them aboard Norris I'm
| sure your fears are entirely groundless."
Then it's your orders, sir. TO take them
| aboard? ?" asked Captain Norris.
"Yes, captain, think you'd better" said
Mr. Harding.
Very good. SIR" replied the officer. turn.
Ing to give the necessary commands.
The officers and men of the Halfmoon
swarmed up the sides of the Lotus dark
vsaged, fierce and forbiddng,
Reminds me of n boarding party of pi-
rates" remarked Billy Mallory. as he
watched Blanco the last to throw n leg
over the rail. reach the deck.
They're not very pretty. are they?" muir
INJURED Barbara Harding. instinctvely
shrinking closer to her companion.
Pretty scarcely describes them, Bar
bara," said Billy. DO you know that some
how I am having difficulty In imagining
them on their knees giving up thanks to the
Lord for their rescue-that was your recent
idea OF em, you will recall"
III you have purposely set yourself the
task of being more than ordinarily disagree
able today, Billy" said Barbara sweetly.
I'm sure it will please you to know that
you succeeding"
I'm glad I'm successful at something
then" laughed the man. i've certainly
been unsuccessful enough In another mat.
ter"
What. for example?" asked Barbara,
falling into the trap.
why in trying to make myself so agree.
able heretofore that you'd finally consent
to say yes for change"
Now, you are going to make It all the
worse by being stupid" cried the girl petu-
lantly. why can't you be nice, as you used
to be before you got this silly notion into
your head?"
II don't think it's a silly notion to be heels
over head in love with the sweetest girl on
earth," cried Billy.
Hush! Some one will hear you"
II don't care II they do. I'd like to ad.
vertse II to the whole world. I'm proud of
the fact that I love you, and you don't care
enough about II to realize how really hard
I'm hit. Why, I'd die for you, Barbara, and
welcome the chance. why My God!
What's that?"
"oh Billy! What are those men done7"
cried the girl. They're shooting They're
shooting at papa! Quick, Billy! Do some
thing! For Heavens sake do something"
On the deck below them the rescued"
crew OF the Clarinda had surrounded Mr..
Harding, Captain Norris and most of the
crew of the Lotus. nashing revolvers from
beneath shirts and coats and firing at two |
OF the yachts men who showed fight
Keep quiet" commanded Skipper Simms,
IAN there won. none OF you get hurried"
what do you want OF us?" cried Mr. |
Harding. III it's money, take what you |
can find aboard us and go on your way. No |
one will hinder you"
Skipper Simms paid no attention to him.
His eyes swept aloft TO the upper deck |
There he saw wide-eyed girl and a man |
looking down upon them.
He wondered II she was the one they |
sought. There were other women aboard. |
He could see them, huddled, frightened. |
behind Harding and Norris.
Some OF them were young and beautiful |
but there was something about the girl |
ahn,.a him that asslIrad him aha ..a..I.I - |