Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-17

Quick" he cried we must go from
here with all haste. They sail tomorrow
morning. Your duties as valet have been
light and short-lived but / can give you
an excellent recommendation, should you
| desire to take service with another gentle
man"
"Thatll be about all Of that. Mr.. Their
iere.' snapped the first officer coldly. II
did not embark upon this theatrical enter
prise for amusement see nothing funny
in It, and | wish you to remember that
am still your superior officer"
Therlcre shrugged. Ward did not chance
to catch the ugly look in his companions
eye.
Together they gathered up their belong
ings, descended TO the office. paid their bill.
and few moments later we're changing
back TO their sea clothes in the little hotel
where they first had engaged accommo-
dations Half an hour later they stepped
TO the deck Of the Hslfmoon
Billy Byrne saw them from where he
worked In tho vicinity Of the cabin When
they were not looking he scowlcd malicious
ly at them They were the personal rep
resentatives Of authority, and Billy hated
authority in whatever guise II might be
visited upon him. lie hated law and order
and discipline.
I'D like TO meet one of dem guys on
Green street some night" he thought
He saw them enter the captains tenbln
with the skipper, and then he saw Mr.
Divine join them. Billy noted the haste
displayed by the four and it set him TO
wondering
The scrap of conversation between Dt-
vino and Simms that he had overheard re-
turned to him. lie wanted to hear more.
and as Billy was not handicapped by any
overly refined notions of the ethics which
frown upon eavesdropping. he lost no time
In transferring the scene of his labors to a
point sufficiently close to one of the cabin
ports to permit him to note what took place
within.
What tho muclSer heard made him prick
up his ears. lie saw that something after
his own heart was dong-somethinE
crooked, and he wondered that so dainty
a thing as Divine Gould have a hand in 1t.
1t almost changed his estimate of the pas
senger of the Ialfmoon.
Barbara Harding" 1t appeared had been
left S2O.OOO,OOO by her grandfather that was
to bo hers on her marriage. In addition
she had Sj,0OO,OO0 in her own right and
her father, Anthony Harding was n mill
lionaire several times over.
The scheme was that Barbara was to be
kidnapped by Smms and held for ransom
Divine, Miss Hardiug's old friend, would
prove to be prisoner In the hands of the
abductors lie would force the girl to
marry him, and then they two would be
returned.
The ransom and n substantial slice of the
girls fortune would then be split among
Simms, Ward, Thericre and the absent
Slnkcr, the crew getting triple pay. Il
seemed that by the wording of the will the
girls husband would get $4,000 900 at once
for himself
However, as Billy learned later Divine
did not know of n clause in the will which
made 1t necessary for Miss Harding's hus-
band to be the choice OF both herself and
her father In order that she should inherit
the money.
Tho meeting broke up so suddenly that
Billy had to drop TO his knees to escape the
observation of those within tho cabin. As
II was Thcricre, who had started to leave
a second before the others, caught a fleet.
ing glimpse Of n face that had been quickly
withdrawn from the cabin skylight ns
though the owner were fearful of detection
without n word to his companions the
Frenchman left the cabin, but once OUT
side he bounded up the companlonway 70
the deck with the speed of a squirrel Nor
was he an instant too soon. for as he
emerged from below he saw the figure OF
a man disappearing forward.
"EIcy there, you !" he cried Come back
here"
The mucker turned n sulky scowI unop
his lowering countcnance. and the second
officer saw that 1t was the fellow who had
given Ward such trimming the first day |
out.
ut is you, Byrne, h?" he said in a not
unpleasant tone. Come to my quarters for
one moment, l wish to speak with you"
and so saying he wheeled about and re-
traced his way below, the seaman at his |
heels
MY friend" said Therlere, once the two |
were behind the closed door OF the officers |
cabin, II do not need to ask YOU how
much You overheard Of the conversation in |
the captains cabin. If you had not over
heard a great deal more than you should |
you would not have been so hurried to save |
yourself just now.
what I would say to you Is this: Keen
your mouth shut and stay by me in what |
will occur within the next few days Those"
he jerked his thumb In the direction of the
captains cabin, ARE making themselves
ready for the hangman; and /, for one, do
not intend to place my head I'm a moose
made by another man. Now, without this
Divine we shall have much more to divide,
is 1t not? particularly II we do this thing
rightly I have plan. and it needs but
three or four TO succeed with II.
you do not like this Ward" he con-
tinued, "and you may be very certain that
NJ. Ward does not love you. If you stand
by him and the others, Ward will cheat you
OF your share most surely. and perhaps OF
much more In addition. Tn short, Byrne |
my friend, your life itself is in great dan
ger-you are a poor insurance risk just SO
long as Bender Ward is on the same ship
with you. Do you understand what 1
mean?"
Jaw" said Billy Byrne, IT ain't afraid o.
that stiff Let him make any funny crack
at me an I'll cave in a handful of Stats
for him-the piller!"
That is right too. Byrne." said Therlere
"Of course you can do II If anybody can
II you get the chance but Ward Is not the
man to give you any chance There may
be shooting within the next day or So and
there is nothing to prevent Ward giving
you bullet in the back by accident II he
does not do II then, there viii be many OPP
portunIties before any Of us see a white
mans port again. He will kill you, Byrne |
never fear-he is that sort
Now, with me you will be free OF Ward
Simms and Divine, There will be more
money in it for you, and you will not need TO
go in fear of death from behind at any
minute. What doSou say? Are you with
me- or shall go back to Skipper Smms
and Ward and tell them that caught you
listening at the port hole?"
"Oh, I'm game" said Billy Byrne. III
you'll promise me square deal on the
divyy!"
The Frenchman extended his hand.