Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-12-27
CHAPTER xvIII-continued.

now Things were gong OeIoTe we Iell
the boat. i knew Hollis reputation
ashore, and determined to warn you of
his purpose, but had no opportunity.
Besides, 1 felt you had SO poor an opin-
ion of me that probably you would not
listen"
'You were greatly mistaken, Mr.. Nc
Cann," she said pleasantly. 81 would
have gladly received your advice. You
were my fathers friend"
/ could read the mans surprise in
his face. The graciousness of her
words was a shock, yet his egotism
made him instantly her victim. :
"You mean you trusted me? That
you would have Hstened?
Most assuredly. How could you
think otherwise? 1 knew you were not
yourself in the boat, and the treat
ment to which you were subjected was
brutal. owed my life to you equally
with Captain Hollis, and am very
grateful. have never forgotten that
you have been a guest in our home,
a business associate of my fathers.
Why should / not have confidence in
your"
1 looked at her in amazement, but
her eyes never met mine. What did
this mean? Was the girl acting part?
Was she endeavoring to deceive him,
or was she speaking now in deadly ear
nest? Nothing in her manner, or in
the tone of her voice, gave me clue.
AS for Mccain, the very expression of
his face pictured his delight, his con-
viction of her sincerity. 1t was almost
too good to be true, yet his was not
nature to doubt his own attractiveness.
II-you surprise me-" he stam-
mered, absolutely forgetting my pres
ence. IL assure you 1 was actuated
by the highest motives in all my eff
forts. My-my duty was to you, and
your father"
He turned and faced me, the bully
in him surging to the surface.
81 will converse with Miss Caring
ton alone"
To resist would have been utter fool
ishness. I could see the CLEAN of the
gun in his hand, and realized that
he only required an excuse to use it.
More, there was nothing in the express
sion of the girls face to inspire me to
resistance. She did not even glance
toward me, or exhibit the slightest in
terest.
With hands clenched in impotent
rage not even venturing a reply, I
stepped backward. AS I crossed the
threshold Mccain closed the door, and
/ heard the key turn in the lock.
Trembling still with anger, and dazed
by the strange action of the girl,
sank back upon the stool, realizing my
utter helplessness. All she had done
and said appeared so natural it never
really occurred to me once that she
might be acting part, seeking in this
way to gain McCann's confidence, in
order to win from him the information
we required. 1t was only as 1 sat there
In silence, brooding over every detail,
that this possible conception began to
slowly dawn upon my mind That she
could trust the man IN any way was
practically impossible, for he had re-
vealed to her his true character in SO
many ways the memory could not be
blotted out
As the full knowledge of this truth
grew apparent, / was able to view all
that had occurred later in a different
light. She had simply accepted her
one chance; had grasped with womanly
intuition the single weapon left at
her command. Girl as she was in
years, her experience in the world had
been that of woman, and she inStinc-
lively realized her power-the power
of wealth, of beauty. and of youth. 1t
had been beautifully done, so deftly
accomplished as to deceive even me.
Aye! and the method had succeeded
with Mccain. / recalled the express
sion of surprise, of qualification, of
awakened pride on the mans face. He
had no power of resistance left; he
was already putty in her hands.
True, but would he remain so? The
game she played was a dangerous one
Ii she ventured too far she would dis
cover the brute lurking in him still.
And he had the power, the physical
power, to wreak vengeance once he
suspicioned deceit. And there was nc
one to help her if she made a single
false step-absolutely no one; she was
lamb among wolves. Those fellows
would never release me again, not fol
"a moment 1 would be compelled to
take observations, to calculate posi-
ton, u trace our sailing course on the
chart, but not~for an instant would
be left again unguarded, either or
deck or In the cabin. Mccain woull
see to that.
The afternoon passed, dragging 1t,
weary hours. Nothing happened to re
heve the nonotony and dread of soil
,tude. No one approached the door O
the stateroom, not even to offer m,
food, and my ears were able to dis
tnguish no sound of movement in tn
main cabin Occasionally footstep
passed along the deck overhead an,