Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-02-21

usto0ttrScs hutuiC tHat bapoebt As1'At
back to consciousness. Royce re-
ceived the credit and the gratitude.
however. when Trask's eyes opened
and his tortured lips moved.
Nell and Gloria We're o~verjoyed at
the miracle. but Royce was the more
alarmed the more he studied Trnsk'sl
body with fingers searching every
where and finding everywhere the
hints IL broken bones and imternall
decorations. He pretended o the
less to he confident, for the sake Of all
three, Trask and Nell and Gloria.
A bucket Of water restored Jed
roughly TO what wits be had. lie came
up yelling. AS II the fight had not been
interrupted. They haI to tie him up
To keep him from continuing h war
IL had taken this much time for The
tugboat 70 round upon Its course and
come alongside the barge. The crew
had watched the ~scrimmage with inn
patient envy They came aboard now
ready for carnage They were armed
with weapons Of every sort. and with
zest for blood. The yacht crew gath
cred itself To meet the onset of these
re-enf0rcements.
Now came the opportunity of Pier
pont Stafford to use ON of the henv-
lest artillery of battle-finance. He
was too old and too little used to fisti-
cuffs to attack roustabouts with blow
for blow. lie put up the shield Of his
.xI- - ..st 80 ~. V..-
boat led his little army forward In a
wedge, demanding with tugboat EN-
phasls:
''What kind Of pirates are youse.
anyhow. and what You beatin' up
the old man fur? For two cents I'd"
Pierpont answered:
That's what / want to know. What
would you do for two centsT"
I'D t'row de whole bunch OF youse
into de river"
Il see.p said Pierpont. land what
would you charge NOT tor
This stumped the captain. He could
not quite make u Pierpont's drift.
A. he pondered. Pierpont gave him a
chance "a look into the depths of a
wallet full of bills OF a size and num-
her that had not been seen hitherto
In his circle. Pierpont kept moving
The bills under the tugboat captains
very nose. They had the effect 81 cat
nip to n cat. The captain began to
purr, also To reach u for the money.
Let US understand the transaction"
GutI Bfarnnpf ssrhfS man 1@rnE IL ia
wanted IN "a serious charge. He had
escaped from the Jurisdiction of Judge
Freeman. He was probably bound for
Canada. I happened 10 hav steam up
In my yacht. "a l came after him. I'll
take him back and deliver him 10 the
judge. You take the barge on up the
river and deliver IL to the consignee. Is
that he agreement
That's the agreement, sir" said the
captain. .pervidin' I'm took rare OF
proper"
would those take care of your
asked Pierpont. holding out two bills.
"What Toes C. stand forT' asked
the captain. Il can only count up to
double ""
&C stands for a hundred" Pierpont
explained.
1.-Two C's will just about take care
If me. sir" said the captain. As soon
as he touched the bill he touched his
hat, called his crew back TO the tug
and set forth once more on his twice
interrupted cruise. Pierpont ordered
Jed released 10 care for the barge. He
asked Nell 10 60 Will him. hut she pre-
ferred tn stay with her father, at Clio
ria's invitation.
Gloria was neither surprised nor re-
sentful. She would have thought less
Of Nell If she had been too easily pla-
Gated by her fathers prosecutors.
1rask was no more responsive to
Royce's mi%nistrations. He was be-
wildered with pain and terrified by
his captivity. He was as little CRATE
ful AS a lion that has been trapped and
bound.
To Royce he was doubly q mystery.
both as a patient and as a criminal.
II ne were guilty OF numbering Ere
neau. then his life belonged To the
state. and il was Royce's curious duty.
as a citizen physician, to save Trask's
life so that the state might take II.
Royce had done what he could 10
keep Gloria from investigating thel
murder. He had lied 10 her. knowing
hat Freneau had beer killed by some
person from some motive unknown to.
him. He had told Gloria that her nc.
u OF witnessing the murder was
only a delirium. He had lost her con-
tidcnce ana her respect. and they were
precious 10 him. He did 81 know
that Gloria was tormented by a dual
emotion toward him. one of suspicion
and rancor, one of gratitude aud at
lection. Gloria was helpless In the
quarrel of her emotions. She could
neither love nor hate Royce perfectly,
neither trust nor distrust him.
While Gloria was at n little distance
Royce was questioning Trask in "A low
tone. trying to persuade him to speak
the truth, warning him that he might
not have a long opportunity to un.
lnSAp. hfvpuafr - At. i.. IR-.u,---s.