Charlevoix county herald., 1918-03-15

her for the balance OF the voyage. ]
should have thought Of that POSSIBLE
ity.
II am going ashore" said sudden
". as the gangway was being made
ready to lower.
$50 am ], please" shs cried. Take
me with you"
mo. really; I can't" ! stammered.
I'll want q drink" II was the
only thing ! could think of on short
notice that she might not share with
me. She laughed.
$50 do I. Take me-"
"A drink In a saloon insisted.
I've been In q saloon with you.
Take me-"
isabelle" I commanded. Go up
on that bridge and talk 70 the captain.
I have to 60 ashore"
She looked at me In wonder. you
send me to himf" she asked. then
turned and FASTENED away. The Do
Ice were at the foot OF the gangway.
which was now In place. and I has
tened down It among the first of
dozen baggage-burdened passengers.
II had thought twice I should have
known that uniformed men would not
be sent to arrest me. had made Isa-
belle Reade's eyes snap and voice
deepen In resentment for nothing.
When I returned aboard she was
not on deck and went to my cabin to
think out this new danger to her. Il
was an absolute impossibility for me
to be arrested publicly on the Wilton.
When I alone was concerned, II had
been but a rather exasperating Joke
and had worried me not at all
Even II arrested. I had no doubt
that detention would mean nominal
Jail. confinement In q room under
guard. perhaps. and the matter Of .
few days. But now that Isabelle
would be regarded a. my friend. her
one acquaintance on the ship, must
guard her from the suspicion Of con-
nection In any way with the St. Dun
stan murder.
That meant, bluntly. leaving her
distinctly alone. II was too early on
the Journey for our friendship to have
attracted attention from the passen-
gers. but its continuation would b
noticed without doubt. She was q
very young girl, very beautiful and At
tractive, travelling alone. Should she
prove to be the friend of q man arrest.
cd for murder-well, she must not,
that was all! $50 - 80
Could I explain this to her So'shs
would understand My cabin was not
large enough to contain that question
with me. 80 ! took II to- the bows
where there was room. I knew 'Isa-
belle Reade pretty well now. II told
her anything. could not drive her
away from our friendship with an az
was the better word
on shipboard, She would be SO loyal
she would insist on Jail with me. She
was just that age for romantic sac
rifice; no. that was doing her fine
ness of character an injustice. At
any age. she'd be like that. She was
the kind TO st.'': by a friend in dis
tress till the Il q y was hung-bah!
bad smile. ill thu last dregs were
drunk.
q II | wanted heI 10 begin loving me.
to tell ter was the quick way of 60
ing at it. I did; fatty. frankly, right
from the shoulder. | admitted to my.
self that l wanted Isabelle Reade's
love. Then, said I to myself In the
bows of the Wilton, looking across the
San Pedro Bay at the hills beyond.
have only to tell her what u facing
ine and order her to keep away from
me the balance Of the voyage. Result
II am arrested at San Diego, Mazat
Ian or by Captain Blake aboard. she'll
be tarred with the murder-pitch fog
the balance of her life. even II abe
does not iniplicate herself In the a.
ten pit to save me.
That result was too costly q win
ming Of her love. put It aside and
reversed the reasoning. Tell T. her
nothing: had hurt her feelings. unin-
tentional.y, but no whit less surely.
and there was an explana,
ton and apology coming from me be-
fore our pleasant relations might be
resumed. She would expect that, and
I guessed she was prepared to make
me pay well for sending her away
from me to the captain. And she
could. hang It! She could make me
sufferi
Tell her nothing. make no explanDr
ton, no apology, and suffer; thare
was the alternative? She had pride
enough to keep her away from me .
longer trip than the Wilton was u,ak-
ing, and that was the situation -
Quired. All l need do was 60 moth
ing; easy enough? The hardest thing
to do that ever made up my mind
had to be done!
saw her on the bridge beside Cap
tain Blake when we cast loose from
the San Pedro dock and poked her
nose up the bay on our journey. She
didn't see me then. nor much at din
ner: just enough so that her neglect
was inconspicuous. I finished first
and got away from the table by refus-
Ing coffee. and I need my cofteel
am accustomed to three cups each
meal and two at late nipht eunnor