Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-08-13

IL.
at isn't asking anything at ALT" he
assured her warmly. "The debt will
be on my SIDE"
''It's perfectly splendid Of you'll" she
said again enthusiastically. II don't
know how to thank YOU" Her hand,
cool and soft, touched his lightly upon
the rail.
He clasped it frankly.
"Then that settles the bargain, Miss
MacKay" he declared.
She withdrew her hand, nOdding her
head prettily; and then the dark eyes
that were smiling into his grew sud
denly troubled.
81 have never heard so strange a
thing before as this" she said; "of
you, and-and your connection with
this ship. And-Tve been trying to
say it, and didn't quite know how
about your fathers loss-rm SO sorry,
Mr.. Wallen."
"Thank you," he said quietly-and
turned away for q moment.
His fathers death! He had not even
yet come to realize it, except In that
cold, merciless desire for vengeance
upon the man or men who had been
guilty of his fathers murder. And
now her words brought that thought
again surging uppermost in his mind.
He faced her once more gravely.
"Could you tell me anything about
him-abOut how it happened, Miss
MacKay?" he asked.
"Only what Captain LayntOn has
probably told you already" she an
swered slowly. ut was before the
ship reached Menado, you know-be-
fore / came aboard"
"Yes, Of counsel" said Wallen. He
had shifted his position, leaning now
with his back against the rail, and,
glancing forward along the deck, his
eyes fixed suddenly on the wireless
house which was quite dark and with
no light showing from within. He
Jerked his hand toward 1t.
"We've got wireless" he observed.
"But I haven't seen any operator-at
least he wasn't at supper"
sob, yes, he was!" she laughed.
'I'm the operator"
"You--what!' He was gazing at
her In amazement.
SWELL no, not really" she amended.
"I'm only joking, or, at least, half
joking. It's true, though, that any op-
Grating that's done I do"
"You see, the American law requires
ships coming under its jurisdiction to
carry an installation; but Captain
Laynton, having no idea of trading
with an American port for some
months. anyway, said he didn't see
why he should pay wages he didn't
have to. and discharged his operator
when he left Honolulu"
EYES," said Wallen quickly. "But
your
Conditions of the East again." she
told him smilingly. "Father. installed
a small station on our plantation few
years ago, and that nearest neighbor
of ours did likewise. It's been heaps
of fun, and, of course, learned to OPP
crate 1t. got Captain Laynton's per-
mission, leased Mr.. Spree, the chief
engineer, into letting me have the
power, and I've been amusing myself
with 1t since I've been aboard. But now,
sir"-with sudden severity-"we are
forgetting that you are still an Invalid,
and am keeping you up. Please take
me below, Mr.. Wallen."
Below! But. mol" he protested.
"It's early yet"
but, yes!" she insisted, gayly I'm
periOus, and led the way across the
deck. "You shouldn't even have been
allowed up for supper, you know!"
Wallen, because he could do nothing
else, followed her down the COM
panionway and into the saloon.
And there, despite his good-natured
grumbling, she stood and watched him
in a quaint motherly way until, per-
force, he was obliged to go to his cabin
door-and then, with q CHEEKY "Good
night" she was gone.
"By Jove!" said Wallen softly to
himself.
He locked the door. closed the port
hole securely, switched on the light,
and, seating himself on the edge of the
bunk, stared at the floor.
"By Jove!" he repeated softly. Then
lugubriously: "And it's only three
days to Singapore, and-she didn't
say where In Sumatra-but that
couldn't be more than another three
days at the outside"
He sat up suddenly and pulled out
of his pocket the envelope that Cap
tain Layntoh had given him. He had
not examined it yet. He tore the en-
velope open. shook the contents out
onto the bunk, and whistled low, under
his breath.
Among other things, but catching his
eye instantly, was a little packet Of
crisp, new, American hundred-dOllar
gold certificates. He counted them
wonderingly-one thousand one hun
dred dollars. He laid them down and
picked up a wallet. It contained some