The Monmouth inquirer., 1920-12-30
SINISTER ISLAND
BY
CHARLES WADsWoRTH CAMP
CHAPTER 1
Copyright
Dodd, Mead & Company
The Dangerous Habitation

ne dangerous fIdDtAst1iSh
Captains Island is not far from civ
ilization as one measures space. Deal
ing with the less tangible medium of
custom, it is-or practically be-
yond perception.
James Miller didn't know this When
he had thought at all of his friend
Anderson's new winter home he had
tictured the familiar southern resort
with hotels and cottages shelterins
Mammon's peerage, and a seductive
bathing beach to irritate the conserY-
atiye.
That background indeed. was given
detail by his own desires. For he had
received Anderson's letter concerning
the new move while still in bed with
a wearisome illness. Now, after two
months conyalescence in quiet water
ways, he was ready to snare pleasure
where it was most alluring before re-
turning to the North and Wall Street.
SO he sent telegram from AllairYille,
snstructing Anderson to meet him in
Martinsburg and conduct him to the
revels of his tropical resort. As a mat
ter of fact it was this wire, despatch
ed with such smiling anticipation, that
. became the leash by which he was
drawn into the erratic, tragic, and ap-
parently unaccountable occurrences
which at the time added imIneasurably
10 the lonely Islands evil fame.
Still it went, and Miller, ignorant
of what he faced, went after it as
quickly as he could, which was with
the speed of snail. 1t took his small
cruising launch forty eight hours, in
cIuding a minimum of rest, to conquer
the fifty miles between Allairyille and
Martins burg. Because of this aversion
of his boat to anything approximating
haste he had caused the name Dart
to be painted across the stern in ar
resting letters.
As the droll craft loafed down into
the busy roadsteads of the southern
metropolis this warm May morning,
Miller, in perfect coRsonance with its
bland indifference, lay in a steamer
chair on the upper deck. Clothed in
white flannels and smoking pipe, he
surveyed with gentle calm a petuiant,
unreasonable world. lie smiled pleas
antly at enraged tug-boat and barge
captains Crawling through the rail
road draw bridge, lie waved greeting
free from malice at the keeper, who
arms akimbo, chin uplifted, bawled
his expectations of train by mid
night and his reasonable ambition to
clear the draw before that hour.
Nor did the native leaning against
the wheel forward. respond even by
a glance to these studied inactivities.
His ears seemed to be occupied by the
engines capricious symptoms; his
eyes, by his goal, at last within view;
his hands, by the wheel as he coaxed
the Dart to the urgencies of traffic.
Miller eyedathe fellow approvingly.
BY rare good luck he had hired him
down the state when he had bought
this boat as the first ingredient of the
doctors prescription for long rest
IN the south. At the start the man had
proved his fitness by exposing an abb
normal affection for diseased gasoline
motors. Since then he had served
Miller acceptably as captain. engineer,
deck-hand, cook, and, in a sketchy
sense, valet. Moreover he knew OBJ
scure, uncharted channels. He had
special intuition for the haunts of fish
and game. In the villages where they
paused for. supplies he outbargained
the storekeepers almost without words
Miller appreciated that it was due on
ly to his devotion and ingenuity that
the Dart at present indifferently BLOCK
ed traffic in the river before Martins
burg. With the inexcusable confidence
most of as bring to contemplation Of
the immediate future he regretted his
early parting with this admirable
Crichton.
When the Dart was made fast to her
appointed place at the dock Miller
lowered his legs, arose, and stretched
himself to his full height comfortably.
He glanced at his watch. 1t was noon.
lie had wired Anderson to meet HIM
at the boat at one o'clock. For the
first time he realized he had made
thoughtIess rendezvous. Why had he
not mentioned any hotel? This thriving
town might have offered comparative
culinary splendour after the pIainness
to which he had abandoned himself
on the Dart. As it was he must offer
his hospitality to Anderson at that
hour, and Anderson, no doubt, after
'-nnths OF heavy luxury at his
4fully accept
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