The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-12-17


last night that he could save father or
-or-that he would let father die. |
told him it was sheer murder! He
laughed. He said he would save him
for a price"
She stopped, and Rainey supplied
the gap. sure that he was right.
"If you would marry, him?"
The girl nodded. "Father will do
anything he tells him. sometimes
think he tortures father and only re-
lieves him when father promises what
he wants. Otherwise / could not un-
derstand. Last night father asked me
to do this thing. He told me he looked
upon the-ioctor as a son, that 1t would
make him happy for me to marry him
now. That he would perform the
ceremony. That he did not think he
would live long and he wanted to see
me with protector.
at was horrible. What shall dor
''Miss Simms," said Rainey, 'yOur
father is not In his right mind or he
would see Carlson as you do, as / do.
Carlsen's brain is turned with the lure
of the gold. If he marries you, be-
lleve 1t is only for your share. for
what you will get from your father. 1t
cannot be right to do wrong thing.
No good could come from it. But
something may happen this morning
cannot tell you what. do not know.
except that Lund is to face Carlson. 1t
may change matters"
"Lund." she said scornfully. "What
can he do? And he accused my father
of deserving him. l."
A knock came at the door, and 1t
started to open. Carlson entered.
"Ah." he said. Il trust have not
disturbed you. had no idea / should
interrupt tete-a-tete. Are you salts
fed as to the captains condition. Mr..
Rainey2"
Rainey went on deck, raging but i'm
potent. He told Lund briefly of the
talk between him and Peggy Simms.
and described the general symptoms of
the shippers strange malady. 1t was
nine o'clock, an hour to the meeting.
He went down to his own COON and
sat on the bunk, smoking. trying to
piece up the puzzle. If Carlson was
potential murderer, If he intended to
let Simms die. why should he want to
marry the girl? He thought he solved
that issue.
As his wife Carlson would retain her
share. If he gave her up, it would go
into the common purse. But, If he ex-
pected to trick the men out of ii all,
that would be unnecessary. Did he
really love the girl? Or was his lust
for gold mingled with a passion for
possession of her? He might know
that the girl would kill herself before
she would submit to dishonor. Per-
haps he knew she had the meansl
One thing became paramount--to
save Peggy Simms. Lund might fight
for the gold; Rainey would battle for
the girls sanctity. And, armed with
that resolve. Rainey went out into the
main cabin.
Garrison took the head Of the table.
Lund faced him at the other end. ALI
six Of the hunters. as privileged char
acters, were present, but only three
Of the seamen, awkward and diffident
at being aft. The nine, with Rainey,
ranged themselves on either side Of
the table, five and five, with RaIney
on Lunds right. The girl was not
present. Yet her share was an impor-
tant factor.
Lund sat with folded arms, his
great body relaxed. Now that the
table was set, the cards all dealt, and
the first play about to be made, the
giant shed This tenseness. Even his
grim face softened trife. He seemed
to regard the affair with a certain
amount of humor. coupled with the
zest Of gambler who loves the game
whether the stakes are for death or
dollars.
Carlson had a paper under his hand.
but deferred it's reading until he had
addressed the meeting.
"A ship" he said. as a little com
munity, a world In Itself. To its safe
| ty every member is necessity, the
lookout as much as the man at the
wheel, the common seaman, the navi-
gator. And, when a ship is engaged
in q certain calling, those who are
hired as experts In that line are equal
Ily essential with the rest. Each mans
responsibility being equal. his reward
should be also equal.
Payment for all services comes on
| this voyage from an uncertain amount
of gold that Nature. mother Of us all.
and therefore intending that all her
children shall share her heritage, has
washed up on beach from sorae
ldeep-sea vein and thus deposited upon
an uncharted. unclaimed island. 1t Is
discovered by an Indian. the discov-
cry Is handed on to another"
"MeanIn' me-" Lund seemed to be
enjoying himself. Despite the fact
that Garrison was presiding and most
evidently assumed the attributes OF
leader. despite the fact that ten OF
the twelve at the tss,e were arrayed
\ against him, witt es Of the sea.
r~<e- 1870 - a. decided.