Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-12-22
CHAPTER VIZ
The shom.pewn-

rough the black lenses were deceiY-
ing.
He went below Immediately and
ripped on the door. a little surprised
TO see the girl appear in the opening.
The drawn expression of her face, the
strained faint smile with which she
greeted him. the hopeless look In her
eyes, startled him.
II wanted to see your father" he
said In a low voice.
She told him to enter.
He is in a stupor," she said. 'He
has been that way since last night, fol-
lowing collapse. can barely find
his pulse, but his breath shows on
this"
She produced small mirror little
larger than dollar, and held 1t before
her fathers lips. When she took II
away Rainey saw trace of moisture.
Garrison cannot rouse himT' he
asked
"Cannot-or will not" she answered
in voice that held hard quality for
all its dependency.
Lately the doctor has seemed I'M
certain. He talks of perverted nerve
functions, and he has obtained a ire
mendous influence over father.
you heard what he said when-the
night he tried to shoot you? You see,
| am trusting you in all this, Mr..
Rainey. | must trust some one If
don't can't stand it. think l shall
go mad, sometimes. The doctor has
changed. 1t is as IL he was dual
personallty-like Jekyll and Hyde
and now he is always Hyde. He said |
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 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. I sometimes
think he fortunes father and only re-
lieves him when father promises what
he wants. Otherwise l could not I'M
derstand. Last night father asked me
to do this thing. He told me he looked
upon the doctor 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 a protector.
''It was horrible. What shall do?"
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-
lieve 1t Is only for your share, for
what you will get from your father. II
cannot be right to do a 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 i.
of DESERVING him. L"
A knock came at the door. and It
started to open. Carlson entered.
"Ah," he said. 81 trust have not
disturbed you. had no idea / should
interrupt tete-a-tete. Are you salts
fled as to the captains condition, MI.
Rainey?"
Rainey went on deck, raging but i'm I
potent. He told Lund briefly of the q
talk between him and Peggy Silnms,
and described the general symptoms Of d
the shippers strange malady. 1t was I
nine o'clock, an hour to the meeting +
He went down to his own room and
sat on the bunk, smoking, trying to S
piece up the puzzle. If Carlson was q
potential murderer, If he intended to II
let Simms die, why should he want to n
marry the girl? He thought he solved d
that issue. II
AS his wife Carlson would retain her d
share. If he gave her up, it would go
INTO the common purse. But, If he eX- f,
pected to trick the men out Of II all,
hat would be unnecessary. Did he r.
really love the girl? Or was his lust Il
Cor gold mingled with passion for :,
possession of her? He might know
hat the girl would kill herself before q,
the would submit to dishonor. Per-
laps he knew she had the means! =
One thing became paramount--to - -
ave Peggy Simms. Lund might fight =,
or the gold; Rainey would battle for
he girls sanctity. And. armed with
hat resolve. Rainey went out into the ", "
main cabin.
Garrison took the head of the table. a.
.und faced him at the other end. All ~
TX of the hunters, as privileged char
cters, were present, but only three ",
f the seamen. awkward and diffident a.