The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-07-20

been i'm him; he had believed that he
could cut the hawSer i'm the dark, none
seeing, and that our word that It had
been broken would have as much
strength as any accusation Stafford
could make. He had known that to
share a secret such as that with me
S"uld make" him on the lakes: for
the loss of the Miwaka would cripple
STAFFORD and Ramsdell and strengthen
me; and he could make me share with
him whatever l made. But Stafford
had surprised him at the hawser and
had seen.
4 moved to denounce him, Father,
as l realized this; I moved-but
stopped. He had made himself safe
against accusation by me! None
none ever would believe that he had
done this except by my order, If he
should claim that; and he made plain
that he was going to claim that. He
called me fool and defied me- Luke
even my own man, the only one left
on the tug with us-believed 1t! And
there was murder in 1t now, with STAFF
ford dying there upon the deck and
with the certainty that all those on
the Miwaka could not he saved.
felt the moose as If 1t had been al
ready tied about my neck! And
had done no wrong, Father! l had
only thought wrong!
ESQ long as one lived among those
on the MIiwaka who had seen what
was done, | knew I would be hanged
yet I would have saved them If could.
But, In my comprehension OF what
this meant, I only stared at Stafford
where he lay and then at Spearman,
and / let him get control of the tug.
The tug, whose wheel l had lashed,
heading her into the waves. had been
moving slowly. Spearman pushed me
aside and went to the wheelhouse; he
that moment Luke was his. He turned
the tug about to where we still saw
the lights of The Miwaka. The steam
er had struck upon the reef; she hung
there for a time; and Spearman--he
had the wheel and Luke, at his or
ders, was at the engine-held the tug
off and we beat slowly to and fro un-
I'll the Miwaka slipped off and sank.
Some had gone down with her, no
doubt; but two boats had got off, car
rying lights. They saw the tug ap-
preaching and cried out and stretched
their hands to us; hut Spearman
stopped the tug. They rowed toward
us them but when they got Near, Spear
man moved the tug away from them,
and then again stopped They cried
out again and rOwed toward us: again
he moved the tug away, and then they
understood and stopped rowing and
cried curses at us. One boat soon
drifted far away; we knew of it's cap
sizing by the eXtinguishng of its light.
The other cnpsiZed near to- where we
were. Those In 1t who had no life
belts and could not swim, sank first.
Some could swim and, for a while they
fought the waves"
Alan, as he listened. ceased CON
sciously To separate the priests voice
from the sensations running through
him. His father was Stafford, dying
at Corvet's feet while Corvrt watched
the death Of the crew of the Miwal;n
Alan himself. child. was hc"i:ng Vith
lifebelt among those strugglin. in
the water whom Spcarman and Corvet
were watching die. Memory; was Il
that which now had cOmp.to him? No:
rather ii was realiZatl of all the
truths which the pricst's words were
bringing together and arranging right
ly for him.
Alan's father died in the morning.
All day they stayed out in the storm.
avoiding vessels. They dared not
throw Stafford's body overheard or
that of the engineer, because, if found
the bullet holes would have aroused
inquiry. When night came again. they
had taken the two ashore at some wild
spot and buried them; tO make identi-
fication harder, they had taken the
things that they had with them and
buried them somewhere else. The
ild-Alan-Corvet hal Smuggicd
ashore and sent away; he had told
Spearman later that the child had
died.
"Peace-rest !' Father Perron said
In deep voice. "Poace to the dead ~
But for the living there had been
no peace. Spcarman had forced Cor
vet To make him his partner: Corvct
had tried to take up his life again,
but had not been able. His wife
aware that something was wrong with
him, had learned enough so ihat she
had leii him. Luke had come and
come and come again for. bIackmaiI
and to"vet had paid him. Corvet grew
rich: those connected with him pros
percd; but with COcvet lived always
the ghosts OF those he had watched
die with the Miwaka---Of those who
would havf prospered with Stafford ex-
ccpS C what had been done. Cor.
vet had secretly sought and followed
the fate of the Kin Of those people
VINO had been murdered to benefit
him: he found some of their families
d' Stroyed; he found almost all poor
and struggling. And though Corvct
rniI luke to keep the crime from dis
closure, yet Corvet swore to himself
% confess ii all and make such resti.
tIItinp bn could ppt nnnI, ,i,~., A..