Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-01
CHAPTER XXXvIII
Tho Grava nj n Gin

lilo trevo Of Sin
THE quay was deserted and the berth
L Of the tramp steamer in the harbor
was an empty space. but in the fever of
his impatience Stowell walked to the
end OF the pier to make sure that the
ship had gone.
Bessie would be recovering conscious. L.
ness BY this time. where am ~" she
would be saying. And then she would
hear the throb Of the engines and the
wash Of the water, and see Alick by her
side.
For a moment he lost sight Of the
ships stern light "a mist was sweeping
over the surface Of the sea- and his
anxiety became agony. but IT reappearet!!
at the other side Of the lighthouse and
his spirits rose again. Yes, she was
steering north.
''Sail on! Sail on ! Sail on ~
He returned to the town. In the
thinning fog everything looked i'm.
mensely large and frightening. He
walked slowly in order not to attract
attention. Passing through the narrow
streets he found nearly all the houses
dark. Only two or three Of the upper
windows showed light. and from one
Of them. partly open. he heard the cry
Of a sick child.
But In a winding lane. close under the
castle, he came upon cottage that was
lit up in the lower story, and loud with
many voices. He recognized 1t rs tine
house at which he had left Mrs. Col.
lister. and understood what was hap
pening. The old woman's Primitive
friends were holding a prayer meeting
by her bedside in the kitchen to com
fort her. A man was praying and many
ivn
Outside the town Stowell had an i'm :
pulse to run. He found his motorcar
where he had left It and pushed it into
the road. While lighting his lamp he
thought he heard sounds from the di-
rection Of the castle. Had the escape
become known? lie listened for any
thing that might denote alarm. There
was nothing.
The castle clock struck twelve. All
was quiet The condemned woman had
escaped from Castle Rushen. There
was nothing to show that he himself
had been there.
Nearly three hours later Stowell was
at the Point Of Ayre. where the head
of the island looks into the sea.
For n long half hour Stowell walked
to and fro there. At last, straining
his sight to the south, he saw what
he had come to see--a steamer with n
red and black funnel. Kept back dur
Ing the dark hours by the fog on the
coast, she was now coming on at full
speed.
There was a pang In thinking that
this was the last he was to see OF the
two who were aboard of her. but there
was a boundlcss JOY In it also. They
we're united: they were happy; they
were safe: lie had wiped out his ofense
against them. ::
She lurched little as she went through
the cross current Of the Point. But
now she was out in the channel: now
she was heading toward the Null Of
Galloway; now she was fading into
the northern mist and seemed to be
dropping off into another planet.
At half past three Stowell was back
in his car. He could 90 home now
with a cleaner heart, q surer conscience.
1t was a beautiful morning. The sun
had risen. 1t wns slanting over his
shoulder as he drove along the grass
grown road on the northwest coast. with
the sea singing and dancing by his
side over stretch of yellow sand.
The lambs were bleating In the fields
and the larks were loud In the sky.
What relief. What joy: His car
was bounding on--past the Linen, the
Sonpin, the old Jurby Church with
it's four. square tower on the edge OF
tho cliff-going faster than he knew.
foster and still faster. like a winged
creature, parting the way ms 1t went.
making the road itself to fly open. and
the hedges. the trees. and the sleeping
fsrmhouses to slant Of on either side.
and coming round Mt last. as with th".
heart Of a bride, to the big gates OF
BallamOar.
Home once more.
As he sackenad speed and slid up
the drive the rocks were calling In the
toll elms and the songbirds in the
bushes were singing. AS silently as
possible he ran his car into the garage
and crept into the house.
The blinds were down and the rooms
were dull with a yellow Nght, like
sunshine behind closed ryclids. The
prandfather's clock on the landing was
striking four. Only four hours since
he had left Castletown!
The servants were not yet stirring,
and he stepped upstairs on tiptoe. hop
ing to reach his room unheard. out as
he passed Janet's door she called to
him.
"It that you. Victor ~
lie answered, EYES,
How late you are. dear. -,
Don't wakcn me in the morning.
in mis- bedroom he was partly con.
scious that familiar things looked
strange-,or was it that another man
had come back to them? He undressed
ropidly and got into bed. drawing II
deem breath II was all over. Bessie
Coliister was gone. 1t was nearly I'm,
possible that she could ever be traced
and brought back. a monstrous judi
cial crime had been prevented. lie nad
orer ncrmittcd 10 prevent 1t. And
now for the long, long rest Of dream.
rss sleep. go.
nn, in tho vague, intermediate half