The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1922-01-05
Il, voice that held hard quality for
COPYRIGHT BoBBs MERRILL, co.

III a voice that held a hard quality for
all Its dependency.
. Lately the doctor has seemed IN.
certain. He talks of perverted nerve
functions, and he has obtained a ire.
mendous influence over father.
You heard what he said wben-the
night he tried to shoot you? You see,
l am trusting you in all this. Mr.,
halney. must trust some one, If
don't can't stand it. think shall
20 mad, sometimes. The doctor has
changed. 1t is as if he was dual
personallfv-like Jekyll and Hyde
anu 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
laushed. lie said he would save him
for a price,"
She stopped, and Rainey supplied
the gap, sure that he was right.
III you would marry him|
The girl nodded. Father will do
anything he tells him. | sometimes
tmnk he tortures father and only re-
lleves him when father promises what
ne wants. Otherwise | could not I'm.
derstand. Last night father asked me
TO 90 this thing. He told me he looked
upon the doctor as a son, that it would
make him happy for me to marry him
how. That he would perform the
ceremony. That he did not think he
would live long and he wanted to see
me with q protector.
1T was horrible. What shall do?"
Miss Simms," said RaiEey, "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 It
started to open. Carlson entered.
"Ah," he said. II trust l have not
disturbed you. l had no idea l should
Interrupt tete-a-tete. Are you salts.
fed as to the captains condition, Mr..
Rainey"
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 room 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 is~ue.V
As his wife Carlson would retain her
share. If he gave her up, it would 60
into the common purse. But, If he ex-
pected to trick the men out of it 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 means!
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.
Carlson took the head of the table.
Lund faced him at the other end. All
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 Ralney,
ranged themselves on either side of
the table, five and five, with Rainey
on Lund's 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 his tenseness. Even his
grim face softened trife. He seemed
to regard the affair with a certain
amount of humor, coupled with the
zest of q gambler who loves the game
whether the stakes are for death or
dollars.
Carlson had a paper under his hand,
but deferred its reading until be had
addressed the meeting.
"A ship" he said, us a little COM
munity, q world In itself. To Its safe
ty every member is a necessity, the
lookout as much as the man at the
wheel, the common seaman, the navi-
gator. And, when q ship is engaged
in a certain calling, those who are
hired as experts in that line are equal
" 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
81 gold that Nature, mother Of US all,
and therefore intending that all her
children shall share her heritage, has
washed up on beach from some