The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-01
CHAPTER xxI-Continued

HE said thatw she cried. He did
that! OH" she turned away, and
through the slender, clustering trunks
Of the bordering orange. trees she looked
out across the glittering waters of the
great harbor to the distant hills. Thus
TO ra little while, my lord standing
stiffly, fearfully, waiting for fuller
revelation of her mind. At last it came,
slowly, deliberately, in voice that at
moments was half suffocated.
what weighs--oh, so heavily and
bitterly--is the thought that but for
the words in which yesterday repealed
him, he might have been saved. And
and piracy, in which ultimately he will
is mine-minew
You have no cause for shame" said
he. las for your sorrow-why, if it
will afford you solace-you may still
count on me to do what man can to
rescue him from this position"
you will do that!' she cried with
sudden eager hopefulness. You
promiseT
then, retaining still the hand she had
|
very gently, there is still this other
matter upon which you have not ans
wered me. This matter concerns my
| self, and all my future, oh, so very
closely. This thing that Blood believed,
that prompted him that
/. =. that you are not Indifferent to
me-" He saw the fair face change
color and grow troubled once more.
- L.
why, no. We have been good friends I;
we shall continue so, hope, my lord"
Friends! Good friendsT He was
between dismay and bitterness. 1T is
not your friendship only that l ask.
Arabella. You heard what said, what
reported. You will not say that Peter
Blood was wronsY'
Gently she sought to disengage her
hand, the trouble in her face increas-
ing. A moment he resisted; then, real
izing what he did. he set her free.
"Arabella " he cried ON a note Of
sudden pain.
Il have friendship for you, my lord.
But only friendship"
rs it Peter Blood?"
Peter BloodT she echoed. '"I do
not know" she said faltering q little.
When the Jamaica fleet put to sea
some few days later. Lord Julian sailed
with Colonel Bishop in Vice Admiral
Craufurds flagship. They cruised
awhile off Hispaniola, watching the
Winward Passage, but they cruised in
vain, and after month of it, returned
empty handed to Port Royal, there to
find awaiting them the most disgusting
news from the Old World.
The megalomania of Louis XIV had
set Europe in blaze of war The
French DICTIONARIES were ravaging the
Rhine provinces, and Spain had Joined
the nations leagued to defend themselves
from the wild ambitions of the king
of France. And there was worse than
this; there were rumors of civil war in
England, where the people had grown
weary of the bigoted tyranny of King
James. 1t was reported that William
OF Orange had been invited to come
over.
Weeks passed. and every ship from
home brought additional news. William
had crossed to England, and in March
of that year 1859 they learnt in ia
maica that he had accepted the crown
and James had thrown himself into the
arms of France for rehabilitation.
To a kinsman of Sunderland's this
was disquieting news, indeed. 1t was
followed by letters from King Will
liam's secretary of state informing
Colonel Bishop that there was war with
France, and that in view of its eject
upon the Colonies governor general
was coming out to the West Indies in
the person of Lord Willoughby, and
that with him came a squadron unde