Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-05-18
BY Frank Swinnerton

him fool her"
81 don't think she WILL" Markham
whispered back. Somehow. 1 don't think
she will"
Don't forget she's engaged to him"
Her eyes are open. After all, who are
we to We've done our best. And
don't forget-he can't marry her"
20. but it's so ig%nominiousl" groaned
Teddy. When l was feeling like a piratel
ALI right" He gave some instructions A
tinkling electric bell sounded. The
Scorpions engines slowed. thumped, and
finally ceased. The Scorpion herself lay
upon the breast Of the waters. rising and
falling gently. They could hear the
painting OF the motor boat, and the stir
she made in the sea. They waited in the
moonlight, watching that little craft.
black and silver where the radiance
touched or was DETECTED, come closer
and ever closer to them.
XIV
Within two minutes the boat was
alongside, the ladder was lowered. and a
figure stepped upon the deck OF the
Scorpion. 1t was Moltry. He was in
evening dress. which cleaned through
the openings in a heavy oilskin. His
head was bare. He had been many times
drenched by the flying spray and the
water was running off his face and down
AAAo OtAohAA tAAA1 aho1A AN oSSR
of the Scorpion.
"Hullo, Knowles" he said lightly as
he reached the deck. Where are you off
to?"
Were off for a nice Moonlight sail, .
answered Teddy. gruffly.
"Ah. Markham, you're back from
Monte, / see. Did you go2"
Yes, / went" said Markham. signif-
cantly enough. he thought.
"C1lick work" laughed MOltrV. LOOK
here, Knowles. You've got Miss Tetherden
on board. You'll forgive me, / know, but
as her a l can't allow her to travel
about with you without a chaperon."
90" said Teddy, Jauntily. HE aunt's
on board. That's quite all right. my dear
fellow"
He auntl" Markham saw his Jaw
drop. But Moltry had always had nerve.
Gould I see her? Just to make sure.
you know"
You're calling me a liar. Notify"
warned Teddy. gently.
MY dear Knowlesl But you and your
companion there are SO surprising in
your actions. He, for example. goes off
to Monte Carlo"
Where l stayed at the Toison dor"
answered Markham, stepping forward
He was nearer to Notify % than Teddy.
which was what he had desired. You
understand me, don't you, Garcia? I met
your wife there"
The effect of the speech was stagger-
ing.
You liarl' screamed Notify. retreat
ing a step. by God. you-"
Il lent her money to go back to Paris.
Eleven Rue de Beauvallon. That's right,
isn't it?" Markham's voice was quite
steady. He suddenly sidestepped and
avoided the rush Moltry made at him.
They faced each other again, and this
time Markham's fists were clenched.
You heard what l said, didn't your" he
demanded.
Again Notify ran at him. Notify was
evidently maddened by the situation. He
had lost all s~elf-control. The passion Of
a savage possessed him. Just so must he
have been In war time. when his In
trepidity was notorious. But II Notify
had his experience OF wartime paroxysms.
so had Markham, who had been in many
a tight corner. They met; there were
blows. Markham felt a violent smarting
In his ear; the ear rang. His own fist was
bruised with the blow by which he had
sent Moltry crashing to the deck. But he
did not lose his temper. Instead the pain
cooled him n made hin the more
wary. He waited for the next attack,
which came like lightning.
At this moment a black cloud OBJ
scured the moon, travelling very fast. 1t
cast a sudde darkness upon the deck
at the point where they struggled. Mark
ham saw Moltry stoop, tug at something
by his waist, n like a flash he leaped
the moon played through the fringes of
forward. gripping Moltry's wrist. When
cleaning in Moltry's hand.
"A knifel' cried Teddy. my Godl"
To and fro they struggled. Moltry
wrenched his HAND free, raised the knife,
stabbed. An instant later he was flying
through the air. His heels Just tipped the
low rail which ran around the stern OF
the Scorpion, and he plunged into the
sea. Both Markham and Teddy ran to
the side, peering over with strained eyes.
They saw him swimming, heard q shout
from the motorboat.
TITS all right painted Markham, un-
conscious of the blood that poured from
his left arm. They'll get him. He won't
come back. You can start your engines
again, Teddy. Gosh, I'm bleedingl What
q rip, too IL" He clutched at the
door Of the deckhouse. II think I'll step
down by the fore hatch. I shouldn't like
Lucy to see me like this"
There was a sound close to him. He
looked up. In the darkness Lucy was
almost at his side. She had been watch
Ing on tiptoe, silent and pale, with her
hands pressed tightly against her mouth.
that small bobbing black head in the
silver sea. Now, as Moltry was hauled
aboard the motor-boat, she turned back
to Markham.
You'll come down his way please"
she said, in a strange voice. and held out
her hand to take his. And quickly"
XIV.
She was quite changed. She was older.
Her def movements we're those of expert
ence. No sooner were they back in the
cabin, with a basin Of water and some
iodine and b%andages which Teddy pro-
duced from the Scorpions medicine
chest, than she set m~ethodically to work
There was an ugly cut-a rip rather tbs
a cut-in Markham's forearm, and the
loss OF blood was considerable. But when
the wound had been sponged clean and
the blood welled more slowly from 1t.
Lucy dabbed the iodine with professional
disregard of its smarting effects and
wound the bandages with a firmness and
absence of tightness which showed that
she was highly skilled. Aunt Sophia stood
by for q few moments, began to feel
faint, and was led up on deck by Teddy.
TIL W younger people were thus left
alone together In the cabin. Markham.
rather pale now from the excitement and
loss of blood, could see the top of Lucy's
head and her busy, cool hands which
were bringing him at least temporary re-
lief. He was tempted to AXE those hands
in his own unwounded one and carry
them to his lips, but he had not the
courage to do 30. The wound was throb-
bling heavily; his head ached. He sat
o~bediently while she kneeled beside him.
Presently, as II he dreamed, he heard