The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-03-14
CHAPTER III
The kidnapping of Howard
Bettington

The kidnapping OF Howard
Bettington
Bettington. as he made his way
northward from Gloucester. felt
sense of happiness in that he had en-
gagged himself to lift the Unwin fam.
lily from its monetary troubles The
sketches he made-which would after
ward he transferred TO his big can
vases were the best De had ever done.
He was pleased, who was ordinarily a
hard critic. "This." he cried. as ne
looked at a study Of surf ana rock
will pay Mary's tuition and board for
a year"
he was perched upon a little island
of rock, some three miles from Black.
port His enthusiasm led him 10 over.
look the signs OF a coming storm, the
worst storm which late August ever
brought 70 the Maine coast
With the first puff o, that fearful
storm a great wave. like "a tidal bore,
rolled in and overwhelmed the rock
Only owing to his great strength AMI
ability as swimmer was Bettington
able to reach shore.
With the storm came an awful dark.
ness which presently merged into nighs
and left Bennington bruised and weary,
trying to make his ways TO the viii
lage Ii was midnight when a dim
light showed him he was near a small
house Fishing nets9and lobster pots
nf thn rnIlinU nf thn
owner.
Beitington had come to the shack
of one Jonathan Gibbs. a surly man,
who had no traffic with his neighbOrs.
He supported himself lndifferently with
his fishing and chickens He was
known for a bad-tempered man who
preferred his own company to any
other.
There was no answer to his knock
upon the door, so PettingtOn now
chilled TO the bone, opened it. He
found the shack had but two rooms.
of it, and kitchen soapstone
stove gave what heat the larger room
required. DriftwGod furnished the
visitor with his fuel and he was soon
thawing before the fire. Bettington
knew the fsherfOlk; they were hospit-
had no fear he would get reception
that was not cordial.
But he did not know Jonathan
Gibbs. The process or getting warm
was so comforting that Bettlngton did
not hear footsteps outside. Gibbs had
been out to drag his boats from their
customary mornings at the dock to
the shelter of the shore The first
premOnition that a stranger. had in
vaded his home was the pungent smoke
which beat down on him as he came
toward the front door.
He stopped suddenly. His spare
form tautened. WEAKNESS had given
place to sudden, bewildering fear. lie
retreated steathily. noiselesly.
At the side of rOwbOat, he paused.
His blanched face took on something
of its normal color. The instinct to
flee was conquered. There came yet
more strongly to him the desire to
know by what he was menaced. But
his progression to a wOOdshed showed
no abatement of his caution. From
the top of closet he took down
shotgun, into whose twin barrels he
put No. cartridges. ISIS
He opened the door of bis living
room so softly that Bettington did not
hear him. 1t was the cold gust that
made the painter look round. He saw
tall. keen-faced man at whose Shout
der was the butt of twelve-bore.
Don't move" said the fisherman.
Gibbs advanced slowly into the
room. He had never, t. his knowledge.
set eyes on this stranger. But he
looked so searchingly and with such
obvious menace that Bettington broke
the silence.
81 ought to apologize for this. sup
pose." he said. "but surely, on night
like this man may seek shelter with
out being threatened with scatter
gum
who were the two men you were
with in the post office yesterday"
Gibbs demanded.
81 was not in any post office yester-
day." said Bettington stiffly. 81 have
not been in company with any two
men for fortnight" %, - sat
Gibbs lowered his gun He tried to
assume look of amiability, but there
was still anxiety written plainly. Bet
tington, watching, noted that the gun
was still in such position as to con-
Stitute a threat. IL TH,
Bettington related his misadven-
lures.
"A painter, eh?" said Gibbs He
crossed the rOOm, took down from
shelf pencil and piece of paper
These he handed to the other.
(TO BE CoNTINUED)