Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1903-02-28 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

INNOCENCE ISLAND. 441. -40  BY FRED WHISHAW,  Author of "A Boyar of the Terrible," etc., etc.  I can't out of you; it's a scandal, I c.a,11 it."  "There's no scandal, man; don't be a fool; don't you know her brother Tom's aboard to look after her? She's come to see if you and her dad are alive and well; since you haven't the wit to understand it for yourself, I must tell you the plain truth." "Well, I'll hear what she has to say," said Drake, slightly modified. "How are you going to do that? Young Tom won't allow no visitors aboard, don't you fret. He'll blow any boat out of the water that tries to board the Penelope." "Don't you fret, neither, partner; me and Jess is going to meet, you may bet your boats." "Well, I hope you will, for that'll mean you've come round to our side, and no fool either if you did, for you'd lose nothing by it and maybe you'd gain." " Oh, that's it., is it ?" said Drake, laughing derisively. "Well, we'll see!" He turned to go, but faced about when he had walked a few paces.  "See. here' Adams," he said. "M 4 and you was at school together, and has been good friends since. You take my advioe and get on board that darned ship of yours and sail hack to Seadown, or you'll get hurt maybe. We don't want to go, and you can't make us, and we ain't going to let you have the gold, not for twenty bank clerks. You can't get it unless you know where it is, how can you?" "We think we shall come out on top, sonny; that's where you and I differ. No good ever came of tryin' to sneak what don't belong to you, and that's what you chaps are doin' here. As you've given me a bit of advice which I've no doubt was meant friendly, I'll give you a bit back. If you come on our side you'll get a iare of this 'ere treasure' which you don't do if you continue to claim what isn't yours. It was the captain's duty to save all the cargo he oould for the benefit of owners and underwriters. Saving it don't make it his or the crew's. Now the owners know it's saved they want it back, and they've a right to it. They'll pay all them as has helped to save it, and pay them handsome. You wouldn't dare come home rich with gold that wasn't yours. You'd be called  thrervcsi, and you couldn't keep the stuff. Then there's just one more thing, and that's Jess. The maid's yours as much as she ever was, and longin' to see you ;but if I know Jess, which I do a bit, she won't have nothing to do with a chap what don't take no more account of her than you'll be doing if you take part in tryin' to murder those that have come to fetch you home. If you'd been the man she thought you, you'd have COMO home when Dick Robinson did."  "Yes, and 've got murdered like he did for my pains! I wasn't such a fool," said Drake, flushing. "Well, you'd better explain all that to her when you see her—if ever you do. If I were Jess it'd want some explainin' before I took you back, even if you was to come over to our side now." "Au you ought to be up in a pulpit, preachin' sermons, you ought!' said Drake, looking, nevertheless, somewhat sheepish. "Don't it strike you that 're a blamed idiot to try and interfere between a man and his girl?  Suppose you was to mind your -own bc.0,440,45, would it hurt you much?"