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Show 1 SIMLAST VOYAGE Of TMtA j pB trmT itllJl SYNOPSIS. j Is,: Jr-? -t with the salt spray? Breathing hard " ' 'v '-1 - 1 ' u rmm tiio ovnriinn. T tilanceil curiously SYNOPSIS. The story opens with the introduction of John Stephens, adventurer, a Massachusetts Massa-chusetts man marooned by authorities at Valparaiso, Chile. I'Jeing inu-n-sLed in mining operations in Bolivia, he was denounced de-nounced by Chile as an insurrectionist and as a consequence was hiding. At his hotel his attention was at traeted by an Engl is lima n and a young woman. Sa phens rescued the voting woman from a. drunken officer. lie was 'thanked by her. Admiral of the Peruvian navy confronted con-fronted Stephens, told him that war had been declared between Chi le and Peru and offered him the nlliee of captain, lie desired that that night the Esmeralda, a Chilean vessel, should be- captured. Stephens accepted the commission. Stephens met a motley crew, to which he was assigned. J le gave them final in-structions. in-structions. They boarded the vessel. They successfully captured the vessel supposed to be the Esmeralda, through strategy. Capt. Stephens gave directions for the departure de-parture of the craft. He cnt'-red the cabin cab-in and discovered the English vomr n and her maid. Stephens quickly learned the wrong vos.-vl had been ca p a: n i. It was 1 ,urd Darlington's private yach t . the lord's wife and maid being aboard. He explai ned the f;i tuatioa to her la ! v-ship. v-ship. Then First Mate Tuttlc laid bare the plot, saying .that the Sea jueen had been taken in order to go to the Antarctic Antarc-tic circle. Tutile explained that on a former voyage; he had learned that the Donna Isabel was lost in 1753. He had found it frozen in a huge case of ice on an island and contained much gold. Stephens consented to be the captain of the expedition. He told Eady Darlington. She was greatly alarmed, but expressed confidence in himr The Sea Queen encountered a . vessel in the fog. Stephens attempted to communicate. This caused a fierce struggle n-nd he was overcome. Tuttle finally squaring the situation. sit-uation. Then the Sea Queen headed south agai. Under Tuttle's guidance the vessel ves-sel made progress toward its goal. De Nova, the male, told Stephens that he believed Tuttle, now acting as skipper, Insane because of his queer actions. i hi Ltefe) If "Oh, God! There's Another!. Another, But I'll Kill Thst One, Too.!" with the salt spray? Breathing hard from the exertion, I glanced curiously at my watch to note the hour. Barely two o'clock. Why, it was his trick on deck; he had deserted his position to come below. The Sea Queen was rushing rush-ing through the gloom with no officer on the bridge. De Nova would be in his bunk asleep. I sprang to my own room, and hastily finished dressing, fully determined on standing out Tattle's Tat-tle's watch on deck. As I came forth again into the main cabin, winding a muffier about my throat, a vision in white fronted me, grasping the table to keep from falling. "What is it, Mr. Stephens? What has happened?" "Nothing that need in any way alarm you," and as the vessel gave a sickening plunge, and her eyes opened in apprehension, I caught her arm firmly. firm-ly. "Truly, believe me, there is no danger. Mr. Tuttle has been suddenly taken ill, and I am going to relieve him on watch. You have 'confidence in me, have you not?" ' Her eyes searched my face earnest- -)y, the gray depths full of anxiety. "Oh, yes." "Then now is the time to show it. I shall remain or. deck, probably, until morning. I wish you lo go back, lie down and rest. Let me assist you to return to your stateroom." I held her closely to me, so closely I could feel the throb of her breathing, the warmth of her flesh, realizing that site was -clinging to me in utter forget-fulness. forget-fulness. Only at the door did she draw away slightly, yet even then with her hands clasping my arm, her hands clasping my arm, her eyes , gazing directly into mine. "You have told me all?" . "All of the slightest importance;' the details can w:ait daylight. I ask you to confide in me now, and sleep. May I have your promise?" There was something mystifying in those gray eyes I had never 'perceived - before, and she caught her breath in a quick sob. "Yes," she replied, simply, her lashes drooping, "you may have my promise." - ; ' On deck I discovered the yacht laboring la-boring desperately in a heavy cross sea, the sky clear, and two men straining strain-ing at the wheel. In spite of the star-shine, star-shine, they were so bundled up that I' was compelled to stare vdirectly in their faces 'before I could recognize either. "Mr. Tuttle has been taken sick and gone to his berth," I explained briefly. "I will serve out his watch. What course have you?" "Sou'-sou'-east by sou', sir." I glanced inquiringly at the compass-card, compass-card, and then 'forward, sweeping the seas with my glasses. There was no ice in sight, but the bitter cold of tile air was sufficient proof of plenty not far away. "When did Mr. Tuttle go aft?" I asked. "'Bout 30 minutes ago, sir." "Did he leave any word?" "He never said nothin,' did he, Bill? He'd been actin' queer, an' a-talkin' to hisself, an' all at once he ran down the steps, an' went aft. Bill an' I figured it out as how maybe he was cold, an' wanted a drink." At four o'clock, the sky already beginning be-ginning to mist as if from thickening frost. I dispatched one of (he hands aft to rout out De Nova. He came stumbling up the stops, perhaps ten minutes Utter, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, but became wide awpke enough when he recognized me. "Sacre,- w'at was zis, Mons. Ste-sphen? Ste-sphen? W'ere was ze mate?" Crouching behind the tarpaulins out of the keen sweep of the wind, I explained ex-plained in rapid detail what had occurred oc-curred since he went below. "It will probably have to be watch and watch with us, De Nova," I ended, firmly. "Tuttle is no longer fit to be left in charge of the deck. You agree to that?" He shrugged his shoulders. "By gar, it look like zare was noss-ing noss-ing else for it." ""o; it is the only way. Call me at the end of your trick. I'll look in on Tutile again as I go below." I i-id so, discovering him still upon :is back, his eyes wide open, staring straight tii at the deck-beams above. "Is there anything 1 can do for vou, -Mr. Tuttle?" He wet his parched lips willi his tongue, turning his head ever so siigbtly at sound of my voice. "Another drink of brandy," he muttered, mut-tered, thickly. "I don't see what Is the mailer with my legs; they won't move." I brought him Ihe liquor, lifting his head so ho might, drink more easily, and expressing a hope that-he would feel much belter by morning. He returned re-turned no an,,wer, and I went across to my own berth and turned in. (TO BIO CON'TIXUIOD.) "The average man," says Mr, Tauka-way, Tauka-way, "believes that a gre,u man Is just a man like himself, who Is appro-ciated." appro-ciated." Kansas Cily Times. CHAPTER XV. Continued. The slight change of voice perceptible per-ceptible in this final sentence might have excused the utterance of the question trembling on my lips, yet I set my teeth, and remained silent. "It is odd how our lives are influenced," influ-enced," she continued, thoughtfully. "I feel that the charm of the sea has been the one great impelling force which has molded mine. I wonder is it destined always to be so? Are these waters even now bearing me on as Fate wills? Ever since I can remember remem-ber -I have permitted the ocean to take that place, in my hart which, perhaps, should 'be otherwise occupied. occu-pied. It has been my master, my strongest love. But I must not think this, much less say it," hastily awakening, awak-ening, and pointing forward. "See.J Mr. Stephens, how those clouds and the waters blend yonder in such fantastic forms; they appear an army of sheeted ghosts bearing down to block our passage into the Polar sea." I looked in the direction indicated, scarcely noting the phenomena, but wondering w7hat was Ihe real meaning concealed behind her veiled utterance. In truth Lady Darlington was not a woman easily interpreted. She was by no means a creature of moods, yet behind her effort at outward cheer-. cheer-. fulness I was constantly aware of something hidden, some haunting memory of the past, more to be dreaded even than her present environment. envir-onment. Sometimes I even thought she delib-. delib-. erately played' with -rne; yet this was not. so. There was nothing of the coquette co-quette in her nature, nothing of purposeful pur-poseful deceit in either words or action, ac-tion, and- I cast the unworthy thought from me with the indignation it deserved. de-served. Still, her method w:as most strange, most peculiar. Indeed, she was like two women, ever keeping me on the qui vive, Klive with expectancy, yet never quite bringing to me that opon-heartedness I so much desired. One second, as though by purest accident, acci-dent, I looked down into her soul; the next I saw nothing but the outer covering. cov-ering. Without in the least meaning to be so she became a teasing puzzle, an enigma of womanhood, before whom I was beginning to worship, unable un-able to analyze even my own feelings, halt-hopeful, half-afraid. Hence it was that on this day T remained re-mained leaning against the piano, listening to her really brilliant execution exe-cution of difficult music, gazing down upon her unconscious face, the swing of the deck under my feel, but with a heavy heart behind the smile upon my lips. The music finally ceased, yet we lingered there conversing over the memory aroused by ils rendition, when Tuttle emerged from his room, prepared pre-pared for his turn of service on decline decli-ne stopped and stared across at u.-. his hand on the knob of the closed door. "Such songs are mo;-t unseemly under un-der our present circumstances," he said, solemnly, apparently addressing the lady only, for his glance never met mine. "In presence of death and the hereafter, madam, prayer is the natural nat-ural outlet of the soul." Her sympathetic face whitened, the expression of her eyes changing instantly. in-stantly. "W hat what do you mean, Mr. Tut tie? Are we in any special danger?" "In the midst of life we are in death. What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of Man that thou visitest him? Death rides upon the wind, races upon the waters, j Place not your trust n princes, nor in any of the powers of earth, but upon the mercy of the Most High. Be warned, madam; be prepared for his early coming, for already has it been given unto me to behold the End." He strode past us, stony-faced, his gaunt form outlined against the gray sky without as he pushed back the companion door. Lady Darlington watched his disappearance with parted lips and eyes filled with fear. "The fellow has gone crazy over his spiritistic theories," I endeavored to explain. "Do not permit such folly to affect you." "But but, Mr. Stephens, he means it, he believes it. What is it he has seen?" "Some vision of his insanity, no doubt nothing that need worry us who are sane." Her fingers pressed tightly upon my hand. i "But if he is really insane how much more dangerous it makes our position! Do you really think he is?" "Only .along that one line, Lady Darlington," my voice growing firm with conviction. "Otherwise he seems as sane as most men. We must humor him to that extent, but regarding all other matters there is no occasion for you to worry. The man is a riiagnifi-cent riiagnifi-cent seaman, and handles the Sea Queen with remarkable skill. He will bring us out safely, and you must not permit his prophecies of disaster to influence your mind they are only the ravings of a diseased brain." I do not know how much of what I said she actually believed, yet as I talked on in apparent confidence her expression gradually changed, ai;d finally I had Celeste bring her wraps, and I escorted her. forth upon deck. The fresh, stinging air soon served to drive from her brain the last vestige of terror, although at first she watched Till lie on the bridge very closely. How-.ever, How-.ever, Ihe follow had left his weird fancies all below, and his sharp orders, or-ders, coupled wiih the able manner in which be sailed the vessel, rapidly brought back even my own evaporated faith. Lady Darlington did not appear again after supper, although Celeste sat -in the main cabin and chatted vivaciously vi-vaciously with De Nova while he ate. ! They appeared so deeply engrossed in i each other that I finally took my pipe and went on deck, leaving them nndis-i:::he:l. nndis-i:::he:l. their laughter echoing lo my oars as I slid lo Ihe companion door. There was a taste of snow in the wintry air delicate, scattered, whirling whirl-ing Hakes that cut Ihe exposed flesh like needles, while the wind whistled through the frozen rigging in 'shrill music. The docks were as gloomy and dark as the surrounding sea was desolate deso-late and gray, the endless ista of circling cir-cling water and sky merely merging imperceptibly into the haze of distance dis-tance everywhere the white-capped waves franiieally chasing each olher, crest following crest, the deep hollows between as black as death. It got upon my nerves at last, and I went below, striving manfully to shake off all memory of the depressing picture. pic-ture. Ten minutes later I was secure ly braced in my bunk, so soundly sleep ing I forgot to dream. I could never tell what a',voke me; some strange noise, no doubt, for I sat straight up, staring through the blackness black-ness toward the closed door. Almost at Ihe Very instant I heard the smash cf glass in the main cabin. I was only partially undressed, and with one spring was at the latch, the fierce pitching of the yacht making me instantly in-stantly apprehensive of accident. At the first glance I perceived nothing .unusual under the dim light, then I saw a man sprawling on the floor in midst of a litter .of glass from a broken mirror. I leaped across toward to-ward the fellow, twisting my hand into the collar of his pea-jacket, and whirling whirl-ing him face upward to the light. It was Tuttle, and he shrank away from me cowering like a whipped cur, his hands thrust out, his eyes starring. It was an appalling face, ghastly, terror-stricken. terror-stricken. "What is it, Mr. Tuttle?" "Oh, Christ! Christ!" he shrieked, apparently never seeing me at all, his teeth gnashing, a foam on his lips. "I saw it again right over there! But I killed that one! I killed that one! It. will go back to hell ahead of me! Oh, God! there's another! Another, but I'll kill that one, too!" Straight toward me he came with the fierce, unexpected leap of a wild animal. Half-dazed I grappled him. It was the contest of man against beast, for he fought clawing and snapping, snap-ping, snarling forth curses. The necessity ne-cessity of saving myself stiffened me I to it, and I struck out hastily, landing twice before we came to the grip. It seemed to me he possessed the strength of a dozen men, yet I got my fingers in his neckband, and we went crashing down together on the deck. As we struck he went suddenly limp, his fingers shaking, his eyes staring up dully at the light. I held him thus in my grip an instant, suspecting some trick; then, as he never moved, I drew him up until his shoulders rested against the support of a chair. "What is it, man?" I questioned, anxiously. anx-iously. "What has happened? Are you sick?" He made no response, gave not the slightest sign that he even heard me. 1 poured out a gla:-s of liquor, held it to his lips, and he gulped it down, but seemingly in a stupor. "Come along," 1 said, slernly, realizing realiz-ing that my will must dominate his, if 1 would move him to action. "1 am going to take you to your berth, and make you lie down. You are sick, and need rest. Get up, now." He attempted no resistance as I lifted him, even clinging to the chair for support, his entire hotly shaking like a jelly fish. I braced him in through the open door, tumbled him over into the bunk, and he lay there, staring straight up with unwinking eyes, his face as yellow as parchment, lit; was completely dressed for the deck, his pea-jacket buttoned to the chin, his heavy sea-boots on. I ioosened the one, drew off the others, shut the door, and left him there alone. It was clear enough he had again bo-held bo-held the ghost, but how came he to bo fully dressed, his clothing still -wet |
