OCR Text |
Show I '1 THE WRECK hH ' ' 7 M " H A Story of KWnptef PpH H Ojr CLARISSA MACKIB iH 4 H ! Copyright by American l'reM Aano X H elation, 1811. H When Alice I-ovett bad come out of " tbu want, whero alio hud been for a H yoar'a vlntt, Fordo Card nuccumbed nt H once to her lovellncaa and charm. It H waa by no uioana Ida first tore affair. H but Jt waa without doubt hla roont acrl H rim one. H The beautiful Mlas Lorett. howoror, Hj looked with ludlfferenco upon tho H you n r millionaire upon hla extreme H aleuderaeaa, hla narrow face with Ita K,v cloao placed eye, aleak hair and rone- Bn bud mouth. Ilko a Rlrt'a. She dlnllked H hla overdeferentlal manner, tho touch H of hla white apatulate fliiRor tlpn mid, H above all, hla effeminacy. Mentally H alio wore a picture of a tall, brown B faced man, with strong hnuda, ka Hfe hlile eyea and a ahock of heatnlV Wavy-r-ji,u.ii, !,. i j.im.mM H loiiff actio tutor tho parttiiw. lie, tire H nrtlnt, Imd an lied for unknown aena J H with akotch book and pencil, whllo hIip H had Hod homo to California iih bcln;; H farthent from tho acouo of hor heart H dlmiater. K- .. It wiih at tho aiiKKOHtlnn of hla o- H "' clnl npouHor, Mm. Arlington, that Tor- H do Card planned u crulHo on tho Iltir- H loipilu. It required heroic rcsolvo to H do thla, but tho opportunity offered by H Ioiir, dotlKhtful daya on tho Tactile H with Alice I.ovett, followed by il renin- H ful, moonlit, tropical iilffhta, wua not H to bo denied, nud ho It wua that one H fine September morning tho long black H hull of tho Harlequin nllppcd through H tho (tablet) Unto and dlsappeariHl Into H tlio enchanted voNt. H "Can you do It?" naked Card for the H third time. H Captain Alveltv hcowIoJ. "I uniHt H think," ho snld HUllcnly. "I iuuhI plan H It nil out nud conalder It. There 1m i H M "llnhl" mtttvA CanJ. "If you're H afraid, nay ho! I thought you fellows H wuro lire enters. When It comes right H down to turning oft a Job well, any. H you've got a kindergarten beaten to n H htaudHtlll." H "Ah. you think aoV" The enptaln'a H allm brown lingers caressed an ugly H looking kulfo pruduced from his tight- H ly girted waist. "Just tho Hiutie, sir. B I'll take my time and think about It." H Card tfhlfted uiuwislly In hla -swit. H "All right, take your time, old sport," H ho autd, with a sickly grin. "And as H for you, Coltou, keep your mouth shut H savoy 1" -Uu glared nnvngely at the H old Hoamau. H Colton olwer'ed a respectful alienee. H and Alvolro, who had sluMthtnl his , H knife, turned his Komber faeo to the H young millionaire. "Uivo yourself no H uiuxislnwn, Mr, Curd. It will happen H as you wish-about tomorrow even- H Inp or very early the following day," H Hla voice drpped to a hWslug vhla H per. "And the payment of the money H 1 may bo nssurvd of that, air?" H "Sure thing," nodded Card careless- H ly, "and tf you make a pretty Job of B it I'll make It twenty live hundred." H All that night nud tho next day the H HarhHiulu lalxuil In tho teeth of a H gale. At nightfall Terete Curd report H od that tho men wero oshnusteil, n H profiler shaft was broken und that H tho yacht wns drifting helploaaly at ' H the mercy of tho storm. There was a ' H aparo shaft aboard, but under present H coudltloun no repairs could bo made. H lie nmiu) this announcement to tho H threft men It) the smoking room after H the. women had retired, H "Then thero la danger?" said Man H tiering coolly. H Oard UucImnI nervously. "Ofetmrao." H ho M)id Ubttivtly. "If the wtud 1 chhiipcfl Alvclro anya we'll con out I nil right." ; Allco Lovett alcpt little that night. Hhe na well ns the rest of tho women waa n good nailor. but the pitching nnd lurching of the yncht prevented reposo ! of Iwdy, whllo her mind waa painfully J nctlvo In Ita roatlvo unhapplnoBH. Thnt , flay alio hud refused Torek Cnrd'a offer of-fer of marriage for thu third time, nud hla open resentment wna unpleasant. She annk Into n doze, to be awakened by nn Insistent rapping nt her door. Homo ono waa speaking hoarsely. "Mlsa Lovett. get up nnd dreaa nt onco! We nro In great danger! Hurry!" Thero wero hoarse sliouta from tho boat thnt had been lowered, and Alice found herself hurried over the aide 1 nnd pnaicd from one strong nrm to another until alio wna sooted In the pitching dory. There waa a llttlo delay de-lay while tho boat roae and sank on the great roller. Another boat waa being lowered. I Onco she railed her TOice and called. I "Mrs. Arlington, nre you aafo?" bat ! tho words dlod out on the gale. She reached out n hand nud felt nothing , tare tho rough flannel shirt of a seaman. sea-man. Ilor frlonda were probably following fol-lowing In another boat. Ileforo alio cotdd think further the ronr of tho breakers drowned even her thoughts, nnd for n fow momenta it 1 ieemod na though animation was sun- , ponded while tho dory burst through a booming mountain of wntor. She j was drenched to the akin nnd panting for breath when, with a suddenness I that was startling, thoy glided down Jho mountain of water and deacended I with n rush Into Infinite calm, and ex- I copt for tho long swell left by the I rushing combers the boat glided evenly ' nudcr tho impetus of the stout nrmed ouraiucu, All this whllo not a Bound had becu , tittered by her conipautoua. Trcaeutly j the keol grounded ou soft, yielding sand, and Tcrcle Card's volco broke (ho long silence. "Safe on shoro. Miss Lorett," he snld briskly, and Alice was too cold and weary to reject the clammy bund that sought hcra lit the darkness. Day was dawning. She looked nt the Junglo covered , shore, sloping upward into a high created hill topped by feathery palms. Thero waa a smell of cassia nud Ja- mine, while myrlada of bright hucd , birds flickered among tho tall, tufted , cocoa nuts. J "Where are tho others?" she asked ! aa Card helped her over tho gunwnles , "Coming A 'V0 MIf. ))UlLawiflT fiffl i iiVatiV KHVveiyr alia then" fit iJlng-toV tho men. "All readycast offl" nnd In an Instant tho dory was manned nud ahot out Into the gray mint. "Where Is tho Ilurlcquln?" naked I Alice, straining her oyes after tho de. I parting boat. "Heyond tho reef," replied Card laconically. "And why nro you hero?" alio asked I with growing wonderment In her wide I gray eyea. "You couio in tho first boat -and left tho women behind?" I "Uccauso I wanted you and 1 snld I 1 would win you. my lady!" ho retorted i hotly. "Am I to understand that tho Harlequin Harle-quin tin not been in dangerthat it la o trick?" "Not In tho least danger," ho laughed rudely. "Alvolro knowB this Island and tho cove like a book, and the ship wreck part, tho landing In tho boat. I may an well tell you. wna part of the ganiel" "And now? It Is your Intention to detain mo here?" alio asked angrily, "Well, until you promise to marry me," ho admitted. "And If I do not?" "You'll have to stay until you do!" "And If 1 consent?" "Why. there-' n settlement on the other side of the Island, ami the clergyman clergy-man there"- he stopped abruptly. "A settlement!" she exclaimed Joy. ously. "Thank you for tho In forum - tlou. Terele Card!" She turned and mn Hwlftly along the curving bench toward n point or land that Jutted into the little bay. Kor a moment ho watched hor wrathfully. Thuu ho followed. She i ran like n door, but he was tltho of 1 form and llku a cut upon his foot. 1 With long, sweeping bounds ho gained on her and. ronchlng hor. placed one hand ou her shoulder. She uttered a sharp cry. und In that Inatunt ther 1 wna a acutllo of feet, the shout of a ' gruff volco, nnd some dark body hurl- 1 ed Itself upon Tervie Card nud bore him to tho sand. The dark body resolved itself Into tho leather countenance and stocky tlguro of Sltnou Colton. Ho sat upon tho recumbent form of his late employer em-ployer und addressed tho trembling gtr!: "Don't you bo nfoerd of this here llttlo piper, tuts. Ho couldn't hurt a tloa. If you'd shipped his face good nud luml he'd 'a run away. Hut you did tho runulu', and he, bcln the kind thut alu't ufeerd of nobuddy that's nfeenl of him, why. he Just nq,tYUy follorvd after." "How did you get hera. Sliuoa!" usked Alice- engorly. "How can wo get away? Aud Is It iruu that the Harlequin has gone?" tttmon tucked a gouorous UJt of to-Iwero to-Iwero in t uumtn ami uoddod sol-uiujty. sol-uiujty. "1 hwjrd thotu a-Iavln tMtua , in nit wiitt'inouce yesttiy,- They expected ex-pected ui rtrjjM In. nnd I did ns fur ns I wnntod to. I knew if 1 opened my Jnw uobilddy'd believe me and they'd clap mo bc'.ow. So I keeps my trap abut nnd thinks Til bo on deck to tnko enre o mls when we lands. They low mo overboard while they were brjngln you here. miss, nnd devil n prnyer'dld one of them dagoe say when I allpped over. 1 lay in wait hero, nnd blast me If I didn't go nslecp on duty. But I'm wide nwttko now." Ho nrose nnd nlmed n kick at tho recumbent form of Mr. Card. Tho llttlo mill onalre Jumped to hla feet, nshen with ringer nnd denpnlrlng humiliation, no stored from the forbidding for-bidding countenance of the Bailor to the haughty, scornful one of the girl he had attempted to ubduct. She turned away nnd looked beyond him. Her face softened, and a glad light came Into her eyes. Amaiemeut and recognition flushed her cheeks. She looked like a rislou of the morning with her shining hair and aweet, gray yea. "Oh!" she cried rapturoualy. "Who la that?" They turned and followed her glance. A figure waif advancing down the beach toward tbem-a tall man with bared head. - He carried an ensol In one baud and a small camp chair In tho other. A painting kit waa slung from hla ahouldcrs. Suddenly be lifted lift-ed hla eyea and enw tho little group. Allco Btnrted forward with a loud, glad cry thqt rang in Tcrcle Card's enrs for raany-ru day. Such a rovcla-Hon rovcla-Hon of love that It waa! "Ralph, Halph, Ititlph!" she called. Italph Bolton dropped his burden nud came to moot her with Incredulous eye. He gathered hor Into hla willing arms without further explanation. "Oh, I havtj wanted you so badly!" she sobbed lno hla shoulder. He tightened his grasp on her form na ho drow back her head and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Simon Colton spat reflectively upon the mind and turned bis back on the reunited lover. "Seems tojue. young feller," ho said, fixing the mlsernblo Terele with n humorous hu-morous oye. "that you'vo brought that there young miss to a placo where she's mighty glad to be." |