The Darlington news. (Darlington, S.C.) 1875-1909, December 27, 1888, Image 1
THE DARLINGTON NEWS,
PTJBUSSIL BVKRYTHURSDAY MORNING
HENRY f. THOMPSON.
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DARLINGTON NEWS.
••FOR U8 PRINCIPLE IS PRINCIPLE—RIGHT IS RIGHT—YESTERDAY, TO-DAY. TO MORROW, FOREVER,
VOL. XIV. Nt 52.
DARLINGTON, S. 0., THURSDAY,' DECEMBER 27. 1888.
WHOLE NO 728.
A SHIP OF ’49.
By BRET HARTE.
lOopyHghted by Houghton, Mifflin & Oo., and
published hr arrangremcnt with them.]
au. nou wAsevidenny aosent, amt after
n quick glanoe at the half open cabin
door, Renshaw turned towards the galley.
But Miss Rosey was not lu her accusl
tomed haunt, aud with a feeling of disap
pointment, which seemed inconsistent
with so slight a cause, he crow*d the deck
Impatiently, and entered his room. He
waaisbout to close the door when the pro
longed rustle of a trailing skirt in the
passage attracted his attention. The
sound was so unlike that made by any
garment worn by Rosey tha« he remained
motionless, With his hand on the door. 1
The sound approached nearer, and the
next moment a white veiled figure with a
traUing skirt slowly swept past the room.
Renshaw’s pulses halted for an instant in
half superstitions awe. As the appari
tion glided on and vanished in the cabin
door ho could <raly see that it was the
form of a beautiful and graceful woman
—but nothing more. Bewildered and
curious, he forgot himself so far as to
follow it, and Impulsively entered the
cabin. The figure turned, uttered a little
cry, threw the veil aside, and showed the
half troubled, half blushing face of
Rosey.
“I—beg—your pardon,” stammered
Renshaw; “I didn’t know it was you."
‘T was trying on some things,” said
Rosey, recovering her composure and
pointing to an open trunk that seemed to
contain a theatrical wardrobe—“some
things father gave me long ago. I wanted
to see if there was anything I could use.
I thought I was all alone in the ship, but
fancying I heard a noise forward I came*
out to see what it was. I suppose it must
have been you."
She raised her clear eyes to his, with a
alight touch of womanly reserve that was
so incompatible with any vulgar vanity or
girlish coquetry that he became the more
embarrassed. Her dress, too, of a
slightly antique shape, rich but simple,
seemed to reveal and accent a certain re
pose of geutlewomanliness, that he was
now wishing to believe he had always
noticed. Conscious of a superiority in
bar that now seemed to change their re
lations completely, lie alone remained si
lent^, awkward and embarrassed before
the girl who had taken care of his room,
and who cooked in the galley! What he
had thoughtlessly considered a merely
vulgar business intrigue against her stupid
father, now to his extravagant fancy as
sumed Abe proportions of a sacrilege to
herself.
“You’ve had your revenge, Miss Nott,
tor the fright I once gave you,” ho said a
little uneasily, “for you quite startled me
Just now as you passed. I began to think
the Pontiac was haunted. I thought you
ware a ghost. I don’t know why such a
ghS.it should frighten anybody," be went
on with a desperate attempt to recover
his position by gallantry. “Let mo see—
that's Donna Elvira’s dress—Is it not?"
mm
: iiIh
“■csBal
Oi-rf
m J%aFa Donna Elvira'i dress—ts it notf”
“I don’t think that was the poor
woman’s name," said Rosey simply; “she
died of yellow fever at New Orleans us
fUgnora somebody."
Her Ignorance seemed to Mr. Renshaw
so plainly to partake more of the nun
than the provincial that he hesitated to
explain to her that he meant the heroine
of an opera.
“It seems dreadful to put on the poor
thing’s clothes, doesn’t 10” she added.
Mr. Renshaw’s eyes showed so plainly
that he thought otherwise that she drew
A little austerely towards the door of her
stateroom.
“I must chan# these things before any
one comes," she said dryly.
“That means I must go, I suppose. But
couldn’t you let me wait here oi^in the
gangway until then, Miss Nott? I am go
ing away to-night, and I mayn't see you
again." He had not intended to say this,
but it slipped from his embarrassed
tongue. She stopped with her hand on
the door.
“You are going away?"
•T—think—I must leave to night. I
have some important business in Sacra
mento. "
She raised her frank eyes to his. The
tuuntstakabfe look of disappointment that
hi MW in them gave his heart a sudden
throb' and sent the quick blood to his
° h *'§VB too bad,” she said, abstractedly.
4 ‘Nobody ever seems to stay here tong.
Capt, Bower promised to tell me all about
the ship and he went away the second
week. The photographer left before ho
finished the picture of the Pontiac; Mon-
Meur de Ferrierea has Just gone, and now
you are going."
“Perhaps, ntiHVs them, I have flnl.-.h<’d
my season of usefulness here," ho replied,
with a bitterness he would have recalled
the next moment But Rosey, with a
faint sigh saying, “I won’t be long," en
tered the state room an 1 ! closed the duel
behind her.
Kcipihr.w bit his lip and I'lilled »‘f the
l -nq silken threads of his mustache until
1 : i.-rteil. Why had he not gone at
or.ci? Why was it necessary to say he
Blight not rce her again—and If he had
said It, why should he add anyth!’ " tnpref
What was he waiting for now? 'i’u en
deavor 10 prove to her that He really noro
no resemblance to Capt. Bower, the pho
tographer, the crazy Frenchman de Fer-
rieres? Or would he be forced to tell her
that he was running away from a con
spiracy to defraud her father—merely for
something to say» Was there ever such
folly? Rosey was “not long,” as she had
said, but he was beginning to pace the
narrow cabin impatiently when the door
opened and she returned.
She had resumed her ordinary calico
gown, but such was the impression left
upon Renslmw’s fancy that she seemed
to wear it with a new grace. At any
other time he might have recognized tho
change as due to a new corset, which
strict veracity compels me to record Rosey
had adopted for the first time that morn
ing. Howtieit, her slight coquetry seemed
to have passed, for she closed the open
trunk with a return of her old listless air,
and sitting on it rested her elbows on her
knees and her oval chin in her hands.
“I wish you would do me a favor,” she
said, after a reflective pause.
"Let me know what it is and it shall be
done,” replied Renshaw, quickly.
“If you should come across Monsieur de
Ferrieres, or hear of him. I wish you
would let me know. He was very poorly
when he left here, and I should like to
know if he was better. He didn’t say
where he was going. At least, he didn’t
tell father; but I fancy he and father
don’t agree.”
“I shall be very glad of having even
that opportunity of making you remem
ber me, Miss Nott,” returned Renshaw,
with a faint smile; “I don’t suppose either
that it would be very diificult to get news
of your friend—everylxxly seems to know
him."
“But not as I did," said Rosey, with an
abstracted little sigh.
Mr. Renshaw opened his brown eyes
upon her. Was he mistaken? Was this
romantic girl only a little coquette, play
ing her provincial airs on him? “You say
he and your father didn't agree? That
means, I suppose, that you and lie agreed
—and that was the result."
"I don’t think father knew anything
about it,” said Roeoy, simply.
Mr. Renshaw rose. And this was what
he had been waiting to hear! “Perhaps,”
he said, grimly, “you would alsc like
news of the photographer and Capt.
Bower, or did your father a^ree with
them better?”
"No,” said Rosey quietly. She re
mained silent for a moment, and lifting
her lashes said, “Father always seemed
to agree with yon, and that”—she hesi
tated.
“Thatfs why you don’t.”
“I didn’t say that,” said Rosey with an
incongruous increase of coldness and
color. “I only meant to say it was that
whicli makes it seem so hard you should
go now. ”
Notwithstanding his prcv’ous determi
nation Renshaw found idmse’if sitting
down again. Confused and pleased, wish
ing lie had said more—or loss—he said
nothing, and Rosey was forced to con
tinue.
"It’s strange, isn’t it—but father wrs
urging me this morning to make a visit
to some friends at tho old Ranch. I didn’t
want to go. I like it much better here.”
“But yon cannot bury yourself here
forever. Miss Nott,’’ said Renshaw with a
sudden burst of honed enthusiasm.
“Sooner or later you will he forced to go
where you will be properly appreciated,
where you will lie admire I and courted,
where your slightest wish will bo law.
Believe me, without flattery, you don’t
know your own power.”
“It doesn’t seem strong enough to keep
even the little I like here,” said Rosey
whh a slight glistening of the eyes.
“But,” she added hastily, “you don’t
know how much the dear old ship is to
me. It’s the ouly borne I think I ever
had.”
“But the Ranch?” said Renshaw.
“The Ranch seemed to he only the old
wagon halted in the road. It waa a very
little improvement on out doom,’’ said
Rasey, with a little shiver. “But this is so
cozy and snug and yet so strange and
foreign. Do you know I think I began to
understand why I like it so since you
taught me so much about ships and
voya ies. Before that I only learned from
books Books deceive you, I think, more
than ireople do. Don’t you think so?”
She evidently did not notice tlw quick
flush that covered his cheeks and ap
parently dazzled his troubled eyelids, for
she went on confidentially.
“I was thinking of you yesterday. I
was sitting by the galley door, looking
forward. Yon remember the first day I
saw you when you startled me by coming
op out of the hatch?"
“I wish y-m wouldn’t think of that,”
said Renshaw, with more earnestness
than he would have mode apparent.
“I don’t want to either,” said Rosey,
gravely, “for I’Cb had a strange fancy
about It. I saw once when I was younger,
a picture In a print shop in Montgomery
street that haunted me. I think it was
called ‘The Pirate.’ There was a numoer
of wicked looking safiors lying around the
deck, and coming out of a hatch was one
figure with his hands on the deck and a
cutlass m his mouth.”
“Thank you,” said Renshaw.
“You don’t understand. He was hor
rid looking, not at all like you. I never
thought of him when I tirst saw you; but
the other day I thought how dreadful it
wonld have been if someone like him and
not like you had come up then. That
made me nervous sometimes of being
alone. 1 think father is too. He often
goes about stealthily at night, as if he was
vatching for something.”
Renshaw’s face grew suddenly dark.
Jould It be possible that Sleight had
always suspected him, and set spies to
watch—or was he guilty of some double
intrigue?
“He thinks," continued Rosey with a
faint smile, “that some one Is looking
around tho ship, ami talks of setting bear
traps. I hope you’re not mad, Mr. Ren
shaw,” she added, suddenly catching
sight of hia changed expression, “at my
foolishness in saying you reminded me
of tlic pirate. 1 meant nothing.
“I know you’re incapable of
anything but good to anybody, Ml<» No^
perhajM to me more than I deserve, sal
RwuViw with a snddon burst of feeUtur.
"i wish—i wish—you would no me a ta-
vor. You asked me one just now.” He
had taken her hand. It seemed so like a
mere illustration of his earnestness that
she did not withdraw it. “Your father
tells you everything. If he has any offer
to dispose of the ship, will you write to me
at once before anything is concluded?” He
winced a little—the sentence of Sleight,
“What’s the figure you and she have set
tled upon?” flashed across his mind. He
scarcely noticed that Rosey had withdrawn
her hand coldly.
“Perhaps you had better speak to fa
ther, as it is his business. Besides I shall
not lie here. 1 shall be at the Ranch."
“But you said you didn’t want to go?”
“I’ve changed my mind,” said Rosey
listlessly. "I shall go to-night.”
She rose as if to indicate that the inter
view was ended. With an overpowering
instinct that his whole future happiness
depended upon his next act, he made a
step toward her, with eager outstretched
hands. But she slightly lifted her own
with a warning gesture, “I hear father
coming—you will have a chance to talk
business with him,” she said, and van
ished into her stateroom.
CHAPTER VI.
The heavy tread of Abner Nott echoed
in the passage. Confused and embar
rassed, Renshaw remained standing at the
door that had closed upon Rosey ns her
father entered the cabin. Providence,
which always fostered Mr. Nott’s char
acteristic misconception, left that perspi
cacious parent but one interpretation of
the situation. Rosey had evidently just
, informed Mr. Renshaw that she loved
another!
“I was just saying ‘goodby’ to Miss
Nott,” said Renshaw, hastily regaining
| his composure with an effort. “I am
going to Sacramento to-night, and will not
return. I”
“In course, in course,” Interrupted
Nott, soothingly; “that’s wot you say
i now, and that’s what you allow to do.
| That’s wot they alius do.”
“I mean,” said Renshaw, reddening at
i what he conceived to tie an allusion to the
absconding propensities of Nott’s previous
tenants. “I mean that you shall keep the
advance to cover any loss you might suffer
through ray giving up the rooms.”
“Certingly,” said Nott, laying his hand
with a large sympathy on Renshaw’s
shoulder; “but we’ll drop that just now.
We won’t swap bosses in the middle of
the river. We’ll square up accounts in
your room,” he added, raising his voice
that Rosey might overhear him, after a
preliminary wink at the young man.
“Yes, sir, we’ll just square up and set
tle in there. Come along, Mr. Renshaw.”
Pushing him with ixiternal gentleness
from the cabin, with Ids hand still upon
his shoulder, ho followed him into tho pas
sage. Half annoyed at hir, familiarity, yet
not altogether displeased by this Illus
tration of Hosey’s h. lit f of his preference,
Rensha .» wonderingly accompanied him.
Nott closed the door, and pushing the
young man Into a chair, deliberately
seated himself nt the table opposite. “It’s
just as well that Rosey reckons that you
and me is settlin’ our accounts,” he be
gan, cunningly, “and mebbe it’s just ez
well ez she should reckon you’re goin’
away.”
“But I am going,” interrupted Renshaw,
impatiently. “I leave to-uight.”
“Surely, surely,” said Nott, gently,
“that’s wot you kalkilate to do; that’s
just uut’ral in a young feller. That’s
about what I reckon I’d hev done to her
mother if anythin’ like this hed ever
cropjied up. which it didn’t. Not but
wlint Almiry Jhuc had young fellers
enough around her, but, ’cept ole Judge
Peter, ez was lamed In the war of 1812,
there ain’t no similarity ez I klix see,” he
added, musingly.
“I am afraid I can’t see any similarity
either, Mr. Nott,” said Renshaw, strug
gling between a dawning sense of some
impending absurdity and bis growing pas
sion for Rosey. “For Heaven’s sake
speak out if you’ve got anything to say.”
Mr. Nott leaned forward, and placed
his large hand on the young man’s
shoulder. “That’s what I sed to myself
when I seed how things were pintin’.
‘Slieak out,’ pez I, ‘Abner! Speak out If
you’ve got anything to say. You kin
trust this yer Mr. Renshaw. He ain’t
the kind of man to creep into the bosom
of a man’s ship for pupposes of his own.
He ain’t a iqan that would hunt round
until he discovered a poor man’s treasure,
and then try to rob’
“Stop!” said Renshaw, with a set fact
and darkening eyes. “What treasure!
what man are you speaking of?”
“Why Rosey aud Mr. Ferrers,” re
turned Nott, simply.
Renshaw sank into his sent again. But
the expression of relief which here passed
swiftly over his face gave way to one of
uneasy interest as Nott went on.
“P’r aps It’s a little high falutin’ talkin'
of Rosey ez a treasure. But, considerin’,
Mr. Renshaw, ez she’s the only prop'ty
I’ve kept by me for seventeen years ez hez
paid Interest and increased in valooe, it
ain’t sayiu’ too much to call her so. And
ez Ferrers knows this, he oughter been
content with gougin’ me in that horsehair
spec, without goin’ for Rosey. P’r’aps
yer surprised at hearing me speak o’ my
own flesh and blood ez If I was talkin’
boss trade, but you and me is bus’ness
men, Mr. Rcrshaw, and we discusses ez
such. We ain’t goin’ to slosh round and
slop over In pi’try and sentiment,” con
tinued Nott, with a tremulous voice, and
a hand that sl’ghtly shook on Renshaw’s
shoulder. “We ain’t goin’ to git op and
sing, ‘Thou’sfc lamed to love another
thou'st broken every vow we’ve parted
from each other aud my bosom’s lonely
now oh is it well to sever snch liearts as
ourn for ever kin I forget thee never fare
well farewell farewell.’ Ye never hap
pen’d to hear Jim Baker sing that at the
nioosic hall on Dnpont street, Mr. Ren
shaw,” continued Mr. Nott, enthusias
tically, when he had recovered from that
complete absence of punctuation which
alone suggested verse to his intellect.
“He sorter struck water down here,” In
dicating his heart, “every time.”
“Bnt what haa Miss Nott to do with M.
de Ferrlefrea?" asked Renshaw, with a
faint smile.
Mr. Nott ewrawled M*« dumb
rouna, nstomsnea eyes, "iiazn t she told
yer?”
“Certainly not.”
• “And she didn’t let on anythin’ about
him?” he continued, feebly.
“Sbo said she’d like to know where"—
He stopped, with the reflection that he
was betraying her confidences.
A dim foreboding of some now form of
deceit , to which even the man lx fore him
was a consenting party, almost paralyzed
Nott’s faculties. “Then she didn't tell
yer that she and Ferrers was sp irkin’ and
keepin’ kimpnny together; that she and
him was engaged, and was kalkilntin’ to
run away to furrin parts; that she cot
toned to him more than to the ship or her
father?”
“She certainly did not. and I shouldn’t
believe it,” said Renshaw, quickly.
Nott smiled. He was amused; he as
tutely recognized the usual truthfulness
of love and youth. There was. clearly no
deceit here! Rensbaw’s attentive eyes
saw the smile, and tils brow darkened.
“I like to hear yer say that, Mr. Ren
shaw,” said Nott, “and it’s no more than
Rosey deserves, ez it’s suthing oimat’ral
and spell like that’s come over her
through Ferrers. It ain’t my Rosey. But
it’s Gospel truth, whether she’s bewitched
or not; whether it’s them damn fool sto
ries she reads—and it’s like ez not he’s
just the kind o’ snipe to write ’em hisself,
and sorter advertise hisself, don’t yer see
—she’s alius stuck up for him. They’ve
had clandesent Interviews, and when I
taxed him with it he ez much ez allowed
1 it was so, and reckoned he must leave, so
ez he could ran her off, you know—
kinder stampede her with ‘honor.’
Them’s his very words.”
| “But that is all past; ho is gone, and
Miss Nott does not even know where he
1st” said Renshaw, with a laugh, which,
however, concealed a vague uneasiness.
Mr. Nott rose and opened the door care
fully. When he had satisfied himself
. that no one was listening he came back and
said in u whisper, “That’s a lie. Not ez
Rosey means to lie, but It’s a trick he’s
put upon that poor child. That man, Mr.
Renshaw, hez been hangin* round the
Pontiac ever since. I’ve seed him twice
i with my own eyes pass the cabin windys.
More than that, I’ve heard strange noises
at night and seen strange faces in the
1 alley over yer. And only jlst now ez I
l kem in I ketched sight of a furrin lookin’
| Chinee nigger slinking rouud the buck
door of what useter be Ferrers’ loft."
I “Did he look like a sailor?” asked Ren
shaw quickly, with a return of his former
suspicion.
“Not more than I do,” said Nott, glanc
ing complacently at his pea jacket. /“He
had rings on his yeers like a wench. ” ^
Mr. Renshaw started. But seeing
Nott’s eyes fixed on him, he said lightly,
“But what have these strange faces and
this strange man—probably ouly a I^iscar
sailor out of a Job—to do with Fer
rieres?”
“Friends o’ his—feller furrin citizeus—
spies oa Rosey, don’t you see? But they
can’t play tho old man, Mr. Renshaw.
I've told Rosey she must make a visit to
the old Rauch. Once I've got her thcr
safe, I reckon I kin manage Mr. Ferrers
and any number of Chinee niggers he kin
bring along."
Renshaw remained for a few moments
lost In thought, Then rising suddenly be
grasped Mr. Nott’s band with a Trank
smile but determined eyes. “I haven’t
got the hang of this, Mr. Nott—the whole
thing gets me! I only know that I’ve
changed my mind. I’m not going to Sac
ramento. I shall stay here, old man,
until I see you safe through the bnsiness,
or my name’s not Dick Renshaw. There’s
my hand on It! Don’t say a word. May
be it is no more than I ought to do—per
haps not half enough. Only remember,
not a word of this to your daughter. She
must believe that I leave to-night. And
the aooner yon get her out of this cursed
ship tho better. ”
“Deacon Flint’s girls are goin’ np In
to-night’s boat. I’ll send Rosey with
them,” said Nott, with a cunning twinkle.
Renshaw nodded. Nott seized his hand
with a wink of unutterable significance.
Left to himself, Renskaw tried to re
view more calmly the circumstances in
these strange revelations that had Im
pelled him to change his resolution so
suddenly. That the ship was under the
surveillance of unknown parties, and that
the description of them tallied with his
own knowledge of a certain Lascar sailor,
who was one of Sleight's Informants—
seemed to be more than probable. That
this seemed to point to Sleight’s disloy
alty to himself while he was acting as his
agent, or n double treachery on the part
of Sleight's informants, was in either case
a reason and an excuse for bis own inter
ference. But the connection of the ab
surd Frenchman with the case, which at
first seemed a characteristic imbecility of
his landlord, bewildered him the more he
thought of it. Rejecting any hypothesis
of the girl’s affection for the antiquated
figure whose sanity was a question of
public criticism, be was forced to the
equally alarming theory that Ferrieres
was cognizant of the treasnre, aud that
his attentions to Rosey were to gain pos
session of it by marrying her. Might she
not be dazzled by a picture of this wealth?
Was is not possible that she was already
In part possession of the secret, and her
strange attraction to the ship, and what
he had deemed her Innocent craving for
Information concerning It, a consequence?
Why had be not thought of this before?
Perhaps she had detected his purpose
Iren the first, aid had deliberately check-
mat sd him. The thought did not in-
crei se his complacency as Nott softly ra-
turned.
“It’s all right,” he began with a certain
satisfaction in this rare opportunity for
Machiavellian <iiplomacy, "it’s all fixed
now. Rosey tumbled to It at once, par-
Uklcrly when I said you waa bound to go.
‘Bat wot makes Mr. Renshaw go, father,’
sez she; ‘wot makes everybody run away
from the ship?’ sez she, rather peart like
and sassy for her. ‘Mr. Renshaw hez
contractin' business,’ sea I; ‘got a big
thing np in Sacramento that’ll make his
fortuu’,’ sez I—for I wasn’t goin’ to give
I yer away, don’t ye ass. ‘He had aome
business to talk to you about the ship,’
| sea she, lookin’ at me under the corner of
, her pocket handkerchief. ‘Lot’s o’ busi
ness,’ sez L *11100 I reckon he don't cars
to hev me write to him ' s*« «be ‘Wot •
on., sez 1, -ne woman t answer ye it ye
did. Ye’ll never hear from that chap
agin’. ’ ”
“But what the devil"—Interrupted the
young man impetuously.
“Keep yer lialr on!” remonstrated the
old man with dark intelligence. “Kf you’d
seen the way she flounced Into her state
room!—she, Rosey, ez alias moves es
softly ez a spirit—you’d hev wished I'd
her unloaded a little more. No sir, gals
is gals iu some things all the time."
Renshaw rose and paced the loom
rapidly. "Perhaps I’d better speak to
her again before she goes,” he said, Im
pulsively.
“P’r’aps you’d better not," replied the
impcrturliable Nott.
Irritated as he was, Renshaw could not
avoid the reflection that the old man waa
right. What, indeed, could he say to her
with his present imperfect knowledge?
How could she write to him If that
knowledge was correct?
“Ef,” said Nott, kindly, with a laying
on of large benedictory and paternal
hands, “ef yer are willin' to see Rosey
agin, without speakin’ to her, I reckon I
ken fix It for yer. I’m goin’ to take her
down to the boat iu half an hour. Ef yer
should happen—mind, ef yer should hap
pen to be down there, seeln’ some friends
off and sorter promenadin' up and down
the wharf like them high toned chaps on
Montgomery street—yo might ketch her
eye unconscious like. Or, ye might do
tbisl” He rose after a moment's cogita
tion and with a face of profound mystery
opened the door and beckoned Renshaw to
follow him. Leading the way cautiously,
he brought the young man into an open
unpartitioned recess beside her state room.
It seemed to be used as a store room, and
Renshnw*s eye was caught by a trank the
size and shape of the ono that had pro
vided Rosey with the materials of her
masquerade. Pointing to it Mr. Nott said
in a grave whisper: “This yer trunk is
the companion trunk to Hosey's. She's
got the things them opery women wears;
this yer contains the he things, the duds
and flxln's o’ the men o' tho same stripe.”
Throwing It open tie continued: “Now,
Mr. Renshaw, gals Is gsls; it's nat'ral
they should be took by fancy dress and
store clothes on young chaps as on their-
selves. That man Ferrers hez got the
dead wood .on all of ye in this sort of
thing, and hez been playing, so to speak,
a lone hand all along. And efthar's any
thin' in thar,” he added, lifting part of
a theatrical wardrolie, “that you think
you’d fancy—anythin' you’d like to put
on when ye promenade the wharf down
yonder—it’s yours. Don’t ye be bashful,
but help yourself.”
It was fully a minute before Renshaw
fairly grasped the old man's meaning.
But when he did—when the suggested
spectacle of himself arrayed a la Ferrieres,
gravely promenading the wharf as a hist
gorgeous appeal to the affections of .Rosey,
rose before his fancy, he gave way to a
fit of genuine laughter. Tho nervous
tension of the past few hours relaxed; ho
laughed until the tears came into hfs eyes;
he was still laughing when tho door of
the cabin was suddenly opened ami Rosey
appeared cold and distant on the thres
hold.
“I—beg your pardon,” stammered Ren
shaw hastily. “I didn’t mean—to dis
turb yon—I”
Without looking nt him Rosey turned
to her father. “I am ready,” she said
coldly, and closed the door again.
A glance of artful intelligence came
Into Nott’s eyes, which had remained
blankly staring at Renshaw’s apparently
causeless hilarity. Turning to him be
winked solemnly. “That keerlcss kind o*
boss laff Jlst fetched her,” he whispered,
and vanished before his chagrined com-
pauioii could reply.
When Mr. Nott and his daughter de
parted Renshaw was not In the ship,
neither did he make a spectacular appear
ance on the wharf as Mr. Nott had fondly
expected, nor did he turn up again until
after 9 o’clock, when ho found the old
man in the cabin awaiting his return with
some agitation. “A mlnlt ago,” he said,
mysteriously closing the door behind Ren
shaw, “I heard a voice in the passage,
and goin’ out who should I see agin but
that darned furrin nigger ez I told yer
'bout, kinder hidin’ in the dark, his eyes
shinin’ like a catamount. I was jlst
reachin’ for my wepplns when he ris np
with a grin and handed me this yer letter.
I told him I reckoned yon'd gone to Sac
ramento, but he said he wez sure yon waa
in your room, and to prove it I went thar.
But when I kem back the d—d skunk
had vamoosed—got frightened, I reckon—
and wasn’t nowhar to be seen.”
Renshaw took the letter hastily. It
contained only a line in Sleight’s hand.
“If you change your mind, the bearer
may be of service to yen.”
He turned abruptly to Nott “You say
It was the same Lascar you saw before*"
“It was."
“Then all I can say Is he Is no agent of
de Ferrieres’,’’ said Renshaw, turning
away with a disaf pointed air. Mr. Nott
would have asked another question, but
with an abrupt “Good night” the young
man entered his room, locked the door,
and threw himself 011 his bed to reflect
witbont interruption.
But if he was in no mood to stand
Nott’s fatuous conjectures, he was leas
inclined to be satisfied with his own. Had
he been again carried away through hi#
impulses evoked by the caprices of •
pretty coquette and the absurd theories
of her half imbecile father? Had he bro
ken faith with Sleight and remained in
the ship for nothin", and would not his
change of resolution appear to be tho
result of Sleight's note? But why laid
the Lascar iieen haunting the ship before?
In the midst of these conjectures be fill
asleep.
(To Ik- coutiuutMl)
Jin mmiE
Our Job department u enpplUd with even .
facility aeeeeaary to eneblo a# •• compete
bet baste price eudqeellty ef work, with ever
tboee of the eitiea, ead we gueraaiee eerie
feci lea in every pertlealarer eberge netbieg
for ear work. Wear* always prepared to
All orders at sbert aattee for Ulaaks, kil
Heeds. Utter Heads. Cards, Hand kills
Posisrs. Circulars, 1‘amphUts, As.
All jeb Berk must bs paid for
Cash on Delivery
McCul ough,y; .Blackwell
& Co.,
k
DKALEKo
—&'• vr.
WAGONS. HARNESS.
Red Hast Vroof Seed Oats and ftye.
NOW HAVl ON HAND AS FINE A LOT OF.HORSES AS IS TO
BE SEEN ANYWHEREIIN
SOUTH CAROLINA.
There lias Wen an Enormous ReducUon mails i a tk.
. BUGGIES m WifiQHS,
Priwu
Beef Pork, Fish.
I di-siri- lo ialuiNi t! a people <>l Burling.
ion ibrt I hare g *«• 1'itu ibx liniuiicr
he-im-s, an I wil! h- fou'id in r.o Market
; I onto s' tbe first si..11 on ibs right as the
budding is roteed. where I will bs pre
pared at all um<'s in furniab the very beet
qaaliiy ef meat and fish. Patronage re
spectfully solicited; saiisfaerioa guaraa-
te«d. Goods Uohvered by ms.
ROUT NIXON.
W Inch they handle, «fld they only A8K that .11 _i.
... km* .0, jmrcl11iH.11 m tli , »,!, * l l '..’’ t ^,fg.”V«»Sto.
doing ho unoring tbrm tint iL.j .ill lh.r«l T
THE FIRM HAS RECENTLY RECEIVER 8 CAh
LOADS OF
•*3 IT Gh 'Ghll ES S
And One Car Load of
Old Hickory W&gwnt.
purchased j„ iuch Urge , oU( thej ^ Bow ^
cd to sell at the Very Lowest Rates.
Jtiey not nlj ] Has, tut Mid* it J
These Gentlemen are the Local Agent* fo*
THE CELEBRATED
Si
Of Columbus, Ohio.
THE
WATERTOWN BUGGIES,
e
Of Watertown, N, J.
THE WELL KNOWN
Hackney Buggies,
Of Wilson, N. C.
In Addition to a Large and Varied Stock of beautiful
H -A. IR, ZtT IE S B
This House is prepared to make to order at their place of
business the most Elegant Sets or parts of Seta,
BUY
O
mmi, Miw it m.
FOR BY SO DOING YOU WILL SAVE MONEY, AMD BE
!
*. *«£&•-
U|