The Darlington news. (Darlington, S.C.) 1875-1909, November 29, 1894, Image 3
Icomuonr, 1880.J
chapter iy.
But before the wind had almost died
sway and In the afternoon the tea was
perfectly calm, and when the aun set 1
could plainly see the steamer on the far-
off edge of the glistening water. Dur
ing the whole of the neat day I saw her.
She neither disappeared nor came
nearer. Sometimes 1 was In the depths
of despair; sometimes I began to hope a
little; but I bad one great solace In the
midst of my misery—Bertha knew that
I loved her. I was positively sure that
my words had been hoard.
It was a strange manner In which I
had told my love. I had roared my burn
ing words of passion through a speak
ing-trumpet, and I had told them not to
Bertha herself, but to Mary Phillips.
But the manner was of no Importance,
Bertha now knew that I loved her.
That was every thing to as*.
As long as light remained I watchef
La Fldelete through the glass, but 1
could see nothing but a black form with
a slanting upper line. She was be
calmed as I was. Why could she not
have been becalmed near me? I dared
not let my mind rest upon the oppor
tunities I had lost when she had been
becalmed near me. During the night
the wind must have risen again, for the
Sparhawk rolled and dipped a good deal,
troubling my troubled slumbers. Very
early In the morning I was awakened by
what sounded like a distant scream. 1
did not know whether It was a dream ot
not; but I hurried on dock. The sun had
pot risen,"but as I looked about I saw
something which took away my breath;
which made me wonder If I were awake,
or dreaming, or mad.
It was Bertha's steamer within hail
ing distance!
Above the rati I sa w the head and
body of Mary Phillips, who was scream
ing through the trumpet. I stood and
gazed in petrifled amazement.
I could not hear what Mary Phillips
aald. Perhaps my senses were be
numbed. Perhaps the wind was carry
ing away her words. That It was blow
ing from me toward her soon became too
evident The steamer was receding
from the Sparhawk. The Instant I be
came aware of this my powers of per
ception and reasoning returned to me
with a burning flash.
Bertha was going away from me—She
w%s almost gone.
Snatching my trumpet, I leaned over
the rati and shouted with all my
might; "Did you hear me say I loved
her? Did you tell her?”
Mary Phillips had put down her
trumpet hut now she raised it again to
her mouth, and I could see that she was
going to make a great effort The dis
tance between us had increased con
siderably since I came on deck, and she
had to speak against the wind.
With all the concentrated Intensity
which high-strung nerves could give to
* man who is trying to hear the one
thing to him worth hearing In the
yvorld, I listened. Had a wild beast
fixed bis claws and teeth Into me at that
moment I would not have withdrawn
my attention.
I hoard the voice of Mary Phillips,
faint, far away. I heard the words:
"Yee, but—” and the rest was lost. She
must have known from my aspect that
her message did not reach mo, for she
tried again and again to make herself
heard.
The wind continued to blow and the
steamer continued to float and float and
float away. A wind had come up in the
night. It had blown Bertha near me,
perhaps It had blown her very near me,
She had not known It and I had not
known it. Mary Phillips had not known
ii until It was too late, and now that
wind had blown her past me and was
blowing her away. For a time there
was * flutter of • handkerchief, but only
one handkerchief, and then La Fidelity,
with Bertha on board, was blown away
and away and away until she disap
peared, and I never saw her again.
All night I sat upon the deck of the
Sparhawk, thinking, wondering and
conjecturing. 1 was in a strange state
of mind. I did not wonder or conjecture
whethef Bertha’s vessel would come
back to me again; I did not think o!
what I should do If it did come back. 1
did not think of what I should do If it
never came back. All night I thought,
wondered and conjectured what Mary
Phillips had meant by the word “but.”
It was plain to me what "yes” had
meant My message had been heard
and I know Mary Phillips well enough
to feel positively sure that having re
ceived such a message under such cir
cumstances, she had given It to Bertha.
Therefore 1 had positive proof that
Bertha knew that I loved her. But
what did the “but” mean?
It seemed to me that ther° were s
thousand things that this werd mlghl
mesa. It might mean that she was al
ready engaged to be married. It might
mean that she had vowed never tc
marry. It might mean that she disap
proved of such words at such a time. 1
can not repeatvthe tenth of the mean
ings which I thought I might attach to
this word. But the worst thing that it
could purport, the most terrible signifi
cation of all, recurred to me over and
over again. It might mean that Bertha
could not return my affection. She
knew that I loved her, but she could
not love me.
In the morning I ate something and
then Jay down upon the deck to sleep,
jt was well that I should do this, 1
thought, because if Bertha came near
me again In the day time Mary Phillips
would hall me If I were not awake. All
night long I would watch, and, as there
was a moon, I would see Bertha’s vessel
If It came again.
I did watch all that afternoon and all
that night, and during my watching I
never ceased to wonder and conjecture
what Mary Phillips meant by that word
“but,’*
About the middle of the next day I
saw In the distance something upon the
witer. I first thought it a bit of spray,
for It was white, but as there
me. It was such a little object that the
faint breezes which occasionally arose
had more influence upon the Sparhawk
than upon it, and so I gradually ap
preached It,
In about an hour I made out that It
was something round, with something
white raised above it, and then I dis
covered that it was a life-preserver
which supported a little stick to which
the something white, probably a hand
kerchief, was attached. Then I saw that
on the life-preserver lay a little yellow
mass.
Now I knew what It was that I saw.
It was s message from Bertha. Mary
Phillips hsd devised the means of send
ing It. Berths had sent It.
The life-preserver was s circular one
filled vtth air. L. - the center of this,
Mary, by means of many strings, had
probably secured a stick in an upright
position; she hsd then fastened a hand
kerchief to the top of the stick. Berths
had written a message and Mary had
wrappen it In a piece of oiled silk
and fastened It to the life-preserver.
She had then lowered this contrivance
to the surface of the water, hoping that
It would float to me or that I would float
to it.
1 was floating to It. It contained the
solution of all my doubts, the answer to
all my conjectures. It was Bertha's re
ply to my declaration of love, and I was
drifting slowly but surely towards it.
Soon I would know.
But after a time the course of the Spar
hawk or the course of the message
changed. I drifted to the north. Little
by little my course deviated from the
lino on which I might have met the
message. At last I saw that I should
never meet it. When I became con
vinced of this my first impulse was to
spring overboard and swim for it. But
I restrained this impulse as I had re
strained others like it If li -rtha came
back I must be ready to meet her. I
must run no risks, for her sake and my
sake. She must find me on the Spar
hawk If she should come back. She had
left roe and she had come back; she
might come back again. Even to get
her message I must not run the risk of
missing her. And so with yearning
heart and perhaps tearful eyes I
watched the little craft disappear and
become another derelict.
I do not know how many days and
nights I watched and waited for Bertha's
ship and wondered and conjectured
what Mary Phillips meant by “but." 1
was awake so much and uto so little and
thought so hard that I lost strength
both of mind and body. AH that I asked
of my body was to look out for Bertha's
steamer, and all that I asked of my
mind was to resolve the moaning of the
last words I bad heard from the steamer.
One day, I do not know whether it
was In the morning or afternoon, I
raised my bead and on the horizon 1 saw
a steamer. Quick as a flash my glass
was brought to bear upon it In the
next minute my arms drooped, the tele
scope fell into my lap, my head dropped.
It was not Bertha’s steamer; it was an
ordinary steamer with its deck parallel
with the water and a long line of smoko
coming out of its funnel. The shock of
the disappointment was very great.
When I looked up again I could see
that the steamer was headed directly
towards me, and was approaching with
considerable rapidity. But this fact af
fected me little. It would not bring me
Bertha. It would not bring me any
message from her. It was an ordinary
vessel of traffic. I took no great inter
est In It, one way or the other.
Before long It was so near that 1
could see people on board. I arose and
looked over the rail. Then some one on
TUB CAFTAIX S STOHY.
the steamer Bred a puli or a pistol. As
this seemed to be a signal I waved my
hat. Then the steamer began to move
more slowly, and soon lay to and low
ered a boat.
In ten minntes three men stood on the
deck of the Bparhawk. Sonic one had
hailed me In English to lower some
thing. I had lowered nothing; hut here
they were on deck. They asked me a
lot of questions, but I answered none oi
them.
“Is yonr captain with you?" I said.
They answered that he was not, that he
was on the steamer. “Then take me to
him,” said
"Of course we will,” Said their loader
with a smile. And they took me.
I was received on the steamer with
much cordiality and much questioning,
but to none of it did I pay any attention.
I addressed the captain.
“Sir," said 1, “I will be obliged to
you II you will immediately cruise to
the southwest and pick up for me a life,
preserver with a little white flag
attached to It. It also carries a message
for me, wrapped In a piece of oiled silk.
It U very important that I should obtain
that message without delay.
The captain laughed. "Why, man!”
will oomo up with It very soon. In in*
meantime you must come below and
have something to eat and drink and
rest yourself.”
Satisfied by this assurance I went Ufe-
low, was given food and medicine and
was put into a berth, where I remained
for four daya. In a half Insensible con
dition, knowing nothing — caring for
nothing.
When I came on deck again I was very
weak, but I bad regained my senses and
the captain and I talked rationally to
gether. I told him how 1 had come on
board the Sparhawk, and how I had fall
en in w-ith the La Fldelete, half wrecked,
having on board only a dear friend of
mine. In answer to his questions I do-
scribed the details of the communica
tions between the two vessels and‘could
not avoid mentioning the wild hopes
and heart-breaking disappointments of
that terrible time. And, somewhat to
my languid surprise, the captain asked
no questions regarding these subjects. I
finished by thanking him for haring
taken me from the wreck, but added
that 1 felt like a faise-uearteu eowsra
for having deserted upon the sea the
woman I loved, who now would never
know my fate, nor I hers.
Don’t be too sure of that," said the
captain, “for you are about to hear from
her now.”
I gazed at him in blank amazement
“Yes,” said the captain, "I have seen
her and she has sent me to you. But I
see you are all knocked into a heap and
I will make the story as short as I can.
This vessel of mine is bound from Liv
erpool to La Guayra and on the way
down we called at Lisbon. On the morn
ing of the day I was to sail from there
there came Into port the Glanford, a
big English merchantman, from Buenos
Ayres to London. I knew her skipper,
Captain Uny Chesters, ss handsome a
young English sailor as ever stood upon
a deck.
CHAPTFR V.
“In less than an hour from the time
we dropped anchor Captain Guy was on
my vessel. He was on the loukout, Ife
said, for some craft hound for South
Aincrie.a or the West 1 udies. and was do-
lighted to find me there. Then he told
mo that ten days before he had taken
two ladies from a half-wrecked French
steamer and that they had prayed and
besought him to cruise about and look
for the Sparhawk, a helpless ship with
a friend of theirs alone on board.
“'You know,'said l^iptain Guy to me,
T couldn't do that, for I’d lost time
enough already, and the wind was very
light and variable, so all I could do was
to vow to the ladies that when wo got
to Lisbon we'd ho hound to find a steam
er going south, and that she could
easily keep a lookout for the Sparhawk
and take off the friend.’ ‘d hat was a
pretty big contract you marked out for
the steamer goiag south,’ I said, ‘and
as for the Sparhawk, she's an old
derelict and I sighted her on my voyage
north and sent in a report of her position,
and there couldn't have been anybody
on board of her then.’ ‘Can't say,' said
Captain Guy; ‘from what lean mako out
this fellow must have hoarded her a
good while after she was abandoned and
seems to have been'lying low after that'
Was that so, sir? Did you He low?"
I made no answer. My whole soul
was engaged In the comprehension of
the fact that Bertha had sent for mo.
“Go on!" I cried.
“AH right,” said he, "I ought not to
keep you waiting. I promised Captain
Guy I would keep a lookout for the
Sparhawk and take you off if you were
on board. I promised the quicker be
cause my conscience was growling at me
for having, perhaps, passed a fellojv be
ing on an abandoned vessel. But 1 bad
heard of the Sparhaw k before. I had
sighted her and so didn't keep a very
sharp lookout for living beings aboard.
Then Captain Guy took me on board his
ship to see the two ladies, for they
wanted to give mo instructions them
selves. And I tell you what, sir, you
don't often see two prettier women on
ixiard ship, nor anywhere else for that
matter. Captain Guy told me that be
fore I saw them. He was in great spir
its about his luck. Ho. Is the luckiest
fellow in the merchant service. Now, if
I had picked up two people that way it
would have been two old men. But he
gets a couple of lovely ladies; that’s
the way the world goes. The ladles
made me pretty nigh swear that
I’d never set foot on shore till I
found you. I would have been glad
enough to stay there all day and make
promises to those women, but my
time was short and I had to leave them
to Captain Guy. So 1 did keep a lookout
for the Sparhawk and heard of her from
two vessels coming north and Anally
fell in with you. And a regular lunatic
you were when I took you on board; hut
that's not to be wondered at; and you
seem to be all right now. ”
“Did you not bring rao any messsago
from them?" I asked.
“Oh yes, lots,” said the captain. “Let
me ace if 1 can remember some of
them.” And then ho knit his brows
and tapped his head, and repeated some
very commonplace expressions of en
couragement and sympathy.
,The effect of these upon mo was very
different from what the captain had ex
ported. I had hoped for a note, a line
—any thing direct from Bertha. If she
had written something w-hich would ex
plain the tneaninjf of those last words
from Mary t’hillips. whether that ex-
tboro, but I don't doubt that you can
find some vessel or other there that will
take you north, ao you're all right.”
I was not all right. Bertha wassaved;
I was saved; but 1 had received no mes
sage. I knew nothing, and I was going
away from her.
Two or three day* after this the cap
tain came to me and said: “Look here,
young man, you seem to be in the worst
kind of doleful dumps. People who
r.ave neon picicreTTip in me miume ot
the ocean don’t generallylook like that.
I wonder if you're not a little love-sick
on account of a young woman on the
Glanford.”
I made no answer. I would not re
buke him, for he bad saved my life, but
this was a subject that I did not wish to
discuss with a sea captain.
“If that's really whafa the matter
with you,” said he, “I can give you a
piece of advice which will do you good
If you take it. 1 think you told me that
you are Yiot engaged to this lady,” (I
nodded) “and that you never proposed
to her except through a speaking-trum
pet." I allowed stlem'e to make assent.
“Well, now, my advice is to give her
up, to drop all thoughts of her and to
make up your mind to tackle onto some
other girl when you find one that is
good enough. You haven't the least
I WOULD HAVK. BKETV OLAD TO STAY
THKBK ALL BAY AND HAS* PBOIIIMSS
TO THOSB WOMBS.
planatlon were favorable or otherwise, I
would have been better satisfied; but
now my terrible suspense must con
tinue.
•Well,” said the captain, “you don’t
LEAVING THK DERELICT.
chance in the world with this one.
Captain Guy is mad in love with her.
Ho told me so himself, and when he's
out and out in love with a girl he's
bound to get her. When 1 was with
him he might have been married onde a
month if he'd chosen to; hut he didn't
choose. Now he does choose, and I can
tell you that he’s not going to male love
through a speaking-trumpet lie'll go
straight at it and he'll win. too. There's
every reason why he should win In the
first place, he's one of the handsomest
fellows and I don’t doubt one of the
best loVe-makors that you would he
likely to meet on land or sea. And
then again, she has every reason to lie
grateful to him and to look on him as a
hero.”
I listened without a word. The cap
tain’s reasoning seemed to me very
fallacious.
“You don't know It,” said he, “hut
Captain Guy did a good deal more than
pick up those two women from an ahan
donod vessel. You see he was making
his way north with a pretty fair wind
from the southwest, the first they'd had
for several days, and when his lookout
sighted La Fidelete noliody on board
thought for a minute that he would try
to beat up to her, for she lay a long way
to the west of his course, though pretty
well in sight.
“But Captain Guy has sharp eyes and
a good glass, and be vowed that he could
seo something on the wreck that looked
like a handkerchief waved by a woman
He told me this himself as we were
walking from my ship to his. Every
body laughed at him and wanted tc
know if women waved handkerchiefs
different from other people.
“They said that any bit of canvas
might wave like that, and that it was
plain enough that the vessel was aban
doned. If it was not, it could be, fot
there was a boat still hanging to one oi
Its davits. Captain Guy paid no atten
tion to this, but spied a little longer:
then he vowed that he was going tc
make for that vessel. There was one oi
the owners on board and he up and for
bid Captain Guy to do it He told him
that they had been delayed enough on
the voyage by light winds and now that
they would be over-due at their port a
good many days before they got there
Every day lost; he said, was money lost
to the owners. Ho had never heard of
any skipper undertaking a piece of tom
foolery like this. It would take all day
to beat up to that wreck and when they
reached It they would find an old dere
lict, which was no more than they could
seo now. And as for there being, a
woman on ImanJ. that was all stuff. The
skipper had woman on the brain.
“To this Captain Guy answered that
he didn't own tho ship, but he com
manded her, and as long as he command
ed this vessel or any other he was not
a going to pass a wreck when there was
good reason to believe that there was a
human being on hoard of It, and in spite,
of what anybody said, his eyes told him
that there was reason to believe that
there was somebody waving on that
wreck. So he ordered the ship put
about paying no attention to the curs
ing and swqaring of the owner, an! beat
against a wind that was getting lighter
and lighter forever four hours until he
reached the Freneh steamer and took off
the two ladles.
"There was nobody on hoard the Gian
ford that thinks that Captain Guy will
ever sail that ship again. Aud In fact
he don't think so himself But sild he
to me: ‘If I can marry that girl, the ship
can go. If I can't get another ship, 1
can sail under a skipper. But there’s
no other girl in the world like this one '
"And so you see. sir,” he continued,
“there isn't the least chance in the
world for you. Captain Guy's got her
on board his ship, he’s with her by sun
light and starUght. He's lost his ship
for he> and he wants to marry her. And
on the other hand, It'll he weeks and
weeks and perhaps months before you
can see her, or write to her either, as
like as not, and long before that Cap
tain Guy will have his affair settled,
and there Isn't any reason in my mind
to doubt which way it will settle. And
so yon just take my advioe, sir, and stop
drawing that long faoe. There are
plenty of good girls In the world, no
reason why ten shouldn't get one; but
if you are moping for the one that Cap
tain Guy's gut his heart set on I'm
men to Keep an eye uu me.
When we reached La Guayra—and th*
Voyage seemed to me a never-ending
one I immediately set about finding a I about a8 , ou haTe Wn alnoe X fol i ln
vessel bound (or England. My captain ' wlth the w „ H . k of that Krt . nch steamer!
advised me to go up on tho mountains | u y (M^rge! sir, there was a time when 1
come," I answered, "can i see nerr ■
“Of course you oanP’ cried Captain
Guy. “I never knew a man so talked
and wait until a steamer should sail fot
New York, which event might he ex
pected in two or three weeks. A meriea
would be much better for me, he
thought, than would England. But
I paid no attention to him, and as there
was nothing in port that would sail for
England I took passage in a Spanish
steamer hound for Barcelona. Arriving
there, after a passage long enough to
give mo plenty of time for the
consideration of tho last two words I
heard from Mary I’hlHips, and of the
value of the communications I had re
ceived regarding Captain Guy Chesters,
I immediately started by rail for Lon
don. On this journey I found that
what I had heard concerning the rescue
of my Bertha had had a greater effect
upon me than I had supposed. Trains
could not go fast enough for me. I was
as restless as a maniac; I may have
looked like one.
Over and over I tried to quiet myself
by comforting reflections, saying to
W-WLjW-dJ- 'WLJJLML
now
BO vravos there could be no spray. With tor. . .
the glass I could only see that It was “Come, come now, he aaid^ ^on t let
something white shining In the sun. It us have any hard words, ^be captoiris
might be the glistening body of a dead j only joking. Of course . .,
* • After * Um. It toMte PUIM * voux Ufwor-erver and no dpubt
said he, "what are you thinking of? — . , .
you suppose that I can go out of my ! seem cheered up much by word from
course tocrulse after a life-preserver?” your friends. I was .oo busy looking at
I looked at him with scorn. “U»- them to rightly catch every thing they ^ __
manlv fiend!” said I. i said, but 1 know they told me they were | afral <i you’ll end by being as much out
Another officer now approached whom ' going to London In the Llanford. Ibis o( ^ hgad ^ were when I found
I aftorwwd knew to be the ship's doc I remembered, because it strnck me what ! .
I afterward a p io c. of good luck It all was for ; ^ ^ t , ( , , a> „ ^wer, bal
Captain Guy.
“And for what port are you hound? I
asked. “La Guajrra," he said. “It
tan't a verv good time of the jeu to bs
walked gloom'.!/ tow*“da the stern and
looked down Into tne foaming wako. I
think I heard the captain toU one of the
I BUSHED WITH OPEN ARMS.
myself, for instance, that If the messayo
which Bertha had k nt floating on the
sea to me had not boon a good one she
would not have sent H. Feel as she
might, she Could not have been so hard
hearted as to crush the hopes of a man
who, like herself, might soon lie in a
watery grave. But then, there was that
terrible word "hut.” Looked at in cor-
tain lights what could ho more crushing
or heart-breaking than that.
And then again Mary 1’hillips may
not have understood what 1 said to her
through the speaking-trumpet. A grim
humor of despair suggested that at that
distance, and in that blustering wind,
the faithful maid-servant might have
thought that Instead of shouting that I
loved my B.-i'ha, I was asking her If
they hu . ’-nty of salt pork and hard
tack. It was line ed a time of terrible
suspense.
1 did not know Bertha’s address in
England. I knew that she had friends
in London and oth rs in the country;
hut 1 was sure that I w< uld find her if
she were on the isU.,d. I arrived in
London very early in tho morning, too
early to expect to find open any of tho
hanking houses or other places where
Americans would he likely to register.
Enable to remain inactive, 1 h ok a cab
and drove to the London docks.
I went to inquire the whereabouts of
Captain Guy Chester.
This plan of action was almost repul
sive to me, but 1 felt that it offered an
opportunity which I should not neglect.
I would certainly learn about Bertha if
I saw him, and whether it would he any
thing good or any thing bad I ought to
know it.
In making my inquiries the cabman
was of much assistance to me. And
after having been referred from one per
son to another I at last found a man,
first mate of a vessel in the docks, who
knew Captain Chesters and could toll mo
all about him.
“Yes, sir," said be, "I can tell you
where to find Captain Chesters, lie’s
on shore, for he doesn't command tbo
Glanford now, and as far as 1 know ho
hasn’t signed articles yet cither as
skipper or mate In any othercraft. Tho
fact Is he’s engages! In business, which I
suppose he thinks belter than sailing;
the sea. He was married alxiut a month
ago. It’s only two or three days since
he’s got back from a little land trip
they took on the continent. I saw him
yesterday; he's the happiest man
alive. But it's as like as not that he's
ready for business now that he's got
through with Ms honeymoon, and if it’s
a skipper you're looking for you can’t
find a better man than Captain Guy, not
about these docks.”
I stood and looked at tho man without
seeing him, and then in a hollow voice
asked: “Where does he live?”
“A hundred and nine Lis*>ury street,
Callsioy road. East. Now that Tvo told
you 1 wish 1 hadn't. You look as
though y iu v ere going to measure him
for a coffin."
“Thank you,” said 1, and walked
away.
I told the cabman to drive mo to the
address I had received, and in due time
we arrived in front of a very good-look
ing house, in a quiet and respectable
street.
I was in a peculiar state of mind. I
had half expected the terrible shock and
I had received it. But I had not been
stunned, I had been roused to an un
usual condition of mental activity. My
senses were sharpened by the torment
of my soul and I observed every thing —
thequarterof the city, the street, the
house.
The woman who opened the door
started a little when she saw me. I
asked for Mrs. Captain Chesters and
walked in, without waiting to lie told
whether !V’lady was In or not. The
' woman-■ bowed me Into a little parlor
! and left n. . ibr manner plainly indi
cated that idle sespocted something was
tho matter with me.
In a very short time a tall, well-made
man with curly brown batr, a hand
some, sun-browned face and that fine
presence which command at sea fre
quently gives, entered the room.
“1 understand,fir," *u;i u ■, "tlat you
asked for my wife, hut I thought It bet
ter to come to you mvaelt. \-hal Is your
bustnt us with her, sir, and what is your
name?"
“My name Is Charles Rockwell,* I
said, "and my business Is to see her. If
she has already forgotten my name you
can tell her that 1 kept company with
her for awhile on tho Atlantic Ocean
when she was in one wreck and l was In
another."
"Good heavens!” cried the young i
sailor. “Do you mean to say that you j
are tho man who was on the derelict i
fiparhawk? And wore yon picked up by j
Captain Steams, whom I sent after yon?
I auppozc 1 ha would havo written to me,
about you."
. . o 'a«ter Raji .a letter would
was dead jealous of you. But I'm mar
ried tight and fast now and that sort of
thing is done with. Of course you
shall seo her."
He left the room and presently 1
heard the sound of running footsteps,
the door was opened and Mary Phillips
entered, closely followed by the captain.
I s'.artcd back; I shouted as If I had a
speaking-trumpet to my mouth:
“What!" 1 cried, “Is this your wife?”
“Yes," said Captain Guy. stepping for
ward, “of course she is. Why not?”
I made no answer, but with open arms
I rushed upon Mary Phillips and folded
her in a wild embrace. I heard a burst
of nautical oaths and probably would
have been felled by a nautical fist had
not Mary screamed to her husband:
“Stop, Guy!" she cried; “I understand
him. It's all right. He's so glad to see
me."
1 released her from my embrace, and.
staggering back, sank upon a chair.
“Go get him a glass of sherry, Guy,”
she said, and wheeling up a great easy-
chalr she told mo to sitln it, for I looked
dreadfully tired. I took the chair, and
when the wine was brought I drank It.
“Where is Miss Nugent?" I asked.
“Miss Nugent is all right," said Mary
Phillips, “but I'm not going to tell you
a word about her or any thing else until
you've had some breakfast. I know you
have not tasted food this day.”
1 admitted that I had not. I would
eat, 1 would do any thing, so that after
wards she would tell me about Bertha.
When I had a oup of coffee and some
toast which Mary brought to mo upon a
tray I arose from my chair.
“Now toll me quickly," I said,
"where Is Bertha?"
“Not a hit of It," said Mary Phillip:)
—I shall never think of her by any
o'her name. “Sit down again, Mr.
Rockwell, and eat these two egg).
When you have done that I will talk to
; u about her. You needn't ho In a
• rry to go to seo her, because In the
1 -use where she is tho people are n >t
up yet.”
“Might as well sit down and eat,” said
the captain, laughing. “When you're
under command oi this skipper you
will find that her or J -is are orders, and
the quicker you step -p and obey them
the better. So I would advise you to
eat your eggs.”
I began to do so, and Captain Guy
laughed a mighty laugh. “She's a
little thing,” ho said, “but she does
know how to make men stand about. 1
didn't bediove there was a person in this
world who could have kept my hands off
you when I saw you hugging my wife.
But she did it, and I tell you, sir, I was
never worse out up in my whole life
than I was when I saw you do that.”
“Sir," said I, looking at him stead
fastly, “If I have caused you any pain,
any misery, any torment of tho soul, any
anguish of heart, any agony of jeal
ousy, or mental torture of any kind, I
am heartily glad of it, for all of those
things you have brought on mo.”
“Good!” cried Mary Phillips, “you
must be feeling better, sir, and when
you have entirely finished breakfast
we will go on and talk."
In a few minutes I pushed away the
tray, and Mary, looking at it, declared
herself satisfb-d and placed it on a side
table.
“So you really supposed, sir,” she said,
sitting near mo, “that Captain Chesters
married Miss Nugent?"
“I certainly did,” I answered.
“No doubt thinking," said Mary, with
a smile, “that no man In his senses
would marry anybody else when Miss
Nugent was about, which was a very
proper opinion, of course, considering
your state of mind."
“And let me say, sir,” said Captain
Guy, “if I had married Miss Nugent
more people than you would have been
dirsatlsfled. I would have been one of
them and 1 am sure Miss Nugent would
have been another.”
“Count me as one of that party,” said
Mary Phillips. “And now, Mr. Rock
well, you shall not bo kept waiting a
moment longer.”
“Of course she Is safe and well,” I
said, “or you would not be here, and be
fore you say any thing more about her
pleaso tell mo what you meant by that
terrible word ‘but.’”
“But?” repeated Mary Phillips with a
puzzled expression. And Captain Guy
echoed: “But? What But?”
[TO BK CONTINUED.]
TTAKTSVTLLE RAILROAD.
.Iireea, 1864.
MIXED TRAIN
Leave Hartsville 4.30 a m
Jovanu 4.4,’) a iu
Floyd’s 5.05 a m
Darlington o.b.) a iu
Palmetto 5.40 n m
Arrive Florence 0.00 a in
Leave Florei.ee 7.85 p m
Palmetto 7.60 p m
Darlington 8.30 pm
Floyds 8 85 p m
Jovaiin 8.55 pn-
Hnrt.sville 0.10pm
J F. DIVINE. Gen. 8upt.
C HARLESTON, SUMTER AND
NORTHERN KA'LKOAD
CHAK1.ES K KIMBALL Re seiwr.
hi Effect Jan. 16, 1864
NORTH.
SOUTH.
0
8
IV.M.
P.M.
Lv 4.< 0
Charleston
2.30 Ar
5 20
I’regnall's
1.10
7 25
Sumter
11.02
8.87
Darlington
9.50
9 29
HeunettBville 0.00
9.53
Gibson
8.37
Ar 10.20
Hamlet
8.10 Lv
P.M
A.M
No. 9 count
ots at Hamit
■t with S. A
L. Vestibule train /or Raleigh, Rich
mond, Washington, Baltimore, Phil
adelphia and New York.
No 8 connects with S. A. I,. Vesti
bule train//kui above named points.
Trains run solid to and from Charles
ton.
C. MILLARD, Superintendent.
C/ D '
and C. & S. RAILROADS.
In effect June 8, 1894.
MIXED TRAIN
Leave Wad^nboro
2.00 p m
Bennett's
2.25 p it
Mo i.-n's
.. 2.40 p ii.
M<* Furl ami
.. 2 55 p m
* heraw
3.45 p m
Cuhir*
. 4 10 ji m
Society Hill
. 4.40 pm
PoveV
.. 5.10 pm
Floyd’s.,
5.30 p m
Darlington
6.05 p m
Palmetto
... 6 20 p m
Arrive Florence
... 6.45 p in
Leave Florence
.. 7.35 a m
Palmetto
.. 8.00 a m
Darlington
.2.35 a m
Floyd's
2.00 a m
Dove's
Society Hill
. if 45 a m
Cash’s
• 0.15 a m
11.00 a m
McFarland
11.40 a m
Morven’s
11.55 a m
Bennett’s
12.10 a m
Arrive Wadesboro
. 12.30 am
Local Freight.
Leave Darlington
4 iO p 1U
Palmetto
4.42 p m
Arrive Florence
5.00 p m
Leave Florence
8.30 a m
Palmetto
9 60 a m
Arrive Darlington
9 05 a m
A. F. RAVEN EL. President.
NORTHEASTERN RAILROAD.
“ In effect June 3, 1894;
4SIW.B. McGIRl.U.D. S.,
Offers hit professional »<n vices t;
the people of Darlington and victn'tv
Office over the store of Edward* r •
ment & Co.
Ian 19.'60—It
115
Hit You?
The management of the
Equitable: Life Assurance
Society ia the Department of |;
the Carolinas, wishes to se
cure a few Special Resident
Agents. Those who are fitted
for this work will find this
| i A Rif's Opportunity j |
It hzror/, however, end those
•who succeed best in it possess
character, mature judgment,
tact, perseverance, and the
respect of their community.
Think this matter over care
fully. There’s an unusual
opening for somebody. If it
fits you, it will pay you. Fur
ther information on request.
W. J. Roddey, Manager,
Rock HUi, & C.
##fC»<yS3-*'V*r
SOUTH BOUND.
N a. 35.
Leave Florence
Lanes
4.05 a m
Arrive Charleston
6.10 » m
No. 23.
Leave Florence
Kingstree
9.(r2 p in
lames....
9.23 p m
Arrive Charleston
..11 18 p m
N 0. 53.
I<eave Lanes
7 10 p m
Arrive Charleston
8,40 p m
NORTH BOUND.
No. 78.
Leave Charleston
lames
5.40 a m
Kingstree
6 00 a m
Arrive Florence
7 10 a ui
No. 33.
Leave Charleston
8.30 p m
Ijanea
. 5.33 p ill
Kingstree
. 5.57 p 10
A rrive Florence
7.05 p in
No. 52.
Leave Charleston
7.15 a m
Arrive l-anes
No. 52 runs through, to
Columbia
via Central R. U. of S. C.
Train Nos. 78 and 14 runs via Wilson
and Fayetteville—Short
Line—and
makes close connection for all iiciuts
North.
J. F. DIVINE. Gen. Supt.
AM71LMJNOTON, COLUMBIA A
WW AUGUSTA RALROAD.
In effect June 3, 1894.
SOUTH BOUND.
No. 55.
I/eave Wilmington
Marion
Arrive Florence
7.10 p m
No. 50.
Leave Florence
Sumter
. 8.46 p m
Leave Sumter
8.48 p in
Arrive Columbia
. 10.10 p m
No. 58.
Leave Florence
! Arrive Sumter
No. 52.
Leave Sumter
Arrive Columbia 11.20 a m
No. 52 runs th-ongh from Charles
ton via Cen ral Railroad; leaving
Lanes 8.43 a m, m timing V 25 a m.
NORTH BOUND.
No. 51.
Leave Colnmblt . 4.30 am
Sumter... . 5.58 a m
i Arrive Florence . 7.10 a m
No. 56.
Leave Florence 7.40 a ui
Marion 8.23 a m
Arrive Wilmington
Leave Columbia..
Arrive Sumter
00.,
11.10 a m
No. 58.
........ 4.20 p in
5.50 p iu
No. 59.
Leave Columbia
Sumter 5.55 p in
Arrive Florence 7.05 p in
No 58 runs tlnougu to onarleston
via central Railroad, arriving Man*
niug 6.28 p in Lanes 7.06 p in.
Charleston 8.40 p m.
Trains on Manchester and Angnst*
B. R-, leave Florence daily except Sun
day, 8.15 a. m., arrive Denmark 6.17
a. in. Returning leave Denmark 3.38
p. m., arrive Florence 7.05 p. m.
Trains on Wilmington, Chadbourn
and Conway Railroad leave Chad-
bourn at 10.10 a m, arrive at Ccnway
12.30 p m, returning leave Conway at
2:00 p. in., arrive Chadbouru 4:60 p.
m. Leave Chadbouru 6.85 p m
arrive at Hub 6 20 p. m. Re
turning leave Hub 8.15 a m, arrive at
Chadbouru 9.00 a m. Daily exopet
Sunday.
JOHN F. DIVINE. Genl I
ISuptq