Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1893 — In Sheep's Clothing. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

In Sheep's Clothing.

BY Capt. Ormond Steele

CHAPTER XXVlll—Continued. It was not a time for formality. The nearest to him, Ellen, was caught in his arms ana kissed, and then he folded Lea to his heart. “Oh. Ralph," said Lea, “we have passed a night of horror. But we care not now for that How has gone the battle?" ’■ God has prospered the right, ” replied the Captain. “And you have won?” asked both, eagerly. “My gallant men have won, and Untilla’s hand will this day raise the flag of our province above our prize, the pirates’ ship.” The girls gave thanks to God, and then asked for their friends. “Mr. Dayton is safe, but Hedges, gallant Hedges, is wounded: not seriously I hope, for I want the world to know that to him, more than any one else under heaven, we owe our splendid victory. ” While the captain was speaking, the companiouway became darkened and Untilla, Valentine Dayton and the Surgeon came down, supporting Lieutenant Hedges. They laid him cn a lounge, and when Lea and l ntilla knelt beside him and took his hands, he said, with a sweet smile on his bronzed face:

"It is only the loss of blood, my dears. Bless your noble hearts, I shall soon be ready for sea again. But what matters it. We have won; we have beaten Captain Kidd, the pirate, and even death is not horriblo in the lace of such success. Hutrah! Hur ” The Lieutenant raised his right hand, showing that the hilt of a broken sword still hung to it, and ho would have gone on with his cheering had not the Sufgeon rushed to his side and positively forbade it. “I tell you, Val-—I mean Mr. Dayton,” said the Lieutenant, when Untilla had taken the fragment from his wrist, and he gave his nephew his hand, ‘‘you did gallantly, my lad. You fought the old Sea Hawk just as I knew you would. But we couldn’t have won, not even with Captain Denham’s timely aid, if ic, hadn’t been for Untilla. If I were King I’d share my throne with her.”

“But you are a king, uncle, and if at tho right time the offer is made, who knows,” laughed Valent'ne. Both ships were badly shattered, and Captain Denham, with the eye of a tree sailor, saw the necessity of getting them to the quiet Waters whilo the wind an l tide wore favorablo. lie gave the order to clear the docks. The pirate dead were put in weighted hammocks, and dropped ovorboard, and tho wounded woro caved lor as well as those of (he Sea Hawk. In ten minutes more Valentine Dayton, to whom the generous captain gave the command of the Sea Hawk, would have ordered up the anchors, as Balph had done on the Wanderer, had not the (Utent'on of al' been attracted by sigliu.s from the sho e. Through his telescope, Kalph Denham saw Doctor Hedges and his companions crowding down on the beach of Gardner’s Island, and he took in the situation.

Doctor Hedges ha l witnessed the fight between the ships, and his firm belief was that Lea was killed at the first fire; and he felt, io the end of the contest, until lie saw Fox making for the shore near by, that the pirate must win. He and his friends were soon after taken on board the two ships. Dr. Hedges w.ts eiushed. After embracing his daughter, which he did with an affection that was strong and genuine, he sat apart in silence, and watched Captain Denham as ho came in and went out. At length the Doctor rose, and, extending his hand, he said, in tremulous accents: “Captain Ralph Denham, sir ” “Speak, Doctor; I am your friend,” said Raich.

“I know you are. Captain; but, sir, I do not deserve such a friend. lam unworthy your regard, and Squire Condit should never speak to me again. lam afraid I am a fool. ” “Not at all, Doctor. This fellow Kidd deceived us all.” "Will he get away?” "He can’t. I have sent a messenger to Mr. Gardner, aud he will soon be captured. But see. Doctor; we aro entering Sag Harbor again, and from the crowds of people we shall have a hearty welcome.” The Captain turned away to direct his ship. Side by side, as when first they entered the beautiful bay, both vessels came to anchor, and the crowds on shore, seeing the provincial flag on the Wanderer’s peak, cheered themselves hoarse, and although it was broad daylight the boys lit bonfires.

CHAPTER X.VIX. LORD AND LADY PALITON. Captain Denham’s first duty, after he got clear of the delighted crowds that beset him, was to dispatch a wellinounted rider to New York with the news of his success. This rider was the man Fox had so arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned on board the Wanderer,, where the Sea Hawk men found him. It may be said that in the meantime Squire C ondit had captured Thrasher, and hold him to await the action of the authorities, who subsequently punished him with the pirates, many of whom were hanged in New York harbor. Lieutenant Hedges was cai rled ashore and in the same boat came Don from the Wanderer and Othello from the Sea Hawk, and when the part the youths had played in the struggle became known they were lionized and made much of In a way that Would have turned ordinary heads. The wounded Montauks, at Dr. Hedges' urgent, request, were taken to his house. It may be that his brother, the lieutenant, suggested this, for, being close to the wounded w .rriors, he would be sure to see a great deal of Untilla, and in th s he wa3 right. The wounded me& of the £ea Hawk, in response to the pri yers of friends, were sent to their own Louses, where all subsequently recovered But while the ships were coming to anchor and the people and the sailors were cheering on ship and shore, a different scene was taking place in the main room of the King’s Arms Inn. There were assembled Col. Graham, Lady Paliton, the young provincial officer who had accompanied her, and old Dinah, and for a part of the time. Squire Condit. They had been some time in consultation, and Old Dinah had just finished her strange story when Graham said, w:th a sneer;

“If Lady Paliton chooses to believe the wild story of a crazy old negress to that of her dead husband’s brother, well and good. She is a free agent.” “A free agent,” repeated the lady, starting to her feet and throwing back the long black veil that so far had partly covered her pale face. “Since tho day of my husband's death you have prevented my being a free agent.” “How so, madam?” “How so, sir? Shall I repeat the acts of all these years of cruelty, the stories of your spies, your attempts on ray life, and your efforts to prove me insane, because- —” "Because, madam, you persisted in claim ng that your son, my nephew, was not drowned at the same time as your husband, my brother. More than that, madam, you persisted in assuring the world that I conspired against the lives of both.” “En de lady was right,” cried Dinah. “Kidd ’ee knowd it, en I knowd it, en I foiled de chile har, to dis Long Island, en Ize been har ebber sense.” Colonel Giaham raised his hand to his lips as if to hide a yawn, and without taking the slightest notice of Dinah, he said: “Of course, you believe this!” “I do, sir, and you will learn before the day passes that others believe it, too. ” Turning to the young provincial offl cer ■who had accompanied her from New York, Lady Paliton said: “Be pleased to call Squire Condit.” The Squire, who was waiting outside came in, ahd, in obedience to the lady’s request, he told of the coming of Balph Denham to his house twenty-one years before.

“And you remember the man who brought him to you?” asked Lady Paliton. “I do, madam: it was this man, Col. Graham, and every year since then he has sent me money for the care of the lad, not one penny of which have I spent, but have it all at interest. The boy became as dear to my heart as if he were my own, and God will bear me witness that Ralph Denham is a young man that a king need not be ashamed to acknowledge for his son.” “You hear this, sir,” said the lady. “Have you any reply?” “I have none, madam. You have no right to question me. and I only yield in order to humor the mania that lias possessed you like an evil spirit for years,” said Graham. Attracted by the shouting of tho peo pie outside, lor the ships were anchoring in the bay, the Squire left the room. Up to th s time Graham firmly believed that Box had told him the truth about Balph Denham, and that the latter was dead. And just then he would have rejoiced to know that the pirate had met a similar fate. As if in response to his wish, he hoard a man shouting in the street: “Hurrah! hurrah! the pirate Kidd is beaten and his ship captured!”

“Kidd would never surrender, ” thought Graham, and for a moment he thought the fates were siding with him. “De ind is comip’; I feel de ind is oomin’,” said Dinah, going to the window and drawing back the curtains sfo that those In the room could see tho ships as if they were painted and set in a frame. “See,” she continued. "Dar’s Balph Den’am's ship, en soon ye’ll see Balph Den’ara hisself.” “Balph Denham!” exclaimed Graham; then conscious that he made a mistake in not keeping his feelings under restraint, he arched his brows and said lightly, “I shall be pieused to 6ee the gentleman.” Coming quickly back Dinah pointed a long finger at him, and she fairly hissed as she said: “Ah, ye tink Kidd he kill Balph Den’am? Ho, ho, I saw ’im in de tomb, but me en Untilla sabed ’im. Look out atdatship. Balph Den’am’s on ’erdis bress’d minit.”

“No, Dinah, Ralph Denham is hero,” said a strong, manly voice at the door. All turned to the place and there stood Captain Denham, very pale and very handsome, and beside him was Squire Condit. The instant Balph Denham came ashore, the Squire, who had learned the story of his adopted son’s life tho night before from Lady Baiiton and Dinah, took him to one side, and, without waiting to congratulate him on his magnificent victory, he told him the story of his birth as briefly as possible, announcing the fact that his mother, Lady Paliton, was then at the inn. During all the trials and the combat, Ralph Denham never lost his head, but now he was weak as a child. He gave no thought to the wealth and honors that might be his by right of birth, but the thought that lie, who remembered nothing of a father’s care or a mother’s love, should have a mother living overpowered him. He permitted the Squire so lead him to the inn and he replied to Dinah’s words, but beyond that for some his brain and heart wore in a whirl, and his recollection of events very dim at best. He recalled the cry. “My son! Oh, heaven be praised, my son!” And he re&alled the fact that he held the form of a woman in black in his arms, and that he kissed the closed eyes and the white face, till she looked up again and cried, “My son, Balph, my 6on!”

Not wen in the war with the motherland— vhieh came just eighty years after this—was Sag Harbor so much excited as at this time. There were not wanting those who bad always believed that the day would come when it would be shown that Ralph Denham, now Lord Puliton. was of noble descent Dr. Hedges was notone of these people. Indeed, Dr. Hedges, though thankful that all had turned out so well, was a humbled man, for he confessed to the Squire lhat he had made “ a plagued fool” of himself. He never expected Lord Paliton would marry his daughter, but it was not for this he cared. It was the fact that he had courted an outlaw whom he did not know, and rejected a gentleman whom he did know, that galled him. Those who waited on Colonel Graham in his room at the inn said that from the time Ralph Denham entered the place till the Colonel’s death, two days afterward, he never spoke. Dr. Hedges attends i him, but he never <ould tell the disease the man died bt’, and the ftw who knew his black history made no inquiries. Within the week a letter came from the Governor of the province, thanking Captain Denham and Ills men for his brilliant exploit, and announcing the fact that Fox—or Kidd—nad been captured and sent to Boston, from which poin . he would bo returned to England for trial. It is a matter of history that Kidd was afterwards hong in London; but, strangely enough, the crime of piracy could not be sustained against him, and the charge on which he was convicted was for murdering an English sailor on the isl nd of Madagascar. The governor also ordered Captain Denham to bring his own ship and the prize to New York, and to come by way of the Sound. A week after the capture the ships were repaired so far as to make sailing safe, and on the morning of their departure some notable events happened. Valentine Dayton was married to Ellen Condit and took his wife on board

Jils ship. Lieutenant Hedges said he would like to go to New York, and felt quite strong enough, if only Untilla would oesM'ntong to help care for him, and she consented. Lady Dalton feared that her son’s affections were engaged, but when she came to know Lea Hedges, her fear became a delight, and kissing her, after Balph had told of his engagement, she said: “I have found a son and a daughter. I am blessed. ” Balph Denham took his wife and mother on board the Wanderer, and he insisted that his adopted father and mother should coitfe too. He also prevailed on Dr. Hedges and wife to be of the party: and he brought along Bon and Othello to wait oh them. In New.l'ork Bay ltalph, to continue tho name by which we know him best, met with a royal reception. The ships in the harbor were dressed with flags, all the guns in tho battery at the southern end of Manhattan Island thundered out a welcome. When the story of his romantic life became known, tho people lorgot the brilliant exploits of the past, and tho older members of society recalled the late of the Governor of Bormuda and the loss of his son. Doctor Hedges was still humbled, though the father-in-law of a rich lord; but Squire Condit took the whole mattor for granted, and went on calling "his boy” Balph, and behaving in that sturdy, manly way that always distinguished him. ltalph gave his share of the prize money to the men, and soon after that there wore more marriages in Sag Harbor than ever took place in the same period before or since. At Lady Baliton’s —the mother’s—suggestion, the Wanderer was purchased to convey her son and daughter to England, though subsequently the beaut.iiul ship made a voyage td America every year, when Balph, his wife and increasing lamily came to see their old dear friends.

Don, the cabin boy, went to England with tho captain, an l his mother coming to see him, they both remained all their lives in the service of generous Lord Paliton. Othello went into the servico of Squire Condit, and though he showed a strong disposition to marry, Dinah would not permit it while she lived. But he was only force 1 to live single for a year, at the end of which tlmo the old woman died and was buried among the Montauks. Uncas never recovered from his humiliation. He took lo drink and was soon gathered to his fathers. Until a still ruled the tribe. She took a great interest in Mr. Hedges, and after a year became his wife. The Wanderer camo back l'roin England at the time, and on her return Captain Hedg e and his beautiful wife were on board, the guests of Lord and Lady Paliton. And thus it came about that n pest of tho ocean, a wolf in sheep’s do:lilng, wai destroyed by the very devices he had set for the ruin of others. And thus it came to p iss, the noble by nature was shown to bo a noble by birth; and so proving that “worth makes tho man, and want of it tho fellow.” | THE END.|