The Syracuse and Lake Wawasee Journal, Volume 14, Number 19, Syracuse, Kosciusko County, 8 September 1921 — Page 3

Camilla II

SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I.—Jane HardinK. respect* able and conservative old spinster—but never too old to think of marriage with more money than brains, is ln i® lgl ® d oh by a strong-minded spinster, Miss H hf£ l ® sb L Browne, into financing an expedition to hunt for buried treasure on L eew ~ 1 a island. Her niece, Virginia Harding, undertaking to stop her, gets on Uie vessel engaged for the hunt, and in the contusion is unwillingly carried along. CHAPTER i|. Apollo and Some Others. The Rufus Smith, tramp freighter, lad been chartered to convey the Harding-Browne expedition to Leeoard island, which lies about three hundred miles west of Panama, and could be picked up by the freighter in her cqurse. She was a little dingy boat with such small accommodations that I cannot imagine where the majority of her passengers stowed themsekes away. My aunt and Miss Brown had a stateroom between them the size of a packing-box, and somebody turned out and resigned another to me, I retired there to dress for Jlhner. Tn the baste of my departure from San Francisco I had not brought i trunk, so the best I was able to proluce in the way of a crusher for Miss lligglesby-Browne and her fellow-pas-tbngers was a cool-little white gown, >vhleh would shine at least by con- ' :rast with Miss Browne’s severely utilitarian costume. White is becoming :d my hair, which narrow-minded perlohs term red, but which has been cnov.n to cause the more discrimlnatng to dfaw heavily on the dictionary ’or adjectives. My face is small and t art shaped, with features strictly ’or use and not for ornament, but fortunately inconspicuous. As for my ‘yes. I think tawny quite the nicest vord, though Aunt Jane calls them taz.ei and I have even heard whispers >f green. Five minutes after the gong sound'd I walked Into the cabin. Miss irowne, Captain Watkins of .the Irelghter, and half a dozen men were ilready at the table. I slid ilvely into the one vacant place, forunately remote from the captain, vho glared at me savagely, as though .till embittered by the recollection of py aunt’s fits. “Gentlemen," said Miss Browne In cy tones, "Miss Virginia Harding." Two of the men rose, the others tared and ducked. Except for Miss Srowne and the captain, I had reelved on coming aboard only the most ■lurred Impression of my fellow-voy-gers. I remembered them merely as composite of khaki and cork helnonts and astounded staring faces, tut I felt that as the abetters of Miss ■‘.rowne a hostile and sinister atmosphere enveloped them all. ' Belng_thns inthecamp of. the enriy, T sat down in silence ana aevotea lyself to my soup. The majority of i.v companions did likewise —audibly, hit presently I heard a voice at my ‘ft: 1 t T say, what a Jolly good sailor you eim .to be —pity your aunt’s not!" j I looked up and saw Apollo sitting cside me. Or rather, shall I say a oung man who might have walked ; t of an advertisement for a ready- j ode clothing house, so Ideal and Im- I slide was his beauty. He was very 1 :il—l had to tilt my chin quite palni ily to look up at him—and from the jo -e collar of his silk shirt his throat c«e like a column. His skin was a 'rtu.iful clear pink and white just 'aged with tan—like a meringue that i as been in the oven for two minutes xactly. He had a straight, chiseled roflle and his hair was thick and ) testnut and wavy and he had clear ua-gray eyes. To give him at once is full name and titles, he was the lonorable Cuthbert Patrick Ruthlore Vane, of High Staunton Manor, lent, England. But as I was ignorant f this, I can truthfully say that his inks stunned me purely on their own lerlts. Outwardly calm, I replied, “t’es, :’s too bad, but then who ever reamed that Aunt Jane would go adent uring at her time of life? I hot ght nobody over the age of thir»en and then boys, ever went treasre- Hinting." "Ah, but lads of thirteen couldn’t Well come such a distance on their own, you know,” returned Apollo, with the kindest air of making allowance for the female Intellect. I hurriedly turned the subject. “I really can’t imagine Aunt Jane ona desert island. What will she do If she meets a cannibal and he tries * to eat her?" “Oh, really, now," argued the paragon earnestly, “I’m quite sure there’s no danger of that, don’t you know? I believe there are ho natives at all on the Island, or else quite tame ones, I ! forget which, and there are four of us | chaps, with no end of revolvers and ! things. Mr. Bhaw—sitting opposite Miss Browne, you know —is rather running things, so if you feel nervous you should talk to him. Was with the South Polar expedition and all that — knows no end about this sort of thing —wouldn't for a moment think of letting ladies run the risk of being eaten." I peeped arpund Apollo for a j glimpse of the experienced Mr. Shaw. I saw a strong-featured, weather- j

iK ii.vu pn»iile,TiiFTuce'oi’a'inaii abme- ■ where In his thirties, and looking, , from this side view at least, not only stern but grim. I made up my mind at once that the backbone of the party, and inevitably the leader in its projected villainies, 1 whatever they might be, was this j rugged-looking Mr. Shaw. You couldn’t fancy him as the misled follower of anybody, even the terrific Violet. As it seemed an unpropitlous moment for taking counsel with Mr. Shaw about cannibals, 1 tried another tack with the beautiful youth at my side. “How did you like Panama? 1 fancy the old town is very picturesque.” “Oh, rather!" assented Mr. Vane. “At least, that is what those painter chaps call it—met a couple of ’em at the hotel. Beastly little narrow streets and houses in a shocking state and all that. 1 like to see property kept up. myself.” “I am afraid," I said severely, “that you are a philistine!” lie blinked a little. “Ah—quite so!” he murmured, recovering himself gallantly. “One of those chaps that backed Goliath against David, what?” From this conversational impasse we were rescued by the Interposition of the gentleman opposite, whose small twinkling eyes had been taking me in with intentness. "1 did some flittin’ about that little, old burg on my own hook," he informed us, “and what I got to say is, it needs wakin’ up. I might have took a hand in it myself, if I hadn’t have met up with Miss Browne and your a’nt. Yes, sir, I had a slick little proposition or two up my sleeve. Backed by some of the biggest capital in the U. S. A. —in fact, there’s a bunch of fellers up there In God’s country that’s pretty sore on old H. H. for passin’ things up this way. Kep’ the wires huinmin’ for two-three days, till JJiey seen I wasn’t to be switched, and then the Old Man himself —no use mentionin’ names, but I guess you know who I mean—Wall Street would, quick enough, anyway—the Old Man himself threatened to put his yacht In commission and come j down to find out what sort of little game 11. H. was playin' on him. But I done like Br’er Rabbit —jest lay low. Hamilton H. Tubbs knows a good thing when lie sees it about as quick as the next one—and he knows enough to > keep mum about ii, too!" Three or four rough-looking men, of whom one, a certain Captain Magnus, belonged to our party and the rest to the ship, continued vigorously to hack their way through the meal with clattering' knives and forks. Os i other sounds there was none. Such gloom weighed heavily on the genial j spirit of Mr. Tubbs, and he lightened ! It by rising to propose a toast. “Ladles and gentlemen, to her now unfortunately laid low by the pangs of mal de mer —our friend and bony dear, Miss Harding!” This was bewildering, for- neither by friend nor foe could Aunt Jane be called bony. Later in the light of Mr. Tubbs’s passion for classical allusion, I decided to translate it bona dea, and consider the family complimented. At the moment 1 sat stunned, but Miss Browne, with greater self-possession, majestically inclined her head and said: “In the name of our absent friend, I thank you."

wO-Jww "What Will She Do if She Meet* a Cannibal and He Trie* to Eat Her?" In spite of wistful looks from the beautiful youth as we rose from the table, and the allurement of a tropic moon, I remained constant to duty and Aunt Jane, and Immured myself In her stateroom, where I passed an enlivening evening listening to her moans. She showed a faint returning spark of life when I mentioned Cuthbert Vane, and raised her head to murmur that he was Honorable and she understood though not the heir, still likely to Inherit and perhaps after all Providence— The unspoken end of Aunt Jane's sentence pursued me into dreams in which ng jjfikotera .gentleman obllg-

1 Tnglyliroke lus neck riuVig to hounds and left Apollo heir to the title and estates. CHAPTER 111. !‘ 1 Engage the Enemy. * It was fortunate that I slept well In my narrow berth on board the Rufus Smith, for the next day waa one of trial. Aunt Jane had recovered whai Mr. Tubbs, with deprecating coughs behind his hand, alluded to as her sen-legs, and staggered forth wanly, leaning.-on tlie aril of Mlsg by-Browne. Yes. of Miss Browne, while I, Aunt Jane’s own niece, wot- ’ ted meekly in the rear with a custiion. Already 1 had begun to realize “ ■ how fatally I had underrated the I lady of the hyphen, in imr.glning I had j only to come and see and conquer 1 Aunt Jane. The rrim ami bony one ! had made hay while the sun shone—- ; while I was idling in California, and j those criminally supine cousins were j allowing Aunt Jane to run about New York at her own wild will. Miss Hlgi glesby-Browne hud her own collar and tag on Aunt Jane now, whue she, so complete was her perversion, fairly 1 hugged her slavery and called It free- , dom. Yes. she talked about her Eman- : cipation and her Soul-force and her Individuality, prattling away like a child that has learned Its lesson well. “Mercy, aunty, what long words!” 1 cried gaily, sitting down beside her and patting her hand. Usually I can do anything with her when I pet her up a bit. But the eye of Miss Hig-glesby-Browne was on her —and Aunt Jane actually drew a little away. “Really. Virginia,” she said, feebly endeavoring to rise to the occasion as she knew Miss Browne woufcl have her rise, “really, while it’s very nice to see yoii and all that, still I hope you realize that I have had a—a deep Soul-experience, and that I am no longer to be—trifled with and —and treated as if I were—amusing. I am at a loss to imagine why you came. .1 wrote you that I was in the company of trusted friends.” “Friends?” I echoed aggrlevedly. “Friends are all very well, of course, but when you and . have Just each other, aunty, I think it is unkind of you to expect me to stay thousands of ipiies away from you all by myself.” “But it was you who sent me to , New York, and Insisted on my staying there!" she cried. Evidently she had been living over her wrongs. “Yes—but how different!” I interrupted hastily. “There were the cousins—of course I have to spare you sometimes to the rest of the family!” Aunt Jane is strong on family feeling, aud frequently reproaches me with my lack of it But in expecting Aunt Jane to soften at this, I reckoned without Miss Higglesby-Browne. A dart from the cold gray eyes galvanized my aunt into a sudden rigid erectness. “My dear Virginia," she said with quavering severity, “let me remind you that there are ties even dearer than those of blood —soul-affinities, - you know, and —and, in short, in my ■ dear friend Miss Higglesby-Browne 1 have met for the first time In my life with g—a_ , Sympathetic Intelligence that understands Me!’’ So that was Violet’s line! I surveyed the Sympathetic Intelligence ■ with a smiling interest. “Really, how nice! And of course you feel quite sure that on your side you thoroughly understand—Miss Hig-glesby-Browne ?” Miss Browne’s hair was rather like a clothesbrush in her mildest moods, j In her rising wrath it seemed to quiver like a lion’s mane. “Miss Harding.” she said. In the ; chest-toues she reserved for critical moments, “has a nature Impossible to deceive, because Itself incapable of deception. Miss Harding and I first met —on this plane—in an atmosphere unusually favorable to soul-revelation. I knew at once that here was the appointed comrade, while in Miss Harding there was the immediate recognition of a complementary spiritual force.” f “It’S perfectly true, Virginia,” ex- ! claimed Aunt Jane, beginning to cry. I “You and Susan and everybody have always treated me as if I were a child j and didn’t know what I wanted, when ; the fact is I always have known per- j fectly well!” The last words Issued ' in a wall from the depths of her hand- | kerchief. “You mean, I suppose,” I exploded, “that what you have always wanted i was to go off on this perfectly crazy 1 chase after imaginary treasure!” There, now I had gone and done it. Os course it was my red hair. “Jane,” uttered Miss HigglesbyBrowne in deep and awful tones, “do you or do you not realize how strangely prophetic were the warnings I gave you from the first —that if you revealed our plans malignant Influences would be brought to bear? Be strong, Jane—cling to the Dynamic Thought!” ‘Tm clinging!” sniffed Aunt Jane, dabbing away her tears. “Really, Virginia,” she broke out In a whimper, “It la not kind to say, I suppose, but I would just as soon you hadn’t come! Just whfen I was learning to expand my Individuality—and then you come and somehow make It seem so much more difficult I” I rose. “Very well, Aunt Jane,” I said, coldly. “Expand all you like. When you get to the bursting point Til do my best to save the pieces. For the present I suppose I had better leave you to company so much more favorable to your soul development I” And I walked away with my head In the air. It was so much In the air, and the j deck of the Rufus Smith was so unstable, that I fell over a coll of rope and fetched up in the arms of the Honorable 'Cuthbert Vane. Fortu-» nate'.y this occurred around the corner of the deck-house, out of sight of my aunt and Miss Browne, so the > latter was unable to shed the lurid light on the episode which she doubtless would If she had seen It Mr. I Vane stood the shock well and prompt- | ly set me on my feet. “I say I" he exclaimed sympatheticalI ly, “not hurt, are you? Beastly nuisance, you know, these ropes lying . about—regular man-traps, I call ’em." _ “Thanks, Tm quite mi I

IAKE WA.WASEE AND SYRACUSE JOURNAL

* I F TI) “Be Strong, Jane—Cling to the Dynamic Thought.*

anti i'.spoke t u Tui genuine tears welled up into my eyes. I hadn't realized till I felt them smarting on my eyelids how deeply hurt I was at the unnatural behavior of Aunt Jane. “Ah —I'm afraid you are really not quite all right!" returned the Honorable Cuthbert with profound concern. "Tell me what’s the matter —please do I” I shook my head. “It's nothing—you couldn’t help me. It’s just—Aunt Jane. She has let this awful Higgles-by-Browne person get possession ol her, body and soul." “Oh, 1 say, aren’t you a bit rough on Miss Brnwne? Thought she was a rather remarkable old party—goes in strong for Intellect and all that, you know.” “That’s Just what fooled Aunt Jane so—but I thought a man would know better.” My feathers were ruffied again. “Well, fact is, I’m not so much up in that sort of thing myself.” he admitted modestly. “Rather took her word for it and all that, you know. There’s Shaw, though—cleverest ehap going, I assure you. I rattier fancy Miss Browne coqldn’t pull the wool over his eyes much.” “She evidently did, though,” I said snappishly, “since he's let her rope him lit for such a, wild goose chase as this!” “Oh, really, now, Miss Harding, you don't think it’s that —that the thing’s all moonshine?” “Why, what else can it be?" I demanded, driven by my wrongs to the cruelty of shattering his illusions. “Who ever heard of a pirate’s treasure that wasn’t moonshine? The moment I had read Aunt Jane’s letter telling of the perfectly absurd business she was setting out on I rushed down by the first boat Os course I meant to take her back with me, to put a stop to all this madness; but I was too late —and you are glad of it, I dare say!" “I help bali|fc triad, you know," he replied, the color rising to his Ingenuous cheeks. “It’s so frightfully jolly having you along. Only I’m sorry you came against your will. Rather fancy you had it in your head that we were a band of cutthroats, eh? Well, the fact Is I don’t know much about the two chaps Miss Browne picked up, though I suspect they are a very decent sort. That odd fish. Captain Magnus, now—he was quite Miss Browne’s own find, I assure you. And as to old H. H. —Tubbs, you know —Miss Browne met up with him on the . boat coming down. The rum old chap got on her soft side somehow, and first thing she had appointed him secretary and treasurer —as though .we were a meeting of something. Shaw Was quite a bit upset about it. I say. Miss Harding, you’re bound to like Shaw no end when you know him—he’s such a wonderfully clever chap!" I had no wish to blight his faith in the superlative Mr. Shaw, and said nothing. This evidently pained him, and he continued to sound the praises of his Idol. It seemed that as soon as Miss Browne had beguiled Aunt Jane into financing her scheme —a feat equivalent to robbing an In-fant-class scholar of his Sunday sch'ool nickel —she had cast about for a worthy leader for the forthcoming Harding-Browne expedition. AH the winds of fame were bearing abroad just then the name of a certain young explorer who had lately added another continent or two to the British empire. Linked with hla were other names, those of fellow adventurers, which shone only less brightly than that of their chief? One Dugald Shaw had been among the great man's most trusted lieutenants, but now, on the organization of the second expedition, he was left behind in London, only half recovered of a wound received in the Antarctic. His old companions had taken again the path of glory, and were far on their way back to the icefields of the South pole. Only Dugald Shaw was left behind. “And so,” the even voice flowed on, “when I ran on to him in London he was feeling fearfully low, I do assure you. A chap of his sort naturally hates to think he’s on the shelf. . “Well, old Shaw was fancying there was nothing for it but to go back to hla place with the P. & 0., which seemed a bit flat after what he’d been having, and meant he would never get beyond being the captain of a liner, and not that for a good many years Ito come, when a cable came from this Miss Higglesby-Browne offering him command of this expedition. As neither of us had ever heard of Miss Higglesby-Browne, we were a bit floored for a time. But Shaw smoked a pipe on It, and then he said, ‘Old chap, If they will give me my figure, I’m their 'man.* And I said, ‘Quite so, old chap, and I’ll go along, too.’ “I had to argue quite a bit, but In the end the dear old boy let me come —after wiring the pater and what not. And I do assure you, Miss Harding, it strikes me as no end of a lark —besides expecting It to put old Shaw on bls feet and give us hatfuls of money all round."

-■win, 'it was a plausible story, and I had no doubt, so far as the Honorable Cuthbert was concerned, an übEolutely truthful one. The beautiful youth manifestly as guileless as a small boy playing pirate with a wooden sword. But as to Mr. Shaw, who 'could tell that It hadn’t after all been a trumped-up affair between Miss Sand him—that his surprise message was not assumed to ust In the eyes of his young sting friend? So great was h in Aunt Jane’s gullibility," my -distrust pf Mlss Bruene,/ v th'fit tflTUSnfeZ'tCd wRh lay uuder the cloud of my susplclcnrMr. Shaw, after even a casual glimpse of him, one couldn’t picture as a victim. I felt that he must have gone Into the enterprise with his eyes wide open to its absurdity, and fully aware that the only gold to be won by anybody must come out of pocket of Aunt Jane. As these reflections passed through my mind I looked up and saw the subject of them approaching. He lifted bls helmet, but met my eyes unsmillngly, with a sort of sober scrutiny. He had the tanned skin of a sailor, and brown hair cropped close and showing a trace of gray. This and a certain dour grim look he had made me at first consider him quite mlddl&-aged, though I knew later that he was not yet thirty-five. As to the griinness, perhaps, I unwillingly conceded. part of it was due to a scar which seamed the right temple to the eyebrow, in a straight livid line. He was welcomed by Mr. Vane with a joyous thump on the shoulder-blade. “I say. old man, Miss Hurtling has turned out to be the most fearful doubting Thomas—thinks the whole scheme quite mad and all that sort of . thing.” - Mr. Shaw looked at me steadily. His eyes were the kind that seem to see all and reveal nothing. I felt a hot spark of defiance rising In my own. i “And indeed it Is too bad,” he said coolly, “that the trip should not be more to Miss Harding’s liking.” The rough edges of his Scotch burr had been smoothed down by much wandering, but you knew at once on which j side of the Solway he had seen the light. i “It is not a question of my liking." I retorted, trying to preserve an unmoved and lofty demeanor, though my heart was beating rather quickly at finding myself actually crossing < swords with the redoubtable adventur- ' er, this man who had often faced death, 1 could not refuse to believe, as steadily as he was facing me now. “It is not at all a question of my liking or not liking the trip, but of the trip Itself being—quite the wlldesf thing ever heard out of a story-book.” I “Ah —yet the world would be poorer ! If certain wild trips had not been tak- j en. I to remember one Chris- i topher Columbus, for Instance." By a vivid lightning flash of wrath I felt that this adventurer was laughing at me under his sober exterior—even stirring me up as one does an angry kitten. “Yes," I flared out, “but Columbus did not inveigle a confiding old lady to go along with him!” Os course Aunt Jane is not, properly speaking, an old lady, but It was much more effective to pose her as one for the moment It was certainly effective, to judge by the sudden firm setting of his mouth. “Lad,” he said quietly, “lend a hand below, will you? They are overhauling some of our stuff ’tween decks.” He waited until the Honorable Cuthbert, looking rather dazed, had retired. We stood facing each other, my breath coming rather hurriedly. | “Miss Harding,” he said slowly, I “that was a bitter word you said.” My head went up. “Bitter, perhaps,” I flung back, “but Is It not true? It is for you to an- j swer.” “No, It is not for me to answer, because it Is not for you to ask. But since you talk of inveigling, let me give you the history of my connection ! with the expedition. You will under- | stand then that I had nothing to do , with organizing it, but was merely engaged to do my best to carry It through to success.” “I have already heard a version of the matter from Mr. Vane.” “And you think he is in the conspiracy, too?” • “Certainly not,” I replied hastily. “I mean—of course, I know he told me exactly what he believes himself.” , “Then I suppose you consider that. he was inveigled, too?” | “I am not required to consider Mr. > Vane’s status at all,” I replied with ‘ dignity. “It is my aunt whom I wish j to protect,” And suddenly to my dis- ,

A j MO

“But Columbus Did Not Inveigle a Confiding Old Lady to Go Along With Hlml" may my voice grew husky. I hnd to turn my head aside and blink hard at the_sea. _

TTe 'sfood looking down at me—be was a big man, though of lesser height than the superb Cuthbert—in away I couldn’t quite understand. And what I don’t understand always makes <jue unctmfortable. “Very well,” he said after a pause. “Maybe your opportunity will come. It would be a pity indeed If Miss Harding were t<l require no protecting and a young lady here with such a good will to It. But If you will take the suggestion of a iqan of rather broader experience than your own, - you will wait until the occasion arises., b:rt>-genrritisW. reallyyto ItuJhe’ like this.” “I 1 dare say I am not a master of strategy,” I cried, furious at myself for my moment of weakness nn<l at him tor the softening tone which bad crept into his voice. “I am merely—■ honest. And when I see Aunt Jane hypnotized—by this Violet person—” “And Indeed I have seen no reason to think that Miss Higglesby-Browne is not a most excellent lady,” interrupted Mr. Shaw stiffly. “And let me say this, Miss Harding: here we are all together, whether we wish to be or no. and for six weeks or more on th« Island we shall see no faces but our own. Are we to be divided from the beginning by quarrels? Are maybe even the men of us to be set by the ears through the bickering of women?” Like the flick of a whip came tlie certainty that he was thinking of the Honorable Cuthbert, and that I was the rock on which their David-and-Jonathan friendship might split, otherwise I suppose Mis's HigglesbyBrowne and I might have elawed each other forever without interference from lilial > j "Really," I Laid with—l hope—wellsimulated scorn, “since 1 am quite alone against/ half a dozen of you, I should thlnk/you could count on putting down /ny rebellion on my part very easily/ I repent, I had no other object in coming along—though I was i really kidnaped along—than to look after my aunt. As to the treasure, of course I know perfectly well that there isn't any.” i And I turned my buck and looked steadily out to sea. After a moment or two I heard him turn on his heel and go away. It was none too soon, for 1 had already begun to feel unostentatiously* for my handkerchief. Any way, I had had the last word— ' ! The rest of my day was lonely, for the beautiful youth, probably by ma- . levolent design, was kept busy between decks. Mr. Tubbs danced attendance on Aunt Jane and Miss Brown, so as- ; i siduously that I already began to See ' some of my worst fears realized. There was nothing for me to do but ; to retire to my berth and peruse a ! tattered copy of Huckleberry Finn I which I found in the cabin. i I At dinner, having the Honorable ' Cuthbert at my elbow, it was easier : than not to Ignore everyone else. Directly dinner was at an end. remorse- . lessly Captain Magnus led the Honor- i able Cuthbert away. I retired to I Huckleberry Finn. But a face with a scar running to the eyebrow looked i up at me from the pages, and I held colloquies with it in which I said all < the brilliant' and cutting things which j had occurred to me too late. I was thus engaged when a cry rang through the ship: “Land ho!" CHAPTER IV. The Isle of Fortune. I dropped my book and ran on deck. Everyone else was already there. The . great gleaming orb of the tropic moon was blinding as the sun. Away to the i faint translucent line of the horizon | rolled an Infinity of shining sea. j Straight ahead rose a dark conical | I tuass. It was the mountainous shape ’ of Leeward island. Everybody was craning to get a l clearer view. “Hall, isle of Fortune I" exclaimed Miss Browne. I think my aunt would not have been surprised if it had begun to rain doubloons upon I the deck. [ “I bet we don’t put it over some on them original Argonaut fellers, ley?” cried Mr. Tubbs. Higher and higher across the skyline cut the dark crest of the island as the freighter steamed valiantly ahead. Sheer and formidable from the sea rose a line of black cliffs; and above them a single peak threw its shadow far across the water. Faintly we made out the white line of the i breakers foaming at the toot of the ' cliffs. j We coasted slowly along, looking for the mouth of the little bay. Mean- ! while we had collected our belongings, I and stood grouped about the deck, 1 ready for the first thrilling plunge ! into adventure. My aunt and Miss : Browne had tied huge green veils over j their cork helmets, and were dumping about ifi tremendous hobnailed I boots. All the luggage I was allowed | to take was in a traveling bag and a | gunny-sack, obligingly donated by the cook. Speaking of cooks, I found we had one of our own, a coal-black negro with grizzled wool, an unctuous voice and the manners of an old-school family retainer. So far as I know his name was Cookie. I suppose he had received another once from his spon- ; sors in .baptism, but if so, it was buried in oblivion. , | Now a narrow gleaming gap ap- ! peared in the wall of c cliffs, and the freighter whistled and lay to. There began a -bustle at the davits, and 1 siiouts of “Lower away!” and for the , first time it swept over me Umt we i were to be put ashore in boats. Aunt j Jane burst out in lamentation. She I would not, could not go in a boat. 1 She had heard all her life that small boats were most unsafe. Why didn’t ; the captain sail right up to the island jas she bad expected and put us i ashore? Even at Panama with only a , little way to go she had felt it suicidal —here it was not to be thought of. I But the preparations for this desperate step went on apace;- and no pne heeded Aunt Jane but Mr. Tubbs, who had hastened to succor beauty in dls- | tress. | Then Aunt Jane clutched at Mr. Shaw’s coat lapel as he went Uy, and he stopped long enough to explain patiently that vessels of the freighter’s

Size ebuhl nr>t enter tre *>ay, and that there really was no danger, and that Aunt June might wait If she liked till tlie last boat, as it would take several trips to transfer us and our baggage. * I supposed of course thut this would include me. and stood leaning on the Tail, watching the first boat fade to a dark speck on the water, when Mr. Vane appeared at my elbow. "Heady, Miss Harding? You are to go ta the next boat with me. ' I asked especially.” - “Oh. thanks!" I cried fervently. He )voul«| be.much nicer than Mr, Tubbs u\‘nt down—was so tall that If it were at all a shallow place 'I might use bhu as a stepping-stone and survive. I hoped drowning gurgle very much —meanwhile Mr. Vane had disaie peared over the s 4& and a sailor watt lifting me and setting my reluctant feet on the strandk of the ladder. • auntie!” I cried, as I began the descent. “Don’t blame yourself too much. Everybody has got to go some time, you know, and they say drowidng's easy.” Willi a stifled cry Aunt Jane forsook Mr. Tubbs and flew to the rail. I was already out of reach. "Oh, Virginia!’’ she wailed. “Oh, my dear child! If it should o b® the last parting!” “Give my Jewelry and things to Bess’ bn by!” I found strength to call back. Then the arms of the Honorable Mr. Vane ' received me. The strong rowers bent their backs and tiie boat shot out over the mile or two of bright water between us and the island. Great slow swells lifted us. We dipped with a soothing, cradlelike motion. I forgot to be afraid, in the delight of the warm wind that fanned our cheeks, of the moonbeams that on the crest of every ripple were splintered to a thousand dancing lights. I forgot fear, forgot Miss Hlg-glesby-Brow ne, forgot the harshness of the 8< otch character. f "Oh, glorious, glorious!" I cried to Cuthbert Vane. "Not so dusty, eh?" he came back in their ridiculous English slang. Now an American would have said: “Some little old moon that!” We certainly have our points of superiority. All around the Island white charging lines of breakers foamed on ragged half-seen reefs. Now our boat felt the lift of the great shorefiard rollers, and sprang forward ll'ke a living thing. The other boat, empty of ill but the rowers and returning from lie island to the ship, passed us with i hall. We were in the little bay uner the shadow of the frowning cliffs. At the head of the bay, a quarter >f a mile, away, lay a broad white beach shining under the moon. At :he edge of dark woods beyond a fire burned redly. It threw into relief the black moving shapes of men upon the sand. Straight for the sand the sailors drove the boat. She struck it with a jar, grinding forward heavily. The men sprang overboard, wading halfwag to the waist. And the arms of the Honorable Cuthbert Vane had snatched me up and were* bearing me safe and dry to shore. Mr. Shaw approached and the two men greeted each other in their offhand British way. Aa we couldn’t well, under the circumstances, maintain a fiction of mutual invisibility, Mr. Shaw, with a certain obvious hesitation, turned to me. “Only lady passenger, eh? Hope you’re not wet through. Cookie’s making coffee over yonder." "I say, Shaw," cried the beautiful youth enthusiastically, “Miss Harding’s the most ripping sport, you know! Not the least nervous about the trip, I assure you.” ' < “I was," I announced, moved to defiance by the neighborhood of Mr. Shaw. “Before we started I was so afraid that if you had listened you might have heard my teeth chattering. But at least the comforting

V\ \ if uxO \ Bearing Me Safe and Dry to Shore. •

thought that If I did go to my end It would not be simply In pursuit of sordid gain!" “And Indeed that was almost a waste of noble sentiment under the circumstances,” answered the dope Scot, with the fleeting shadow of an enraging smile. I promised myself, as I went with Mr. Vane toward the fire, that some day I would find the weapon that would penetrate the Scotchman’s anawould use it mercilessly. (TO BE CONTINUED) O r To Join Glass Tubing. A solder for glass can be made by first melting 9u parts of tin and then adding to it 5 parts of copper. Zine in the proportion of H to 1 per cent makes this solder harder, whereas lead’ in the same proportion, makes It softer. Glass tubing, united by 'Ms means, will separate at any oi.ier point sooner than at the point of junction.