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Ci:,'C3 FOUNTAIN EI2ALD, KING 3 MOUNTAIN, N. 0 z 22 'frey ;GHearts A No4Im4 Vnkw of tU Motto. Ptebnre Dm of AttwNuw rmdiod b Un Y;.,By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCt , , -A4ff"Tk lfm Hmtm." Th ft-. Am""!. AM ft. Oayrrtawt, MU, by - Tlx t of Hearts la th "aeth-abn" used y amoca Trlna In tha prlvmta war of vangaenca, through bla daughter,- Ju ' dltt, a woman of Ylolant and criminal tamper and ousstionabls sanity, b waa Aaajnat- Alan Law. whoaa fathor (now ad) Trlna held responsible for tha aaw omani wnicn maoa nun a naipiaaa enppio. Ruae, Judith's twin and double. Warning .of bar slater's campaign asatnat Alan, laaTaa bar noma to aid blm, whom aha lovaa. Undar dramatlo etroumstaaoas Alan Caves Judith's Ufa and ao wlna bar love: ut fallura to ahane bla oonataaoy to Reae nsas Judith In bar purpose. CHAPTER IX. Parsstsf asd. . The thins ni managed with aa In genuity that Alan tanned devMab tt m Indisputably Machiavellian. The loYen had oome down from the - North In hot haste and the shadow of death . Two days of steady traveling . by canoe, by woods trail, by lake steamer forty-eight boors ol fatigue and strain eased by not one instant's relaxation from the high tension of vigilance upon wnioh tnetr Tory urea depended wore to a culmination ' through this tedious afternoon on the train from Moosehead a trap of phys ical torment only made possible by Alan's luck In semiring, through sheer . accident two parlor-ear reservations turned back at the last moment be fore lea ring Klneo station. No matter the longest afternoon most hare Its evening. As It in answer to this thought, the train slowed down with whistling brakes to the last hill-station, and as tha traoks groaned and moved anew, loot of a boy came galloping down the aisle, brandishing two yellow en velopes and blading like a stray calf: "Mlsta Lawrl Mlsta Lawrl Tel' rams for Iflsta lawrl" Alan had been expeoUng at every station a prepaid reply to his wire for reservations on the nhrht exnreas from Portland to New Tors. . tint why two envelopes superscribed "Mr. A. Law, Klneo train southbound, Oakland Bta.f He tors on open, unfolded the ln- closure, and granted disgust with Its earl advice, , opened the other and caught his breath sharply aa he with drewpart way only a playing card, trey of hearts. Throating it back quickly, be clapped both envelopes together, tore them Into a hundred fragments, and scat- tereo tnem from the window. But He Could Have Ground Hie Teeth in - ,a. ' Exasperation, . j . the flmdlsh wind whisked one small scrap back and only one) Into the ' lap of the woman he loved,. " Vainly be prayed that aha might be aaloep. The silken lashes trembled on her cheeks and lifted slightly, die cioeUi?sUh dark gllmmaf of question ing eyijs.. And as aha slipped the scrap ' of cardboard between thumb and fora fimt he bent forward and silently it from her one ooroer of the f haarts, but Inevitably a corner 'a figure "1" above a heart '' ian agent at Portland rations available on any u In the next thlrty-afx " l a. d with lowered voloe. ' at we powdbly oatch the New t t ton!, litr ., . -.v- , ' V-;;y ) a t X a glum head.: ?No 1 3 ' 4 up first". It leaves before If tin"-. '. ,.'AV,- i r. -i, "Too bad,- abstractedly, h.r eyes, and' apparently i .is. I -tit-aoiaoalence t d ' g blm who oould a t pn'nant- aflilety -) , 1 fcU tetfb" In '. this the . or! d UiImmI (da U . UuM loaop yi with the cunning of a madwoman, the heart of thug, the face of a charm ing child the face of the woman that satx beside him, duplicating Its every perfeet feature so nearly that even he who loved the one could soaroely dis tinguish her from the other but by In stinct, intuition, blind fuses work. . . Be nodded heavy-hearted oonflrmav tlon of a surmise slowly settling Into conviction In his mind, that such cun ning,' such purpose and pertinacity oould not possibly spring from a mind well balanced, that the woman, Judith Trine, sister to the Rose he loved so well, was aa mad aa that monomaniac her father, who sat helpless In his oell of alienee and shadows In New York, day after day, eating bla heart out with Impatience tor the word that his Vengeance had been consummated by the daughter whom he had inspired to execute It An hour lata. In dusk of evening, the train lumbered Into Portland sta tion; and, heart In mouth, Alan helped Rose from the steps, shouldered a way for her through the crowd, and almost lifted her Into a taxlcab. "Best hotel In town," he demanded. "And be quick about It for a double tip." . ' He communicated his one desperate scheme to the girl en route, receiving her Indorsement of It So, having reg is tared for her and seen her safely to the door of the beat available room In the house within ready oall of the pub lic lobby and office,, he waahed up, gulped a haaty meal which Roaa had declined to share, pleading fatlgu and hurried away Into the night with only the negro driver of a public hack, picked up haphazard at some distance from the hotel, for his guide. CHAPTER X. . 'v.-:'.. .' fortuity. us wasted the better part of an hour In fruitless and perhaps Ill- advised inquiries; then his luck, such aa It was, led him on suspicion down a poorly lighted wharf, at the ex treme end of which he diacorered a lonely young man perched atop a pile. hands m pockets, gue turned to tide whereon, now black night bad fallen, pallid wraiths of yachts swung Just visibly - beneath uneasy riding- Ughta. , , . .,. ; Pardon me, Alan ventured, "but perhaps you can help me out'. "You've come to the wrong shop, my friend," the young man interposed with morose civility; "I couldn't help anybody out of anything the way I am now." t .. .- Tnf sorry," said, Alan, "but I thought possibly you might know where I could find a aeaworthy boat to charter."- . ,' - - The young man; slipped Smartly down from his perch. ' "If you don't look sharp," he said ominously, "you'll charter' the Beaventure." He waved his hand toward a vessel moored alongside the wharf: "There she Is, and a better boat yon won't find any where schooner-rigged, fifty feet over all, twenty-five horsepower, motor aux iliary, two staterooms all ready for as long a coastwise cruise as you care to take. Come aboard." . v ",! ; He led briskly across the wharf, down a gangplank, than aft along the deck to a companlonway, by which the two men gained a comfortable and roomy cabin, bright with trash .white enamel. . ;AfV:: 5' ' "Name, Bareus ," the young man In troduced himself cheerfully; "ohris tened Thomas, Nativity, American. State of Ufa. flat broke. 'That's the rub, he laughed, and shrugged, shame faced. 1 found myself hard up this spring with this boat on my bands, sunk every cent I had and then soms fitting out on an oral charter with a moneyed blighter In New; York, who was to hare met me hare a fortnight Since. ' He didst end here I am. In pawn to the ship chandler, desperate enough for anything." ' "How much do you owef a j "Upwards of a hundred." ' .. "Bay I advanced that amount when can we aallt" ' The young, man reflected "briefly. "There's something so engagtutly Idi otic about this proceeding,? he ob served wistfully. "I've got the strang est kind of a hunch It's going to go through. Pay my bills, and we can be off Inside an hour. That Is " . ' - . , He checked wit, an exclamation bt dismay,, chapf alien. "I may have some trouble scaring up a crew at short notice. I had two men engaged, but last Week they got tired doing noth ing for nothing and left me flat" ' "Then that's settled," Alan said;. "I know boats; 111 be your crew and the better satisfied to have nobody else aboard." ? ' '". The -eyes of Mr, Barons clouded. See here, my headlong friend, what's your Utue game, anyway i- i oom mind playing tha fool on the high seas, hut I'll be 'no party to a kidnaping or " '' ; "" " : ' i an elf"1- nnt, Alan iiil -ru;t- - s-' a. "W8"4 E y got ii ' !." why I believe yuu. but I do and here's my nand! 4 ' 'si? v ?' CHAPTER XU - .1 Blue Water.. .. Anxiety ate like an acid at Alan. heart If this shift to the sea might ee tnougnt a oesperate venture, he was a weathered salt-water man and undismayed. But whan he re-entered the hotel one surprising thing happened that gave htm new heart momentarily it seemed almost aa If his luck turned. For, as he paused by the desk of the cashier to demand his bill, the elevator gate opened and Rose came out eagerly to meet him with an eager air of hope that masked measurably tne signs of fatigue. "I worried so I oouldnt rest she told him guardedly as he drew her aside; "so I arose and got ready, and watched from the window till I saw you drive up.1 He acquainted her briefly with his fortune.. But she seemed unable to echo his confidence or even to overcome the hea Tineas of her spirits when their cab, without misadventure, set them down at the wharf. Here, Alan had feared, was the cru cial point of danger if the Influence of the trey of hearts waa to bring disaster upon them It would be here, In the hush and darkness of this de serted water front And he bore him self most warily as be helped the girl from the csr and to the gangplank of the Beaventure. But nothing hap pened; while Mr. Barcua was as good as his word. Alan had barely set foot on deck, following the girl, when the gangplank came aboard with a clatter, and the Beaventure swung away from the wharf. , Until tha distance was too great for even a flying leap Alan lingered watch fully on deck. At length, satisfied that all waa well, he returned to the cabin. "All right" he nodded; "we're clear of that lot apparently; nobody but, the three of ua aboard. Now you'd best turn In. This Is evidently to be your stateroom, this one to port and you'll have a long night's sleep to make up for what you've gone through dear est"' ' He drew nearer, dropping his voice tenderly. And of a sudden, with a little low cry, the girl came into his arms and clung paalonately to him. "But you T" she murmured. "You need rest aa much as II What about youf "Oh, no I dont" he contended. "Be sides 111 . have plenty of time to rest She Whips .Out a Gun up once we're fairly at sea. Barcus and I stand watcb) and watch, of course.' : There's nothing fori you to do but be completely at your ease. But you must let me go." - By midnight the Beaventure was spinning swiftly south-southeast-close reefed to a snoring sou'west wind the fixed white eye of Portland head light fast falling astern. CHAPTER XII. v .-'l ': , Down the -Cape.- At four o'clock, or shortly after, Ian was awakened by boot-heels pounding Imperatively overhead, and went oh deck again, to stand both dog watchessaw the sun lift up sailing over a world of tumbled blue water; crossed the wake of a Cunard liner In bound for Boston, raised and over hauled a graceful but businesslike fish erman (from '' Gloucester, ' Barcus opined when called to stand bla trick at eight) and saw it mils or two astern when .still aching with fatigue he was free to' return to his berth for another four-hour rest " ; :' This time minguided consideration Induced Barcus to let his, crew sleep through the first afternoon watch.;. Blx belle, were ringing when, in drowsy ap prehension that something had gone suddenly and 'radically, wrong, Alan waked.. - He was on deck again almost before he rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes, emerging ehruptly from the half- light of the c n to a dazsie of snn liKht' t 'at fi.it ! ' a cuo of i' .r ;b His first glance discovered the wheel deserted, the woman with back to him standing at the taffralL Bare us no where to be seen. The- second con firm ad his surmise that tha Beaventure had come up into the wind, and now was yawing oft wildly Into tha trough of a stiff It not heavy sea. A third showed him, to his amasement, the Gloucester , fisherman overhauled with such ease that morning and new, by rights, well down the norther bori- son not two miles distant and stand ing squarely for the smaller vessel : Bewildered, be darted to the girl's aide, with a shout demanding to know what was the matter. She turned to him a face he hardly reoog nlaed but still be dldnt understand. The Inevitable Inference seemed thing unthinkable; his brain faltered when asked to credit It Only when he saw her tearing frantically at the painter, striving to cast It oft and with It the dory towing a hundred feet or so astern, and when another, wonder ing glance bad discovered the head and shoulders of Mr. Bare us rising over the xtern of the dory as be strove to lift himself out of the water only then did Alan begin to appreciate what had happened. Even so, H was with tha feeling that ail the world and himself as well had gone stark, raving mad, that he seised the girl and, despite her struggles, tore her away from tha rail before she had succeeded in unknotting the painter. "Rose!" he cried stupidly. "Rose! What'a the matter with you! Don't you aee what you're doing?" Defiance Inflamed her countenance and accents. "Can't you ever aay any thing but 'Rose! Rose! Rose!' Is there no other name that means any thing to youT Can't you understand how Intolerable It is to me? I love you no less than she better than she ever dreamed of loving you because I hate you, toot What Is love that is no more than love? Can't you un derstand?" . "Judith!" he cried In a voice of atu Defection. "But Good Lord! how did you get aboard? Where's Rose?" "Where you'll not find her easily again," the woman angrily retorted. Trust me for that!" "What do you mean?" Illumination came In a blinding . flash. Do you mean it was you you whom I brought aboard last night?" 'Who else?" - 'You waylaid her there In the hotel. substituted yourself tor her, deceived me Into thinking you!" 'Of course," she said simply. "Why not? When I saw her sleeping there the mirror of myself, completely at my mercy what else should I tblnk fa, '; v as Big asa Cannon. ol than to take her place with the man I loved? I knew you'd never know the difference at least I was-fool -enough for the moment to believe I , could stand being loved by you In her name! It wae only today, when I'd had time to think, that- I realised how impos sible that was!'".?' ,,,. . A sudden slap of the mainsail boom fcthwartships and simultaneous 'cry from over the stern roused Alan trim his consternation to fresh appreciation of tba emergency; ' With scant consid eration be hustled the woman to the companlonway and below, slammed Its doors and closed her In with the slid ing ..hatch all : in a breath than sprang to the taffrail, Just in time to lend s helping hand sorely wanted by Mr Barcuf In . his " efforts ; to climb aboard, after he had pulled the dory up under the stern by Its painter. -' He came over the rail in a towering temper..- ' ' .'-V.v;-.:,f--' , "I hope youll pardon the apparent Impertinence," he-suggested acidly, as soon aa able to articulate coher ently "but may I Inquire If that bloody-ntinded , vixen Is your blushing' bride-to-be r '::lr;V",.','r"r . '; Alan shook a helpless head. : The thing defied reasonable explanation. -He made a feeble stagger at It with out much satisfaction either to him,-, self or to the outraged Barcua - "No It's fell a damnable mistake She's her sistei I mean, ' the right girl's slstttr -and her precise double : tooled me not quite right in the head, I'm afraid." ;-, ' ' ; ..- . "You may well be afraid, you poorj "at!" Mr. Barcus snnnped. "Tyyou ago, sweet as peaches end T1 of a sudden whips out a gun as big as a cannon, points K at my head and or ders me to luff Into the wind. Before I could make sure I waant dreaming, she bad fired twice In the air a sig nal to that blessed Sahara en astern there - at least thsy answered .with two toots of a power whletle' and changed course to run up to us. Look how sbs's gained already I V - "But how did she happen to throw you overboard?" ' "Happen nothing!" Bareus snapped, getting to his feet "She did It a purpose flew at me like a wildcat Lingered Watchfully on Deck. and before I knew what waa up I waa slammed backwards over the rail." - . ' "I can't tell you how sorry I am,1 Alan responded gravely. "There's more to tell but one thing to be done first" "And that?" Mr. Barcus inquired suspiciously. . "To get rid of the lady, nounced firmly. "Make that fisher man a present of the woman In the case. You dont mind parting with the dory In a good cause If I pay for itr . "Tak It for nothing" Barcus grumbled. "Cheap at the price!" He took Alan's place, watching him with a sardonic eye as he drew the tender in under the leeward quarter, made it fast, and reopened the com panlonway. As the girl came on deck with out other Invitation, In a sullen rage that only heightened her wonderful loveliness, Alan noted that her first look was for blm, of untempered ma lignity. "Friends of yours, I infer?" Alan Inquired civilly. Judith nodded. "Then It would save us some trouble yourself Included If you'll be good enough to step Into the dory without a struggle." . Without a word, Judith stepped to the rail and, as Barcus luffed, swung herself overside Into the dory. Immediately Alan cast off, and as the little boat sheered off, Barcus, with a sigh of relief, brought the Sea venture once more back upon her course. .' . -v: "" " -: For some few minutes there was si lence between the two men, while the tender dropped swiftly astern, the woman plying a brisk pair of oars. Then, suddenly elevating his nose. Barcus sniffed audibly. "Here," he said sharply, "relieve me for a min ute, will you? I want to go forward and have a look at that motor." - When Barcus reappeared It was with a grave face. The devil and the deep She," be ob served obscurely, coming aft; "from all their works, good Lord deliver us!" What's the trouble now?" Nothing much only 'your playful little friend has been up to another of her light-hearted tricks. . . . If you should happen to want a smoke or anything to eat when you go below, lust find mirror end kiss yourself good-by before striking the match. The drain-cocks of both fuel tanks hare been opened, and there are up wards of a hundred and fifty gallons of highly explosive gasoline sloshing around In the bilge!" ' . ,. CHAPTER XIII. '' - ' No Qusrter. '" ' " "Yes.' yes," said Mr. Barcus Indul gently, breaking a long silence. "Very Interesting; , Very Interesting, Indeed. I've seldom listened to a more enter taining life-history, my 'poor young friend. But I .tell you candidly,, aa man to man, I don't believe one word of It It'a all d---n foolishness!" v His voice took on a plaintive' ac cent, "Particularly this!" be expos tulated, and waved an Indignant hand. compassing their plight ,v y The rest of your adventures are reasonable-' enough," he said, "they won my credulity and I'm a native at Missouri.- But this last chapter Is Im possible.. And that's flat. It couldn't happen and has. . And there, in , a manner of speaking, we arel" , The wind had gone down with the eun, leaving the Seaventur becalmed her motor long since Inert tor want of fuel in shoal water a vile or so oft ths desolate and barren coast that Barcus, out of his abounding knowl edge of those waters, named Nauset Beach. - . ;- . -' ; Bt 111 another mile further off shore e so-called Gloucester' flsbsrmsn -:-ut not-;., a liter a still and glassy. Throng go, gloaming, with the aid of glasses, figures might be seen moving about her decks; and aa It grew still more dark aha lowered small boat that theretofore had swung la da rlts. A little later taint humming noise drifted across tha tide. . "Power tender," the owner of the Beaventure interpreted. "Coming to call, I presume. . Boolable lot What I can't make-out m why they seem to ' think It necessary to tow our dory back. Vneasy conscience, maybe whatr He lowered the bin ocular and ' glanced Inquiringly at hi employer, who grunted his disgust and said more. , . "Dont take It so bard, old top," Bar cua advised with a change of not from Irony to sympathy. Then he roaa and dived down the oompanlonway, presently to reappear with a megav phone and a double-barreled shotgun. "No cutttng-out parties in this out fit" he explained, grinning amiably. "None of that old stuff, revised to Mit your Infatuated female friend onoe i aboard the lugger and the man 1 mine!" Stationing himself at the seaward rail, where hla figure would show In sharp silhouette agalnat the glowing? sunset sky, hs brandished the shot gun st arm's length above his head. and bellowed itertoroualy through tha megaphone: "Keep off! Keep off! This means you! Come within gunshot and III blow your fool heads off!" Putting aside the megaphone, he sat down again. "Not that I'd dare fire) thle blunderbuss," he confided, "with this reek of gasoline; but just for moral effect. Phew-wl I'd give a dol lar for a breath of clean air; I've In haled so much gas In the last fsw hours I'm dry-cleaned down to my sjlly old toesl" For thirty minutes nothing hap pened, other than that the sound of the fisherman's launch wss stilled. It rested moveless In the waters, two figures mysteriously busy In the cook pit, the Seaventure's dory trailing be hind it on a long painter. Gradually these details became blurred, and were blotted out by the closing shadows. The afterglow in the west grew coot and faint Tha crimson watsrs darkened, to mauve, to violet to a translucent green, to blackness. Far up the coast two white eyes, peering over the horison. stared steadfastly through the dark. "Chatham lights," Barcus said they were. V Abruptly be dropped the glasses and Jumped up. "Hear that I" be cried. - Now the humming of the motor was again audible and growing louder with every Instant; and Alan, getting to hi feet In turn. Infected with die excite ment of Barcus, could Just make' out at some distance a dark ahadow be neath the dim, spluttering glimmer of light, that moved swiftly and steadily toward the Beaventure. "What the devil!" he demanded, pusxled. ; "You uttered a mouthful whan you . said 'devil'!" - Barcua commented. grasping his arm and hurrying him to the landward side of the Vessel. ' Quick kick off your shoes get set for a mile-long swim I Devil's Work, all right!" he panted, hastily direst- ' Ing himself of shoes and outer gar ments. "I couldn't made out what . they were up to till I saw them lash the wheel, light the fuse, start the motor, and take to the dory. They've made on grand little torpedo boat out ot that tender" He sprang upon the rail, steadying himself with a stay. "Ready?" he asked. "Look sharp!" By way of answer, Alan Joined him; the two had dived as one, entering the water with a single splash, and com- ' Flamss Licked Out All Over the . Schooner, , .. Ing to the surface a good tan yard from the Beaventure. For the next several seconds they were swimming frantically, and not until three hun dred feet or more separated them from the schooner did ' either dare pause for breath or a backward glance. Than the Impact ' of - the launch agalnat the Beaventure' aide rang out across the waters, and with a husky roar the launch blew up, spewing sky wards a widespread tan of flame. Over the Beaventure, as this named and died, pale Are seemed to hover like a tremendous pall of phosphorescence, a weird and ghastly gbvr that suddenly , descended to the deck. ' There tot-' lowed a crackling noise, a sound aa of the labored breathing of a giant; . and bright flames, orange, crimson, violet and gold, licked out all over tha ' sohooner, from stem to atern, front deck to topmasts, i ,.;v,, , ' . It seemed ssvsral minutes that ah burned In this wis It. waa probably not so long before her decks blew ' up and the flames swept roaring tci the kj.4:i,-'-!;':;;,';,,.'-.,,;::,: .y ; By the time Alan and Barcus, swim . mlng steadily, had gained a ehool which - permitted . them foot'r g u walat-deep waters, the Seaven : h 4 burned to the water's ed 9. (to ea cwt'
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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