6 [/% STORY Cvj 112 *THF# I [ESCAPADE A POST I MARITAL ROMANCE I I Cyrus Townsend Brady Kg ILLUSTRATIONS RY Si RAY WALTERS {Uuiiyright, i'JW, bj \Y. O. Chapman.) SYNOPSIS. The Escapade opens, not In tho ro- Tjanci' preceding the marriage of Ellen Jftocum, a Puritan miss. and Car nngton of England, but in their life after ■settling in England. The scene is placed, tout following the revolution, in Carrlng itm castle in England. The Carringtons, art tor a house party, engaged In a family <jWt, caused by jealousy. Lady Carring l)»n agreed to cut cards with Lord Strath gate. whose attentions to Ellen had be one a sore point with Carrington. The awe of 9)00,000 failed to perturb her, and leer husband then cut for his wife's I. O. I<. and his honor, Currington winning. Additional attentions of Lord Carrington <fe Lady Cecily and Lord Strathgate to Lad y Carrington compelled the latter <» vow that she would leave the castle. Preparing to (lee. Lady Carrington and #*er chum Deborah, an American girl, met Lord Strathgate at two a. m., ho Qgreelng to see them safely away. lie attempted to take her to his castle, but She left him stunned in the road when wb»? carriage met with an accident. She and Debbie then struck out for Ports mouth, where she Intended to sail for America. Hearing news of Ellen's flight. Lords Carrington and Seton set out in pursuit. Seton rented a fast vessel and sitarted in pursuit. Strathgate, bleeding tJroni fall, dashed onto Portsmouth, for which Carrington. Ellen and Seton were also headed by different routes. Stratli- arrived in Portsmouth in advance Of the others, finding that Ellen's ship tisid sailed before her. Strathgate and Carrington each hired a small yacht to pursue the wrong vessel, upon which ■saoh supposed Ellen had sailed. Seton overtook the fugitives near Portsmouth, twit his craft ran aground, just as capture waa Imminent. Ellen won the chase by boarding American vessel and foiling her pursuers—Strathgate, Seton and Carrlng ton. Carrington and Strathgate, thrown together by former's wrecking of latter's vessel, engaged in an Impromptu duel, •neither being hurt. CHAPTER XlV.—Continued. This was an embarrassing question, but Sir Charles was saved the neces sity of answering, for the midshipman earne running to the quarterdeck once more and saluted. "Well?" said the officer to the ex pectant boy. "Admiral Kephard's compliments to you, sir, and he begs you will escort •Captain Seton to his cabin ot once." "You're in luck, captain," returned the officer,"the admiral is not always so easy of access. Will you step this way, sir?" "After you, sir," said Sir Charles, lowing and following the lieutenant until he was ushered past the marine «tdeily on duty and into the ad miral's cabin. The t dmiral was just completing his loilet. His body servant was help ing him on with his coat. lie had evidentlyj jU t had a bath to refresh fclm after fatigues of his journey. "Oh, Seton," ho cried as the other ■came in, "glad to see you, man. Sit down. John," —to the servant — "fetch out a decanter of navy sherry. Whisky, Seton, whisky, although pe**- Jiaps you army men u fleet port." "1 fuees we can to Jew the navy's 1 ad in something st-onrer than port." laughed Sir Charles. "What brought you here, Sir Charles?" continued the admiral as he poured out a liberal glassful for Se ton and another for himself. "I left you at Carrington. Hut, no, I remem ber you rode away before I did, just after my lord. Have you come on any trace of fugitives?" "Admiral," said Sir Charles, grave ly, "I know where they are." "And that damned lubberly hound, Strathgate, is he—" "He isn't with them. They gave ham the slip." "You don't say? Good!" laughed the admiral. "How was that?" Seton rapidly detailed the circum stances as he had deduced them. "Well done, that woman has spirit «nough," continued the old soldier, "to command a frigato. You will never •convince me that she's taken up with a man of Strathgate's caliber." "She went away wilh liim, though," raid Seton thoughtfully. "Ay ay, but she knows no more of t}»e world than a baby. She simply -wade use of his proffered assistance to escape from an intolerable situa 6fon. You take me, Seton?" "I do, admiral, and I confess I hard «y blame her. * How Carrington could tolerate Lady Cecily for a moment beside that splendid woman—" "To say nothing of that other splen did woman, Mistress Deborah Slocum, eh, Seton?" "1 admit, admiral —" "Even 'Saints' Rest' becomes heavenly when looked at by the aid of such a pair of black eyes? And the lady, boy?" "I confess, sir'* answered Seton, somewhat aba sin. d by the frank ques tioning of the old man, "that I have some reason to believe, in short—•*" "In short, my boy, you've beer, cas ing her all nigLt, have you?" "You're right, sir." "And what now?" "I told you, admiral, that I knew where they were." "Well, whora are they? Out with it, lad. Disclose your information and come to the point. All these side is sues are unworthy of a soldier," laughed the old teaman, well knowing that for most of them he was respon sible. "They're on a merchant ship bound tip the channel and going fast when 1 saw them last." "What?"' cried the admiral. "Give me the particulars." Sir Charles rapidly ran over the scene of the morning. The old admiral threw back his head and laughed. "And she outwitted you all, shook Strathgate off the track, led you ashore, watched Carrington and Strathgate tight it out under her very eyes and got clean away?" "She hasn't got away yet, admiral." "What mean you?" "I came here to make a proposition to you." "A proposition to me?" "Yes." "You have a fast ship at your com mand, I take it." "Do you mean the Britannia?" said the admiral, mentioning his flagship. "I do." "Of course she's fast. The admiral ty know me. I wouldn't take a slow ship." "Is she as fast as that merchant man, do you think?" "Why, my boy, there isn't a mer chant ship on the seas that she could n't overhaul in anything like a wind." "Admiral," said Sir Charles in genuously, "I lay you a wager." "What is that?" "A hundred pounds that you can't overtake that merchant ship." "What!" roared the admiral. "Me take out one of his majesty's ships to chase after a runaway wife and a fool ish girl?" "I beg your pardon, admiral, if you refer to Mistress Deborah Slocum, I must ask you to moderate your lan guage," protested Sir Charles, warmly, his face flushing. "Goto! goto!" laughed the ad miral. "I'm old enough to be your father. Hut the idea of an admiral of the white taking a hundred gun ship-of-the-line cut to chase a paltry merchantman for —Impossible, my boy, impossible!" "But," said Sir Charles,"the navy cannot afford to decline a bet, a wager "You Are Right Sir." with its sister service. I'll lay you i thousand pounds, admiral, that you can't do it." "My lad," said the admiral gently, after a moment's reflection, "no wag ers are needed. I'll do it because I'm fond of the girl and Carrington, too. I can overhaul them before nightfall without doubt and I'll be glad to do it, although just exactly what warrant I have for stopping an American ship on the high seas and taking from her another man's wife I can hardly say." "I can help you in that, admiral. As to warrant, if you'll bring to the other ship and give me a boat crew, I'll go aboard the American and do the rest. Mistress Deborah, lam sure, will come willingly." "Don't be too sure of that," returned the admiral, "don't count upon a wom an until she's your own, and don't count too much upon her after that, as Carrington might say." "Nevertheless, I think I speak by the card," said Sir Charles. 'Very well, you know best. Hav ing been a bachelor all my life, I know more about ships than women, but hark ye, Seton, this one thing. Don't you come back to the ship after I put you aboard that trader, with only Miss Deborah. The two have to come together, or go together, you understand?" "Yes, sir." The admiral struck the bell on the table beside him. Instantly the ma rine orderly popped in the door. "My compliments to the officer of the deck," said the admiral to the orderly, "and ask him to beg Captain Beatty to favor me with his presence in the cabin." "Yes, sir," returned the orderly, sa luting. A moment after —an incredibly short time it seemed to Seton, who was un aware of the way in which an ad miral's requests are obeyed—Captain Beatty, the officer mentionel, present ed himself before the admiral. "You wish to see me, admiral?" 'Yes, Beatty. By the way, let me present to you Sir Charles Seton of the Sussex light infantry, captain in his majesty's land forces. Seton, this is the Honorable Archibald Beatty, my flag captain. Beatty, will you get the Hritannia under way at once?" "Yes, sir," returned the captain. "Are the rest of.the fleet to follow us?'' "No," answnroij the admiral "sig nal to the rest r<f them to the movements <<f the commaodvr-la- CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1908. chief. Then signal to trie Renown for Lasoelles to take command until we return." "Very good, sir," returned the cap tain. "And what course shall we lay?" "That which will get us Into the channel quickest, and then as due east as the wind will let us. I'll be on deck, however, before you're ready for that." "There are several boat parties ashore, admiral, do you wish me to wait for them?" "No, sir, you will weigh at once." "Very good sir," returned the cap tain, saluting and turning away. "And Beatty," the admiral called af ter him, "a drop of navy sherry with me before you go." "Thank you, admiral," said Beatty, filling his glass. "I'll give you a toast, Sir Charles," said the admiral. "Yes," returned the soldier. "A short cruise and the women at the end of it!" "I drink to that with all my heart!" returned Sir Charles. "And I also," said Captain Beatty, greatly mystified, "although I don't understand exactly." "We're going to chase a Yankee merchant ship, Beatty, and take a couple of ladies in whom Sir Charles is interested off of it." "A couple!" cried Beatty. ' I'm only interested in one of them," said Sir Charles warmly. "It's a runaway sweetheart and a runaway wife, Beatty," continued the admiral, "Lady Carrington and Mis tress Deborah Slocum." "And which one is Sir Charles inter ested in?" asked the sailor, smiling. "In Mistress Slocum, of course," laughed the admiral. "Now, captain," he continued, assuming his quarter deck manner, "I want you to get the ship under way in the quickest pos sible time. Let's show this land lubber here what his mapesty's navy can do when it's in dead earnest. Imagine there are a dozen Frenchmen out there, all boiling for a fight, and bear a hand!" "Ay, ay, sir," said Beatty, saluting and withdrawing from the cabin. A moment later there came faintly through the bulkheads the shrill whistling of the boatswain and hia mates, followed by a deep cry: "All hands up anchor!" CHAPTER XV. Captain Jeremiah Tuggles Is Insulted. It was a moment of splendid tri umph for the heroine of this mad es capade when she drew under the lee of the great ship tremendously above her. Her eyes were as keen as Car rington's. She had recognized, or di vined, that the tall figure standing on the rail of the larger boat staring at her was her husband. She knew that in some way they had concluded that she would try to escape on the mer chantman and that they were trying to catch that ship. She was experi enced enough, also, to know that their efforts would be futile and their trouble in vain. There was only one possible contingency which could pre vent tho accomplishment of her de sires now, and that would be the re fusal of the captain of the ship to stop for her when she ran him down. Ellen had a well-filled purse and she hoped to persuade him with that. At any rate, she kept recklessly on, al though the little boat came near to swamping and Deborah, between ter ror and disappointment, was in a state of collapse. Ellen boldly ran down under the lee of the big ship. By skillful handling she brought her boat within hailing distance of the mer chantman. A man stepped on the rail to lee ward and stared hard at her. "What ship is this?" asked Ellen. "The Flying Star of Boston." Ellen's heart sank. "I thought it was the New Eagle of Philadelphia," she cried. "She sailed yesterday." "Where are you bound?" asked El len, fighting against the sinking of heart caused by this news. (TO BE CONTINUED.) COUNTRY'S NEEDS SET FORTH. Wall Street Journal Advocates Re turn to Old Conditions. The following editorial from the Wall Street Journal is somewhat re markable, appearing in a purely finan cial paper, and is certainly worthy of serious consideration: "What America needs is a revival of piety, the kind mother and father used to have —piety that counted it good business to stop for daily family prayer before breakfast, right in the middle of harvest; that quit field work a half hour early Thursday night so aa to get the chores done and goto prayer meeting; that borrowed mun(?y to pay the preacher's salary and prayed fervently in secret for the sal vation of the- rich man who looked with scorn on such unbusinesslike be havior. That's what we need now to clean this country of the filth of graft, and of greed, petty and big; of wor ship of fine horses and big lands and high office and grand social functions. What is this thing we are wor shiping but a vain repetition of what decayed nations fell down and wor shiped just before their light went out? Read the history of Rome in de cay and you will find luxury th»re that could lay a big dollar over our little doughnut that looks so large to us. Great wealth never made a na tion substantial nor honorable. There is nothing on earth that lboks good that is so dangerous for a man or na tion to handle as quick, easy, big money. If you do resist its deadly In liuences the chances are that It will ;et your son. It takes greater and ilner heroism to dare to be poor in America than to capture a battery In Manchuria." h 1 Light ■=! [Freights! By ' I W. W. JACOBS t |A QUESTION OF HABIT iC'opy right, L»cklU, Meati C'uuip*njr.) "Wimmin aboard ship I don't 'old with," said the night watchman, se verely. "They'll arsk you all sorts o' silly questions, an' complain to the skipper if you don't treat "em civil in answering 'em. If you do treat 'em civil, what's the result? Is it a bit o' bacco, or a shilling, or anything like that? Not a bit of It; just a 'thank you,' an' said in a way as though they've been giving you a perfect treat by talking to you. "We 'ad a queer case once on a barque I was on as steward, called the Tower of London, bound from the Albert docks to Melbourne with a gen eral cargo. We shipped a new boy just after we started as was entered in the ship's books as 'Enery Mallow, an' the first thing we noticed about 'Enery was aff 'e had a great dislike to work and was terrible sea sick. Every time there was a job as wanted to be done, that lad 'ud go and be took bad quite Independent of the weather. "Then Bill Dowsett adopted 'im, and laid he'd make a sailor of 'im. I be lieve if 'Enery could 'ave chose 'is fa ther, he'd sooner 'ad any man than Bill, and I would sooner have been a orphan than a son to any of 'em. Bill relied on his langwidge mostly, but when that failed he'd just fetch 'im a cuff. Nothing more than was good for a boy wot 'ad got 'is living to earn, but 'Enery used to cry until we was all ashamed of 'im. " 'Go to your duties,' roars the skip per; 'go to your duties at once, and don't let me 'ear any more of it. Why, you ought to be at a young ladies' school.' " 'I know I ought, sir,' 'Enery ses, with a w'imper, 'but I never thought it'd be like this.' "The old man stares at him, and then he rubs his eyes and stares agin. 'Enery wiped his eyes and stood look ing down at the deck. " 'Eavens above,' ses the old man, in a dazed voice, 'don't tell me you're a gal!' " 'I won't if you don't want me to," ses 'Enery, wiping his eyes agin. " 'What's your name?' ses the old man, at last. " 'Mary Mallow, sir,' ses 'Enery, very soft. " 'What made you do it?' ses the •kipper, at last. " 'My father wanted me to marry a man I didn't want to,' ses Miss Mal low. 'He used to admire my hair very much, so I cut it off. Then I got frightened at what I'd done, and as I looked like a boy I thought I'd goto sea.' "Then the skipper took Miss Mal low below to her new quarters, and to is great surprise caught the third of ficer, who was fond of female society, doing a step-dance in the saloon all on is own. "That evening the skipper and the mate formed themselves into a com- Talk Romantic to 'Er About the Sea. mittee to decide what was to be done. " 'She must have a dress, I tell you, >r a frock at any rate,' ses the skipper, *ery mad. " 'What's the difference between a Iress and a frock?' ses the mate. " 'There is a difference,' ses the •kipper. Well, what is it?' ses the mate. " 'lt wouldn't be any good if I wap o explain to you,' ses the skipper; <orac people's heads are ton thick.' "'I know they are,' ses the mate. "The committee broke up after that, nit it got amiable agin over breakfast iext morning, and made quite a fuss >ver Miss Mallow. "She went up on deck after break ast and stood leaning against the side diking to Mr. Fisher. Pretty laugh •ne'd got, too, though I never noticed when she was in the fo'c's'le. Per- | iaps she hadn't got much to laugh j about then; and while she was up { there enjoying 'erself watching as chaps work, the committee was down below laying its 'eads together agin. "When I went down to the cabin agin It was like a dressmaker's shop. "'By Jove! I've got it,' bcs the old man, suddenly. 'Where's that dress ing gown your wife gave you?' "The mate looked up. '1 don't know," he ses, slowly. 'l've mislaid it' " 'Well,' ses the skipper. "'Three o' them new flannel shirts o* yours," ses the mate. 'They're very dark, an' they'd hang beautiful.' "They went to the mate's cabin and, to hia great surprise, there it was hanging just behind the door. " 'I sha'n't want that, Mr. Jackson,' he ses, slowly. 'I dare say you'll find it come In useful.' " 'While you're doing that, s'pose I get on with them three shirts,' ses Mr. Jackson. "'What three shirts?' ses the skip per, who was busy cutting buttons off. " 'Why, yours,' ses Mr. Jackson. Let's see who can make the best frock.' " 'No, Mr. Jackson,' ses the old man. 'l'm sure you couldn't make anything "Don't Tell Me You're a Gall" o' them shirts. You're not at all gifted that way. Besides, I want 'em.' " 'Well, I wanted my dressing gown, if you come to that,' ses the mate, in a sulky voice. " 'Well, what on earth did you give it to me for?' ses the skipper. 'I do wish you'd know your own mind, Mr. Jackson.' "It really didn't look half bad when he'd finished it, and it was easy to see how pleased Miss Mallow was." "I must say she 'ad a good time cf it. We was having splendid weather, and there wasn't much work for any body; consequently, when she wasn't receiving good advice from the skipper and the mate, she was receiving atten tion from both the second and third officers. Mr. Scott, the second, didn't seem to take much notice of her for a day or two, and the first I saw of his being in love was 'is being very rude to Mr. Fisher and giving up bad lang widge so sudden it's a wonder it didn't do 'im a injury. "I think the sal rather enjoyed their attentions at first, but arter a time she got fairly tired of it. She never 'ad no rest, pore thing. If she was up on deck looking over the side the third officer would come up and talk ro mantic to 'er about the sea and the lonely lives of sailor men, and I actu rally 'eard Mr. Scott repeating poetry to her. The skipper 'eard it too, and being suspicious o' poetry, and not having heard clearly, called him up to 'im and made 'im say it all over again to 'im. 'E didn't seem quite to know wot to make of it, so 'e calls up the mate for 'im to hear it. The mate said It was rubbish, and the skipper told Mr. Scott that if he was taken that way agin 'e'd 'ear more of it. "There was no doubt about them two young fellers being genuine. She 'appened to say one day that she could never, never care for a man who drank and smoked, and I'm blest if both of 'em didn't take to water and give 'er their pipes to chuck overboard, and the agony those two chaps used to suffer when they saw olher people smoking was pitiful to witness. "It got to such a pitch at last that the mate, who, as I said afore, was a very particular man. called another committee meeting. It was a very sol emn affair, and 'e made a long speech in which he said he was the father of a family, and that the second and third officers was far too attentive to Miss Mallow, and 'e asked the skipper to stop it. " 'How?' ses the skipper. " 'Stop the draught-playing and the card-playing and the poetry,' ses the mate; Mhe gal's getting too much at tention; she'll have 'er 'ead turned. Put your foot down, 6ir, and stop it.' "The skipper was so struck by what he said, that he not only did that, but he went and forbid them two young men to speak to the gal except at meal times, or when the conversation was general. None of 'em liked it, though the gal pretended to, and for the mat ter of a week tilings was very quiet in the cabin, not to say sulky. "Things got back to their old style again in a very curious way. I'd just set the tea in the cabin one afternoon, and 'ad stopped at the foot of the , companion-ladder to let the skipper 1 and Mr. Fisher come down, when we suddenly >ard a loud box on the ear. We all rushed into the cabin at once, and there was the mate looking fairly thunderstruck, with his hand to fala face, and Miss Mallow {.laving at 'im. " 'Mr. Jackson,' sea the skipper, In a awful voice, 'what's this?" '"Ask her,' shouts the mate. 'I think she's gone mad or something.' " 'What does this mean, Miss Mal low?' ses the skipper. " 'Ask him,' ses Miss Mallow, breath ing very 'ard. "'Mr. Jackson,' sea the skipper,very severe, 'what have you been doing?" " 'Nothing,' roars the mate. " 'Was that a box on the ear I 'eard?' ses the skipper. " 'it was,' ses the mate, grinding his teeth. "'Your ear?' ses the skipper. " 'Yes. She's mad, 1 tell you,' ses the mate. 'I was sitting here quite quiet and peaceable, when she came alongside me and slapped my face.' " 'Why did you box his ear?' ses the skipper to the girl again. " 'because he deserved it,' ses Miss Mallow. "Tlie skipper shook his 'ead and looked at the mate so sorrowful that he began to stamp up and down the cabiu and bang the table with his fist. " 'lf I hadn't heard It myself, I couldn't have believed It/ ses the skipper; 'and you the father of a fam ily, too. Nice example for the young men, I must say.' '* 'Please don't say anything more about it,' ses Miss Mallow; 'l'm sure he's very sorry.' " 'Very good,' ses the skipper; "but you understand, Mr. Jackson, that If I overlook your conduct, you're not to speak to this young lady agin. Also, you must consider yourself as removed from the committee.' " 'Curse the committee,' screamed the mate. Curse—' "He looked all round, with his eyes starting out of 'is 'ead, and then sud denly shut his mouth with a snap and went up on deck. "We got to Melbourne at last, and the fust thing the skipper did was to give our young lady some money togo ashore and buy clothes with. He did it in a very delikit way by giving her the pay as boy, and I don't think I ever see anybody look so pleased and surprised as she did. The skipper went ashore with her, as she looked rather a odd figure to be going about, and comes back about a hour later without 'er. "'I thought perhaps she'd come aboard,' he ses to Mr. Fisher. 'I man aged to miss her somehow while I was waiting outside a shop.' "They fidgeted about a bit, and then went ashore to look for 'er, turning up again at eight o'clock quite wor ried. Nine o'clock came, and there was no signs of 'er. Mr. Fisher and Mr. Scott was in a dreadful state, and the skipper sent almost every man aboard ashore to search for 'er. They 'unted for 'er high and low. *p and down and round about, and turned up at midnight so done up that they could 'ardly stand without holding onto somethink, and so upset that they couldn't speak. None of the officers got any sleep that night except Mr. Jackson, and the fust thing la the morning they was ashore agio looking for her. "She'd disappeared as completely as if she'd gone overboard, and more than one of the chaps looked over the side half expecting to see 'er come floating by. By 12 o'clock most of us was convinced that she'd been made away with, and Mr. Fisher made some remarks about the police of Melbourne as would ha' done them good to heaf. "I was just going to see about din ner when we got the first news of her. Three of the most miserable and sol emn looking captains I've ever seen came alongside and asked for a few words with our skipper. They all stood in a row looking as if they was going to cry. " 'Good morning, Capt. Hart,' aes one of 'em, as our old man came up with the mate. " 'Good morning,' ses he. " 'Do you know this?' ses one of 'em, suddenly, holding out Miss Mallow's dressing gown on a walking stick. " 'Cood 'eavens,' ses the skipper, 'I hope nothing's happened to that pore gal.' "The three captains shook their heads all together. " 'She is no more,' ses another of 'em. "'How did it happen?' ses the skip per, in a low voire. " 'She took this off,' ses the #rst captain, shaking his head and pointing to the dressing gown. '"And took a chill?' ses the skip per, staring very 'ard. "The three captains shook their 'eads agin, and I noticed that they seemed to watch each other and do it all together. " 'I don't understand,' ses the skip per. "'I was afraid you wouldn't,' sea the first captain; 'she took this off.' " 'So you said before,' ses the skip per, rather short. " 'And became a boy agin,' ses the other; 'the wickedest and most artful young rascal that ever signed on with me.' "He looked round at the others, and they all broke out into a perfect ro.ir of laughter, and jumped lip and down and slapped each other on the back, as if they was all mad. Then they asked which was the one wot had 'is ears boxed, and which was Mr, Fisher and which was Mr. Scott, and told our skipper what a nice fatherly man he was. Quite a crowd got 'round, an' wouldn't go away for ill we could do to 'em in the shap# o' buckets o' water and lumps o' coal. Wo was the laughing-stock o* the place, and the way they carried on when the steamer passed us two daya later with the first captain oa the bridge, pretending not to see that Imp of a boy standing In the bows blowing us kisses and dropping curtsies, Remrlj put the skipper out of 'U min4_"
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