Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Illi/ -- • ~ SIHm XXI. Sl,ooo in Christmas Presents. (See last column of sixth page.) When YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSTITUTION YOU GET THE BEST AND CHEAPEST PAPER IN AMER ICA. On its merits as a newspaper it has GROWN FROM 9,000 TO 112,000 CIRCULATION IN THREE YEARS. In TAKING IT YOU GET THE Best and Cheapest Paper. Besides this, YOU GET A SHARE IN OUR “CHRISTMAS BOX” of Presents of SI,OOO cash. If you sub scribe now your name goes in the box, WHICH IS SHAKEN UP ON JANUARY 1, AND ONE NAME DRAWN OUT BY OUR AGENT. TILVT NAME GETS 3500, THE NEXT S2OO, AND SO ON THROUGH THE LIST. Some subscriber will get the SSOO on January 1. Why not YOU? Out of the box of subscribers’ names, one name will come first. It MAY be yours. If so, you GET SSOO AS A PRESENT. The NEXT GETS S2OO, and so on. Subscribe at once. For every NEW SUBSCRIBER YOU SEND IN YOUR NAME GOES IN AGAIN. GET UP A CLUB. TiTSSi By Frederick Erasing Shepherd. Written for The Constitution. ! We loved the captain’s daughter, Jack and I. T1 lat was not remarkable, but it was rather remarkable that we went on loving her for a long time without any thought of being rivals. We were innocent enough to confess the tender passion to each other long before we had ac quired the necessary courage for a confession ■to the lady herself. Wo were rather an un sophisticated pair. Jack had been brought up lit sea and I partially at sea and partially at an out-of-the-way port of the sea. When James Whitcomb Castlemon, Sr., died and left a few hundreds to James Whit cqmb Castlemon, Jr., the heir, who was none ottier than myself, believed it incumbent on him to see the world, and hied away to the metropolis to begin with. Being a sort of Jonathan to Jack Vandegrift’s David, I per suaded him to go with mo, representing to him that New York offered extraordinary in ducements to seafaring men as well as others. He was keeping a bright look out for a berth When me met and simultaneously fell in love With Margaret Sullinger, whose father was a retired sea captain. The lady displayed a gratifying but ap parently impartial warmth of feeling, and Jack and I regularly made our calls together with a refreshing innocence that harbored no ■‘.bought of rivalry or jealousy. Ido not know whether we had yet begun to realize that rivals 'we must become in the natural order of things, when we were startled by a wholly unexpected turn of events. I strolled forth one afternoon, bent upon making one visit alone to the captain’s apart ments, though I can safely say that I was not conscious of any unkind motive affecting my friend: but instead of the captain’s figure ap pearing as usual through a foreground of lace curtain at the window, the curtain was gone, and a piece of paper bearing the legend “To Let,” stared at iso from the win dow pane. I stood looking blankly enough at the bit of paper wfien a ragged little urchin, who must have been lying in wait for me. darted out from somewhere, and after eyeing mo quizzically for a moment and being apparently satisfied with the inspection, held 'out a note addressed to me. I opened it eagerly and read: M . Castlemon: lam unexpectedly called upon to s: y rood-live to you and your friend. Papa has stored everything away in the two sea chest and we nil I eon tbs way to'New Orleans in an hour. I had n> wart u f bis intention until an hour ago. V.'e go to a i'r.citd at No. Baronne t eet. M AllGAlt:; 1 gClxiNfi EP. 11l spite of my astonishment my heart, fell to healing when I came to that last sentence. Gould I mistake the innocent insinuation it conveyed? I was still devouring the contents of the note when I was startled by an excla mation from some one behind me. It was Jack, who, with a familiarity that would have been offensive in any one else, had been read ing the note over my shoulder. Now, T should not like to accuse anyone, much less an inti mate friend, of any underhand motive, but wliat could have brought Jack there at that time and alone? “What do you think of that?” said I, hand ing him the note. “It is devilish odd,” he replied. “What could have induced the old fellow to slip his cable and make off in this manner? I’ll tell you what, Castlemon, there’s something deci dedly fishy in this business. I say, you don’t suppose the old skipper has got anything on his conscience and is running away to keep from getting hauled up and put in irons, do you?” “I have no doubt that Miss Sullinger would be grateful to yon for such a complimentary suspicion,” said I. “I shall follow them to morrow,” I added. “Shall you? So shall I.” “You? But I thought you were expecting to get a berth. Don’t yon think it would be foolish to—to throw away your chances for employment?” As I have said before, jealousy had no place in my heart and the incentive to this remon strance was, I am sure, a kindly regard forthe welfare of my friend. I confess then that I felt slightly offended when he made a facetious reference to a canine that : s popularly supposed to have taken up its residence in a manger, and reiterated his determination ot starting forthwith to New Orleans. “Want is not pressing us yet, Castlemon, and Where is the sailor that could resist the temptation of such a chase as this is likely to prove—especially as there is prize money, as one may say, at the end of it.” I offered no farther remonstrance, perceiv ing that it would be useless, and we immedi ately began making arrangements for a pro tracted absence. But little preparation was necessary for either of us, though traveling was a much more serious thing in those days than now, the period of which I write ante dating the introduction of steam on the ocean, and we began the journey the next day amica bly enough. Our amicability continued until we reached St. Loui:'., from which place it was necessary to continue our journey by steam boat. We were forced to wait twenty-four hours here, and Jack, who had been growing restless from the time we arrived in the city, had apparently worked himself up to a fever heat by the time the stage that was to convey us to the landing had put in an appearance. “I say, Castlemoil,” he burst out, as the porter wl.o had announced the itage was re tiring, “we are a pair of infernal hols to be running together on such an errand as this. Let's settle this matter witli pistols at ten paces. We can do it without interference, in this country.” Os course I thought he was joking, and looked up meaning to return some light an swer, but what I saw in bis face so startled mo that all thoughts of a joke was driven from my mind. I could not believe that iris sangu inary proposal was seriously meant, but there Was such a look of genuine irri tation, and of something very like vindictive- ness in his face that I was really alarmed. In an instant I realized how very peculiar our po sition undoubtedly was, and I recognized the necessity of altering it. Iran into the office and made an inquiry of the clerk, and joined Jack again, insisting that we should, at' least, take the stage and proceed to the landing. “Vandegrift,” I began, as we jolted over the stones in the clumsy vehicle, “your estimate of our mental calibre is not far from correct, but we should deserve to be called worse than fools if we followed your suggestion. There are two steamers leaving here today within half an hour of each other. Shall we put this affair into tlie keeping of chance?” “Yes,” he answered, after a moment’s hesi tation, “I am agreeable.” “The ‘Louisiana’ is advertised to leave five hours ahead of the ‘Creole’.” I drew a penny from my pocket. “We will toss up forthe passage on the ‘Louisiana.’ The loser will fol low on the ‘Creole.’ Whoever first gets to No. Baronne street, shall have a clear field until Miss Sullinger has decided his fate. Shall I toss?” “Yes. Heads,” he muttered, with his teeth set hard together and the muscles of his face twitching in away that betrayed tlie strong excitement under which lie labored. I spun the coin and it dropped in the. straw at the bottom of tlie coach. Vandergrift fell to his knees and eagerly drew the straw away until the coin was exposed. “It is tails,” he announced, and called to the driver to stop. I invited him to remain in the vehicle until we reached the landing, but lie persisted in getting out without delay, and in such a surly manner that I did not urge tho point. I confess that I felt anything but com fortable when I found myself alone. I had been averse al! my life to taking a very seri ous view of anything, and this matter seemed to be growing decidedly serious. I went aboard the steamer, however, and enjoyed the voyage down the Mississippi quite as well as if I had undertaken it for the sake of the voyage alone, and when the ‘Creole’ hove in sight, when we were still fifty miles from our destination, my interest in the race as between Vandergrift and myself was soon merged in the general excitement produced by the prospect of a race between the two steamers. So absorbed did I become in the struggle that followed that it. was not until the ‘Louis iana’ was actually alongside tlie wharf and the gang-plank out, while tho ■Creole’ was swinging around in mid stream, that I realized how much I had at stake and how nearly I had come to losing it. I sprang into a cab and was driven rapidly to No. Baronne street. In answer to my ring an old, weather-beaten man shuffled down a Hight of stairs, upon which the door opened and looked at me curiously. I gave him a card and asked to see Captain' Sullinger. He took the bit of pasteboard in his horny fingers, but spoke without looking at it. “Cap’n Sullinger and his daughter put in here, but they was off on another cruise the next day; but’’—he looked up at me with a grin and half closed one watery eye—“if you’re one of the chaps as was as likely as not to make a voyage from New York in the wake of the skipper, why there’s some papers for you.” Tlie “papers” proved to be a note addressed to me. It was signed by Miss Sullinger, who said that she had left it to serve in the possi ble, but wholly improbable, emergency of an inquiry on the part of her friends. Her father bad remained iu New Orleans bitt a few hours, and they were just leaving the house to con tinue their journey. This time their destina tion was Mobile, where her father had a friend in the person of the landlord of tlie Citv tav ern. This news fairly staggered me, and t then for the first time began to entertain a suspicion which thereafter gained ground rapidly. What innocent theory could account for Captain Sul linger’s eccentric flight? I was endeavoring to reach a satisfactory solution of this problem when, just as I turned the corner of the block in which the house stood, I was suddenly con fronted by Vandegrift. He looked like a man who was suffering from a severe illness, or was going mad. His pale face and a peculiar glit ter in his eyes suggested the last suspicion. “Did she ask about me ? Os course I must pay my respects or she would think it strange —unless you told her I had not come—that would have been the right thing to do.” His agitation was painful. I forgot his un friendly demeanor for the last few days and felt as tender toward him as I had been wont to doof old. “You are not ill, are you, old fellow?” I ejaculated with real concern. “No—-yes. Castlemon, lam a wretch. I have been almost wishing you were dead.” He buried his face in his hands and became a picture of misery. “You are foolish, Jack, but I am no better off than yourself as matters stand. They are gone.” He brightened up at once. “Gone? Is it possible? Then you haven’t won the race yet ? But do you know where thej’ are?” I gave him the note which he read in si lence. “Shall we continue the journey together?” I asked. “No; to chance it lias been intrusted and hi the bands of chance it must remain. There is a stage coach from Gulfport, on Mississippi sound, to Mobile. By crossing tlie rigolettes and hiring a conveyance to Gulfport we can reach our destination in a much shorter time than by water. When we arrive in Gulfport we must decide by lot which of us shall take the first stage.” His face had become flushed and he spoke with eagerness and animation. Wo made im mediate preparations to continue our journey. If any doubt existed in our minds that we had small reason for under taking such a chase in the first place, the excitement that always attends any chase had completely mastered us, and we had now an additional incentive to that which had orig inally caused us to begin the journey. We reached Gulfport without incident and the penny being again resorted to, gave me tho start once more. Vandegrift had not yet suffered a relapse from his high spirits. “You've the devil's own luck, Castlemon,” he said, “but it will desert you. It is a ‘good beginning,’ you know.” His words seemed likely to prove true,forthe next day the rickety old coach was goingdown a long incline at a terrific speed, when a sudden crash was followed by a dead stop w hich sent me headlong into a corner of the vehicle,where I was speedily joined by two females, who were the only other occupants of the coach. The Jehu who had managed to retain his seat, climbed down and rescued us from our uncom fortable position, remarking as he did so: “That settles this craft for a day or two. She’s smashed her two front wheels into kindlin' wood.” “Will we have to wait so long?” I inquired, anxiously. “No; if tomorrow’s stage haint got any more passengers’n this’n ye can all pile into it; so ye'll only have to wait a day, maybe. There’s a tavern half a mile below, where ye can stop.” “So we shall reach Mobile together after all,” I reflected, my mind reverting to Jack as I escorted the two females toward the tavern. My iinpatienc", combined with tho scant ac commodations of this wayside inn, drove sleep from iny eyelids, and I was in an irritable state when tho stage drove up, con siderably after noon of the next day. Vandegrift had tlie inside to himself. J handed in my two fellow-passengers and was following them, offering some sort of explana tion to Jack, when he sprang to his feet and motioned me bad? with bis hands. “Uli, no, Castlemon, you have lost your ‘go.’ You must suffer the consequences of your acci dent.” His voice was high-pitched and tremulous with excitinent, and his manner first surprised and then angered me. I was about forcing my way into the vehicle in spite of what I at the ATLANTA, GA. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1887. moment considered an unreasonable protest, when lie stepped forward and, placing his hands on my shoulders, actually boro mo out out of the door and down tho steps. He fol lowed me and drew a pistol. “If you w ill violate your agreement,” he al most shouted, “we must, resort to my own .sug gestion. Are you armed? ” In my irritable state this proved too much for me, and I drew- my own weapon, determin ed to give him satisfaction, but at sight ’of the firearms the t w o women came headlong, out of the coach and ran between us. “For heaven’s sake, gentlemen,” one of them screamed, “don't tight—at least not here,” she added in a calmer lone, “if you have any regard for ladies.go farther away.” Their tender solicitude touched me so deeply that I forgot my anger and laughed. 1 threw away my pistol. “You are foolish. Jack,” said I, “this is one phase of the case that 1 had not considered. I am forced to admit that I am w rong.” Ho turned and climbed into the coach with out a word and I walked away, a good deal chagrined when I grew calm enough to reflect that I bad really placed myself in a false position. I spent "the succeed ing twenty-four hours in a state bordering on madness, and I continued my journey next day with a feeling akin to despair. With a misgiving that grew out of my experience at Now Orleans, I made my way to the City tav ern, merely intending to assure myself that Captain Sullinger had not left there also. Tho young man in charge of the tavern bar informed me that Captain Sullinger and his daughter had left the house three days before with the intention, to the best of his knowl edge, of going on board the Walrus, which was advertised to sail for Liverpool. “Merely to visit her?” 1 asked, with deep misgiving. “They wore booked as passengers.” “And is the vessel gone?” I gasped. “She sailed the day they joined, sir." Astonishment and despair showed them selves so plainly in my face that he hastily poured out a tu tnbler of brandy and passed it to me over the bar. I declined the liquor and asked him if Vandergrift was stopping at the tavern? “No person of that name is a guest here at present.” "Did Captain or Miss Sullinger leave a note for me? my name is Castlemon.” “No note has been left to that address, sir, but—ah, yes, a note was left for another gen tleman—for the gentleman you mentioned, in fact—and lie returned it to me after reading it. witli the request that I give it to Mr. Cas tlemon, if he should call.” He took tlie note from behind one of the bottles on tho bar and gave it to mo. The note was signed by Miss Sullinger. It repeated the reasons formerly given for leav in a note at all, and stated that it was not possible that the emergency before referred to could exist any longer, since they were leaving the country. Their destination was supposed to be Liverpool. The conviction was forced upon me that Miss Sullinger loved one of us; which, it was of course impossible that she should indicate. Is it strange that I should feel an inward con sciousness that I was the one. No doubt Van degrift was quite as sanguine. One of us cer tainly—both of, us perhaps—must suffer, let the chase end as it might. Was she un maideuly in thus strewing,the pathway of her flight with these missives which conld scarcely fail to produce the result that they had produced? She was no coquette—l could swear to that. She had been kept from childhood, on sea or on shore, like a bird shut up in a cage. She was wholly untutored in the ways of tlie world and if the notes meant anything they meant that she had clung to the one (possibly) bright experience in her life and had done it in tlie only way that suggested itself to her and without any regard to the proprieties, of which she knew nothing. Not everybody, perhaps, will approve of my determination to follow her to England at a period when a voyage across the ocean was a serious affair, and when the issue, to say the least, was very obscure; but those who have been in love—deeply. I was about to say, but who was ever in love any other way?—and those who have felt the excitement of a stern chase, which is by all accounts a long chase, will extend their heartfelt sympathy and ap proval. The suspicion which had intruded iteelf in Now Orleans also began to assume alarming proportions in tlie light of tlie latest begira. I found it unpleasant to entertain such a suspic ion against the. old captain, lint I could not help remembering now that I bad often de tected a furtiveness in his manner that I bad not taken the trouble to speculate upon before. If it Was as I had begun to suspect, a third and powerful motive was added to the others. Margaret was to be rescued from a criminal or a madman. IT. I did not hesitate, but sought the docks at once and began an anxious search for a vessel that was bound to England within a reasona ble time. I found a little brig with a little cuddy-bole of a cabin and a skipper, who de clared his willingness to be eternally blasted rather than accommodate a passenger. He de clared that he could only get into thecabin him self when his wife was in her berth, a state ment that I viewed in a more credulous spirit when I saw Mistress Pressy squeeze herself up the after companion-way, and emerge therefrom.with the effect of closing the entire view forward to my vision. In addition to the objection on the score of room, the owner had issued explicit orders against carrying passen gers, and I was in despair until the captain of fered me the hospitality of the forecastle, or in other words invited me to become one of his crew. The prospect was distasteful in tho extreme since affluence had for some time kept me above the necessity of shipping before the mast, and had fostered some fastadious no tions, but I presently became satisfied that I must continue the chase that way or wait in definitely for another opportunity. I wont ashore with the skipper to sign articles, and above the space which I was required to fill with my own name I beheld “John Vande grift” in bold caligraphy! (churography?) He had signed as mate. For an instant I hesitated to sign, the memory of my last meet ing with Jack rising up before me, but upon reflection, tlie very fact that his name was there furnished me the most powerful motive for signing my own. I went abord and an hour later Jack fol lowed with tho remainder of tho crew. He appeared more vexed than surprised at my presence as I conld see by his face, for he gave no sign of recognition, being apparently de termined not to forget ship etiquette even in the case of an old and familiar comrade like myself. I realized that the demon of jeal ousy had destroyed all tho brotherly feeling he had once entertained for me, and that henceforth he was to stand in tho light of an unfriendly, if not positively vindictive rival toward me. We cast off from our moorings almost im mediately after I had come aboard with tho skipper, and were crawling slowly down the bay with a scarcely perceptible breeze abeam, when a boat was seen to leave the wharf and pull rapidly toward us with the evident inten tion of boarding. So slowly did wo move that the captain did not consider it necessary to even luff into the wind to accommodate tho boatmen. It proved to have in charge a pack age of delayed mail and the package was thrown over the rail,while the boat was headed toward the wharf again without having done more than just run alongside us. The breeze freshened when he had got be yond tho bar and the land had already melted Into a dim blue line astern when word was sent forward for James Castlemon. I went aft wondering what conld have arisen to re quire my presence. It was a letter fvr iuc which had come aboard in tho delayed pack age. I took it with a mixed feeling of aston ishment and apprehension. I saw Vandegrift cast an eager glance toward it as I turned to go forward again, and I fancied that be meant to follow ami addrkss me, but if that was his intention he thought better of it and walked to the rail amidships where lie stood looking out over the sea M itli a poorly assumed air of unconcern. Tho letter proved to be from tho landlord of tho City tavern, enclosing a brief note from Margaret Sullinger. The landlord wrote: 1 am sor.y that I am tho cause of the delay which attends the di'lf"or+ of the encl sed note. The young Indy riive It to me on bon'd the vessel in w ifrh tiler cm ar: fl whittle- I h <1 nic nipiiied tlnm iih ti;nae siy kptit w hme« h 1 mnk n .. o ui"V to guc g inuring io.vii. I li.ie.tlst re nr: cd mid J.sarbi, ecl leatally ot your wacre a« ut h to i tolcrwnr.i it. Tlie enclosure vas a.s follows: '• h ■ ves .el W" h ire seen e 1 pa sage on will touch at Hi ana. lapahns us innour-edhisd termi nation of land ng there .111 ra ur.ilug to New Or le ns. Margaret Si llinheb. 1 leave you to imagine the effect of this news. I came out of tho forecastle, anxious to get the benefit of the sunshine and tlie fresh air while I reflected on this strange turn of events mid found Jack leaning against tho fore rigging and apparently waiting for my ap pearance. He seemed inclined at first to walk off again, though plainly with much reluctance and the eagerness witli which he grasped the letter when 1 offered it to him, betrayed the deptli of his anxiety. He perused it and dashed it to the deck, with a curse on Captain Sullin ger. “We can never induce him to put back or send us ashore hi a boat, I suppose?” said I, with a glance indicating the skipper. “No!" shouted Jack, with another oath, “ho would see us d —-—d first.” He went aft fuming and cursing to himself, leaving me in a state of mind very nearly as frantic as his own. 1 felt very certain Unit an appeal would be a mere waste of words, but I nevertheless wrote one out on a scrap of paper and put it on a tray along with the captain’s supper, just going aft in charge of tho cook. Captain I’ressy answered it in person and in just four words half an hour later. Ho said: “Don’t be an ass.” The voyage continued for two weeks with a monotony that was almost madening under the circumstances, but at the beginning of the third week an incident occurred that broke the monotony and very near brought the voy age to a premature end. I turned out at eight bells on an intensely dark night mid going on the forecastle-head, found the lookout in a doze and a green light twinkling right ahead. The events that immediately succeeded this discovery followed each other in such rapid and startling succession that I retain hut a confus ed impression of the majority of them. 1 re member shouting to the officer of tho watch ; of hearing the captain issuing orders in sten torian tones, and then of seeing a huge black hulk with shadowy sails resolve itself out of the gloom and bear straight down upon us. In a moment it was jarring and scrapping against the port side of the “Signal.” It was a big, iron-hulled, full-rigged ship. Her bulkwarks towered high above our own and by tlie light of a ship's lantern which the captain had brought on deck, I saw a rope dangling over her side. At sight of it a wld suggestion thrilled through me like an electric shock. Tho that the vessel with which we had collided was sailing in z.n opposite direction to that pursued by tho brig, and that site must consequently be bound to some American port, flashed through iny mind with the rapidity of lightning and I mounted tho bulwarks of the “Signal” and sprining out with an extraordinary agility that must have been born of my desperate resolve, I seized tho rope. I had climbed to within a foot of the rail of the passing ship when I turned my head for an instant toward tlie brig and in that instant I saw Vandegrift mount tho main rigging. A moment later, and before I could mount any higher, tho rope parted above my head and I fell into our own cockpit, flattening out our skipper and interrupting a string of nautical oaths of which ho was delivering himself. I ran forward to escape tho consequences of this unintentional insult and was overtaken amid ships by Vandegrift, who held in his hand a harpoon stick with a cabbage knife inserted in the end of it. It was an original weapon that I had myself invented as an improvement on tho harpoon for spearing porpoises, and it oxx plained, in connection with tho appearanee of Vandogrft in the rigging, tho parting of tlm ropo and the ignominious failure of iny hastily conceived plan. “It came in handy,” he said, flourishing’ the uncouth weapon and giving vent to aii exas perating laugh. He wont aft again without giving me an opportunity to answer, and, in deed, so great was tlie reaction from suddenly conceived and as suddenly destroyed hope that I was powerloss to retort. Tho result of tho incident was to plunge me into a state of passive despair, which continued until one morning a week iater, when, through a serious error in navigation into which the captain had fallen, assisted by an atlected chronometer, wo ran without notice so close to the Island of Fayal, obscuredat the time by a heavy fog, that the voyage was near being ended again by an other sort of collision. We got tho brig about with some difficulty and ran down under tho lee of tho island where we lay, rising and falling with the swell, without a breath of air to steady us. Captain I’ressy with a laudible desire to make a vit tue of necessity, ordered Vando graft ashore with one of the crew, as soon as the fog had cleared up, to ascertain if fresh water could be obtained to replenish our som what scanty stores. For some reason, perfectly unintelligible to me at the time, Vandegrait chose me to accompany him. We pulled off with a strict injunction to return at the first indication of dirty weather, as tho island offered no protection from a storm on the side where wo lay. W o landed at the foot of alow cliff over which a rope ladder had been slung. Wo found a hut a short distance back from the brow’of the cliff but its occupant was unable to talk anything except J’ortuguCHO, which neither I nor Vandegrift understood. A dumb show and the frequent repetition of tho word “Enghese” gave us to understand that a honse which appeared a long distance up the moun tain side was occupied by Exglish or some one who could speak the language, and Jack set out in that direction. He had not gone over a hundred yards when ho turned and came back. “You may co, Castlemon,” he said, “and I'll mind the boat.” His action struck me as rather peculiar, but I could do nothing floss than obey and set out without making any answer. J had climb ed two or three of tho terraces which lay be tween ine and the house, when I suddenly be came aware that the sky was fast becoming overcast and that the wind was beginning to blow from a now quarter. 1 looked out to ward the brig and saw that the yards were being swung around and that she was being put in readiness to get under way. As near as I could reckon I had put half a mile between me and the place where we had landed. I turned and ran back as rapidly as I could, with a vivid recollection of the captain's part ing induction, lending wings to my feet. When I reached the brow of the cliff 1 beheld Jack in the boat, pulling swiftly toward tho brig, and already a cable’s length from the shore. He stopped rowing when I hailed and looked up at me. "I am goingtoleave yon here,” ho announced cooly, “This place is out of tho course of vessels crossing the ocean. Tho chances are J shall reach homo ahead of you if I leave you here. There is an occasional trading vessel plying between this place and Liverpool wliich you can get to take you off. I shall have the start of you, but if I fail in tho end, I shall offer you every facility iu tuy powerful finding Miss Sullinger.” He waved his hand in adion with an air so politeness worthy of a Frenchman, and pulled rapidly toward the brig, leaving mo incapable for tho moment, from sheer astonishment, from making an appeal. 1 looked along the beach for a beat, but none was in sight; and before I had fully realized what was happening, Vandegrift was mounting the side of the brig, which, with all her canvas set, was already be ginning to heel over before a fresh breeze that swept down the mountain side and out to sea. 1 stood motionless and watched her while the wind increased rapidly, lashing itself into the fury of a gale. I saw tlie men go aloft and furl the royal and top-gallant sail*.; tho courses were clewed up, and the “Signal” went out of sight in a whirling mist of rain that had begun to fall, rolling and pitching under topsails. I was abandoned; there was no mistaking that. All that Vande grift had done before had not prepared me for this. 1 stood gazing out to sea long after the brig had disappeared, utterly unable to realize to tts full extent the calamity that hud befal len me. The driving rain struck through my light clothing, seeming to reach to my very bones and to ehill my heart as well as my body, and it awakened mo at last to a sense of my position. I began tho ascent of tho mountain again toward tho house which I now sincerely hoped might contain some one who spoke a language I could understand. Tho storm in creased in violence as I ascended and vivid lightning and loud, echoing thunder came out of a cloud of midnight blackness that hung as if poised on the bleak summit of tho moun tain. It seemed to mo that I struggled miles through tlie warring elements before I fell ex hausted on the low piazza of tho house I sought. When I recovered consciousness it was with such a confused sense of what had happened that I felt no surprise when I lie held Margaret Sullinger bending over mo with her soft white fingers lightly touching iny pulse. When tho recollection of what had just passed dawnod upon iny bewildered brain, I sprang to my feet, though with such unsteadi ness that I had like to have fallen again, and began an eager questioning of the girl whom I had thought of as still thousandsol miles away from me. .She would have hud me wait until my strength was more fully recruited, but I assured her, with truth, that I felt but slightly now tho effects of my struggle with tho storm. Smiling at my insistance, she told her story. “Aly father had already changed his plans again before wo reached Havana,” she begun, “and determined to continue the voyage to England, as ho had at first intended. The “Walrus” was to touch nt Lisbon, and as this island was in her course, she put In here for fresh waler. Tho vessel was already preparing to leave the harbor when papa announced his determination to remain here. This is tlie house of a Fayal merchant, whoso guests we are.” “But your father—what has lie. done? What makes him act in this remarkable way?” A smile that seemed like a shadow, so sad was it, appeared for a moment on her fair face. She asked mo to follow her, and led the way to a door which she opened noiselessly, disclosing a room beyond. Captain Sullinger sat at, a largo table in the center of the room, poring over a dozen or more maps that wore scattered In profusion about tho table. Margaret signed to me to remain where 1 was, and crossed to tho table, whore she paused beside her father, without, at first, attracting Ms attention. Ho raised his eyes after a moment and, seeing her there, put one feeble arm about her waist and spoke: "My dear, did I tell you that you were to have your wish? We will return to New York. It is the safest—the safest." His eyes returned to tho map before him and ho bocamo instantly absorbed in it again. Margaret glided away, and closing the door as noiselessly as she had opened it, she hade me lie down and recover from my fatigue, while she related to mo briefly tho story of tho strange hallucination that had brought about our remarkable journey. Captain Sullinger’s last, professional voyage had been with an exploring expedition sent out after that elusive mystery, the north pole. Tho expedition had undergone great suffering, as had been tho fate of all such expeditions, and Captain Sullinger had become the victim, in consequence, of a strange illusion. To his dis ordered fancy the north pole; hemhlinu upon its base, threatening each moment to fall and to involve in ruin and disasteriil| who should bo in its way. The rrnft»rtvnnto> captain had ndulged for years in nlMWtthej lahmlations meant to determine ifpon what quarter of tho glohe tVris gro tesque object should fall. Those calculations had proven so conflicting to his unbalanced mind that they had driven him over two-thirds of tho globe In bls efforts to escape a calamity that was no doubt horribly real to him. Ilia latest determination, which Margaret had per mitted me to hear him repeat, had been an nounced to her before, and it gave mo a great deal of pleasure, for 1 must tell you that I hud already observed something in the manner of Margaret Sullinger that made me forget iny troubles, and was a most reassuring answer to the question I had often asked myself: “Is it I, or Vandergrift, or neither?” Tho pursuit had been tho wooing. We throe loft the harbor of Fayal, two days after my abandonment, in a vessel bound for Liverpool, from whence we intended to re turn to New York as soon as possible. As for Vandergrift, I never saw him again, but I heard that lie had shipped as mate in a vessel bound from Liverpool to Boston, and that the ship had gone down witli all hands on board. BETSY_ HAMILTON. I promised to tell you ’tins sump’n almut our trip to Hot Springs. Cousin Kimly Jane Jolm son's folks lives thar, and written us to come and see ’em, and long as hit wasn’t hut twenty two miles out’n our way, me and Cousin Pink lowed we'd go. It was monstrous hot in Dal las and the mosquitoes was about to eat us up, and we raced around and most wore ourselves out a glttin’ ready to start, and like it allers is when a body is in a hurry and a fixin’ to go anywhars the house was cram full of couip’ny. Cousin Pink (“Old-Miss-Put-Off”) fooled around, talked to her beau and waited to the last minute to pack her yaller trunk and black oil cloth han’ satchel, and atter all her trouble left out her winter cloak with pessy-iuental trimrnin on it, and had to pull ever’ thing out’n the trunk plum to the bottom to keen the cloak from a inashin of her new pink granny-d.vne frock. And she got in sich a hur ry she crammed tho han’ satchel so lull hit ripped wide open at tho handles; she didn't have no time thou to sew it, had to tie it up with a white cotton string come round a bun dle she bought at Hanger’s, and ’fore she got to the depot it busted wide open agin, and I know in reason I never have saw her as mad. “fAst a body git in a hurry,” says she, "and hot and fretted, and I be twist ifjall tho both einicnts in creation don’t come at onee't, over’- tbing and cver’body turns loose and tries they se’f to see how they can pester and worry you. 1 thought that, gourd-headed Hobson boy never was a gwmo home, and he seed the house plum full of comp ny, too, and kuowod I had to pack; and when I sot into packin’ I thought ‘‘them fingerin' Franklin young’iins,” as Cousin Malindy calls ’em, would torment the life out’nt me. She says they never comes in her house without handlin’ and fingerin’ evei’thing In it, can't look at nothing without tet' bin’ it, ami shore to break it as tliey tetch it. They was right under my hcelsall the time, and a hangin’ over my trunk, lookin’ at over’ thing and a steppin’ on things so I couldn't half do nothin’ and didn't have no sense, and to cap it all, after 1 done put iu everthing even to my PRICE FIVE CENTS. yaller border silk pocket handorchcr and my new neck ribbin Mr. Turnipsecd gimme, I hnd to leave out my fine cl .ak,” and thar she talked and wont on till I had to toll her she bet ter hush, folks in the kar.s was a listenin at her. She lowed twasnt none er tlier business, she didnt keer who liearn her. She’s like het maw when she’s mad, she talks loud and dont koor who beam her. Well, fur as parkin of her things nice was consarned, she'd ns well to er pitched ’em in like shucks in a hamper basket, for when she got thar they looked liked they’d been in a harry-cane; tha cloak was on top, the granny-dyne at the liot tom. her perfume bottle, shape like a shoo and that cost 25 cents, was broke and spilt all over ever thing and done tuck tho color smack out’n her new nock ribbin and silk hunkorcher, and barda ciously mint Mr. Turnlpseed's pictur’; made him look pine blank like he had the yaller janders. She taken the pictur’ and sot down on tho floor and bust right ont into a cry, and ’lowed: “And I had to pay that thar nigger a quarter for fetchin’ of my trunk, jis tho same as if he hadn’t busted it open and ruirit ever last thing in it . “Them niggers tries to see how hard they can fling your trunks—they rut her bust 'etnas not.” Then she looked at the mint pictur’ and boo hooed agin, and if you could er saw it you’d or cried too. At Malvern whar you change kars for Hot Springs the train was behind and we had to wait five hours. We seed a sign 'fore a hotel door: “Persons waiting for trains can occupy tho parlor without charge.” A boy about the size of Miss Gooden’s Sam my, (and he was 14 las’ June) was a spellin' out the sign through his nose; “W-i-t-h (with) o-u-t (out) c-h-a-r-g-e (charge.)” “Without charge," says he; “that means von don’t have to pay nothin’.” We didn't know thar was a soul in that crowd that wa had over saw before, tol tho boy whined out: "Come on, maw; come on—you don’t have to pay nothin’—loss go over thar.” And who should his maw be but old Miss Slack—tho same 'Oman me and Cousin Pink come front the exposition with to Dallas two year ago and had sieh a time with at tho Grand Windsor hotel. “It’s Miss Slack,” says Cousin Pink ‘as I’m alive it’s Miss Slack.” Yes, it was her, with that same bag and basket of vittles, and quilt and pillcr, and little Sa’ Ann and the baby and the little nee dorg. About that time the old critter seed us and come a flyin’, she turn’t loose tho baby, drnpt the quilt and basket, shoved Sa’ Ann and the lice dog out’n her way, and jumpt at me tlie gladdest you ever seen. “Whar did yoii’ims come from,” says sho, “and which away air you a gwine?” “Wo are gwine to Hot Springs,” says T. “Me too,” says she. “I’m ngwine on account of my little Sa’ Ann’s so eyes. 1 wouldn’t or went nary step, but the dock 'lowed we'd ba obloge to do sump’n or she'd go plum blino. And my 010 man ho wanted me to go to git shot er these yer coms en my right foot, can't war no shoo to fit, and I Inis a tetch of the rheumatiz and new-ralogy too, and they say hits powerful good for airy one of them ; they say hit’ll bust up most any ailment flesh is ar to, and if you could er saw a Imy over thar war I lives had both laigs drawed plum double fore ho went there last year, and the hot water straightoded ’em out all right and he eau walk now good as anybody. Why, hit pretty nigh works merrieles. But lam ukooreu of it; fred if it was to Come u ycthqiurke, a volcunner niouglit. bust up out’n tho ground and swaller you up in fire and water; it gives me the trlinbles to think about it. When they fits tolo me about that thar water a biiin’ up out’n the groun’ so hot you could cook a aig or make coffee 'th’out fire, I says to my ole man, says I, that’s too nigh torment to suit me. You don’t ketch me a gwine iu a mile of it, says I. And somebody 'lowed they had a place close thar name “The Devil’s Half Acre.” I tolo ’em all, says I, cf that water is as hot as they says it is, tho devil’s got inoro’n any hall acre over thar, says I. “Lor’ jist to think yon’uns is a gwine to Hot Springs, and haint got no corns nor rheumalis nor nothin’—pears like folks is got a plum maniac for gwine to Hot .Springs. Come here Sa’ Ann, and lemine mo show Betsy your so eyes.” That ’oman nover skasely stopt talkin’ • minute while wo was thar. Atter we got to Hot Springs and soon the smoko a risin’out’n tho ground we thought like Judge Heflin : "This is the place wIiCHB the old rnostor keeps his fireworks.” Wo perused armin’ and send ever thing oven to the chiiikapin tree whar the man hung his sos, and we hoarn 'em say moro'u a thous and folks had Wont to see it. Ever body wa mot peared to be a totin of a big tin coffee pot, but we axod and found out they was made with tops to keep the water hot -and it was so hot when it got to the house you’d have to cool it ’fore you could drink it. Wo went fust to tho “Corn Hole,” whar they say the water liaa tuck off the wuss sorter corns. I thought ulioat old Miss Freshours and how her’n hurt het when it was a fixen to rain, and wished she could try it. We seen tho ton fine hath houses and the "Mad Hole,” and tho United States army and navy hospital, and the lino hotels, the Arling ton, the Plateau, tho Avenue and all, and went ont to tho park, and to tho "Thousand Drip ping Springs” and a place they call IlelPa Half Acre"’ Then we wont to ride longer Mrs. and she taken us to the healing well and gave us a good drink of cold water, strong of iron liko Chandler Springs. So if you don’t want to drink tho hot water you can go thar and git it cold. I tell you, Hot Springs is a great place for the afflicted, they comes thar from all over the word to bathe in that water and git cured. You sco ’em lame, and doaf, andblind.awalk ing on crutches, and sticks, and a limpin’on wisxlen legs; some- with arms and legs all drawed up, toted about in cheers or rolled around in little waggins, and some, is toted in tho arms, and they all goes afid batjios in that hot water; some at tho high price bath houses, some takes tho electric baths, and some baths at the mud holo; oven to tha rich ones goes thar, kaso they say it’s tho best. It belongs to tho government and is free to all. We met old Miss Slack a-comln’ from thar ona mornin’and she’lowed, "Yon’uns can go to the old holo and tho Ozark or any whar's else you’re mind to and pay out your money fora bath, but as fur mo, I goes to the mud hole. They say it belongs to tho governor and ho let's’em have it free. You don’t ketch ma a-ffingin’ away money when that’s anything free.” 'Taint no trouble to git a place to stay; most every house is a hotel, boardin’ house or got rooms to rent. Thor’ is most as many boardin’houses as ther’ is minin’ companies, tho men folks is all a runnin' wild over silver and lead mines close to thar. I wish I had time to tell you all about tha United States army and navy hospital, how fine and clean every thing is. Its all bran new and the sick soldiers is tuck keer ot some of ’otn better’n if they was at home. You can can stand on tho front pkizzy and see mighty nigh all over town, hut the best place to see is “that ar obeervaterry,” as old Miss Slack calls it, on top of Hot Springs mountain. Wo clum up thar and it niiMie our head swim; its eighty feet high. Wo was away yonder above the pine trees, an’ looked down on tops of the houses. Tho city is built right down in in the valley betwixt the Hot Springs mountain and tho West mountain anil is three miles, or better, long. We was so high up in tho ulr the wind was cold the hottest sorter day. Hit was a pretty sight to see the sun a settin’ away ovos yonder on them high mountains—rows and rows of green and blue mountains, miles and miles ou tother side of tlie city. Btrsx Hamilton.