The CaptaiiTs Money.
A Tale o! Buried Treasure, Cuban Revolt
and Adventure Upon the Sea.
XK FOUR -P-AJSTUJ-
BY JAMES FRANKLIN NTH.
The artlul fulauhnoi prevailed, ami
Mm. Willi voluntarily told Hunter
Uiat he could remain a few day if he
chose.
"Thank you, ma'am; 1 (eel uru thai
your husband will be pleased that you
have invited me here."
"The Captain's chamber Is immedi
ately over this room." aald Mm. Willi.
"You may occupy it When he is
way, I always sleep with Helen, down
telrs."
"The Captain aaid something to uie
about the old part of the house being
Jiuuiited. I should Judge that lo- rUa
1 believed it. Do you, may I ask?"
"It's an unpleasant suhjeet, sir.
The dUo has so bad a name in this re
spect, that the neighbors will not set
foot in It after dark. I lived here (or
years before I was married and used
to laugh at these stories. Since then,
J must say, 1 have heard some strange
nd disturbing noisea nights, off some
where in the old part. I'm a religious
woman, and don't believe In ghosts.
Captain Willis does, but they don't
aeem to give him any great annoyance.
The most unpleasant thing to me is
the talk that it makes through the
town; but my husband Is attac hed to
the place, ami he won't leave It."
"1 don't think the spirits will dis
turb mi'," said Hunter.
He went up to the room dc.ign.iteil,
immediately, and remained there till
he was summoned down to tea. The
windows overlooked tin- bay; he drew
a chair to one of them and sat down.
As he looked over the wide sweep ol
water with all Its craft, an incident oc
curred that for a moment struck terror
to the KMll of thin man, and gave him a
rude foieta.te of tin' pangs of punish
ment. A bark had passed tin I ape
coming In, whose appearance re
minded Hm instantly of tl Nellie
Willis." There were the foreiMti Md
mainmast square-rigged, the mi-
I COM) SWK.AT STOOD OUT ON till
rOKKIIKAIi.
aeu-mast sloop-rigged, the same rut
of Ikiw and stern, and she sat as low
In the water M did the "Nellie'' when
full-frc Ightisl. This vessel was in fact
the twin of "Nellie" built and launched
at the samo time. In the same yanl;
but Lotth Hunter knew nothing of this.
A cold sweat stood out on his forehead.
rVuld this, lie asked of hihi.rlf, be the i
peeler of the bark he had stranded
and burned in the lialiannts, mine up
here to betray In in:' A marine glass
lay on the table; he snatched It up and
looked iiiimiiii-.Iv mid with trembling
bund, holding it, till the progress of
the khowt'd ber .stern. To hi
j unbounded relief be read the words-
I. ally Jane drey,"
Smiling at his nbsurd fears, lie sat
iowi ami 1. Heeled. All was iroinit
prsMMrOttsly with him: he was domi
ciled In the house where (lie treasure
was concealed; no living person knew
of Its existence but he. It was perfect
ly safe in its place of concealnienl.
;Tb xt thing was to get Mrs. Willis
Mj! Helen out of the house; then to
idevlso a secure plan to remove the
mousy,
! He thought of Helen; and his brow
dai ki lled. Success would crow 11 hit
efforts; yet without her, it would in. I
be c plete.
; "Hut she'll never see aim attain." hi
thought. "I must tie patient. Time
Work wonders; time will soften hei !
(stubborn heart when she tinds be duel
ot return. By til the gods, I'll havt
her yet! She will have one more
rhanee. The next time she'll not re
fuse me uid fifty thousand dollars!"
I Mrs. Willis sat alone tt the tea
table, mid ber manner was anything
but cordial. He inquired for Helen,
and was told that she refn-.id to meet
Mr. Hunter. The mother added, with
Some acerbity, that Helen Would go W
,jviioii in Hi,, niornin
to slay a week
WIIU her aunt. The perfect coolucs
slid nonchalance of Hunter's manner
under the delicate circumstances j
whic h he appeared in her hosjM
had somewhat UUUllsd and an
noyed the good had; hut hi.
demeanor upon hearing this an-
nouiieeincni, which he had cvpecte,
would disconcert lum. uot only vexed
0111 aunoesl ner. lie merely aaid
"Ah!" and el. aled hi. black eyebrow
Then he fell to and nle a hearty sup
per. H.- complimented Mrs. Willis on
her biscuits, and ate a round doen ol ;
them. He aluio-i exhausted her 1,,.
tic m e with hi calls for more tea, talk
ing garrulously all the time ,.
different vsrieties of the herb, and
what be had read U,iu th
modes of preparing it. When
the tea-things were cleared away ami
Mrs. Willis had returned I. .the iuing
room, Hunter lingered, hoping thai
Helen would appear; but she did
not. The candles were lighted tud
.he was told which one he might t..k
when be wa ready to rciin.
the hint was thrown away uMn him.
(lira. Willis wished u ask many
.'questions al-eit ber husband, but
the was so itioniughly provoked at
ber strange snd unwelcome guest thai
the kept silence. Finally he bade her
good night, and want up to bit room.
Between her annoyance and her tuvtti
gestiou spun Hunter's nuiUu. i. Ma.
Willis was in a very unsettled state of
mind. and Welti in to talk the matter over
with Helen. Kut the latter, usually so
mild and gentle in her ways, was thor
oughly erotism! at the man's rude
persistency, and she refused even to
talk of him. She had already packed her
trunk, to be ready for )icr departure, and
made no scruple of Informing hei
mother that she should not return un
til Mr. Hunter hail left the house. Mrs.
Willis remained awake half an hour
sftcr Helen had liec'im to dream ol
Henry Crawford escaping from a Span
Ith dungeon, and coming bnck to h
Willi a ball and chain on each leg, lill
hands manacled, and his mciiistuchi
shaved off. The mother iierplcxed her
elf with Ilium as to how -he .1 hi
contrive to inform their guest in tin
morning that she was not at liberty
offer him her hospitalities any long
and she fell asleep over the problem
Between ten and eleven o clock ther
were no lights visible in the hoiist
The night was wild and misty. 'I'll
frir-awav bark of a dog and the faint
sound of bells striking mi the vessels
In the harbor were the only noisea
I PART III -CHAITKU IIL
OHOSTI.V VISITANTS.
I Mrs Willis was drowsily conscious
that the clock was striking twelve
Her sleep was not sound for the next
hour; the intelligence of her husband
safely and the (icrplcxiiig events of th
afternoon and evening would not per
It the unbroken slumber that sir
craved ami needed.
Kill the soundest sleeper Would havi
been a routed in ihe frightful disturb-
.nice that rung through the house In1
fore the clock struck again, hven hei
daughter, sunk in the profound real "f
youth, health, and innocence, by he;
side, was instantly start led to wakeful
MM by it.
A long-drawn cry, pealing out as
though voicing tic lowetl depths of
agony and remorse! It rose and fi ll
and died nwiiv, leaving the very
silence that succeeded horrible.
It was surely from somewhere In tin
house, and surely not near by. Loud
as it was, instinct as u was, tliere was
.something about it that suggested that
walls and shut doors were between.
The two women sat up, but salt
nothing. Their alTOl were txU cad
other; terror kept them silent. Thev
listened In almost breathless suspense
The door between their chamber and
the llttlnf-room was wide open; that
leading into the hall was ajar. From
tills hall a well us (nun that above, all
doors of communication with the old
part of tin1 bottte had been closed ami
barred. 'I bis Mrs. Willis reincinberei
ill the hours of terror thai followed
ami she uerlwil some little courage
from the thought.
Again that cry or rather, this time,
a mocking yell) ending w ith a loud and
discordant "ha! ha!"
It HTM BUqueatlonaU) nearer than
the other; it sounded as though il
might bate come from one of the near
est rooms of the old part on the sec
oud Boor,
These I wo women were as brave n-
thelrtex is ever expected to be; but
these demoniac noises coining in the
dead silence of the night, tilled their
very souls with terror. The man who
at the place and time could have heard
Ihem without fear and trembling is
stronger this, the most of am sex.
"Let us get up, mother," Helen
whispered. "We can t stay hero, t)
hear that
hear it!"
It was a great clanking of chains. In
termingled with yells and oaths, wind
ing up with two pistol-shots in rapid
succession.
Mrs. Willis sprang up and bolted the
door leading into the hall. Helen lit a
candle with trembling lingers: and
hoik, hastily treated, sat holding
hands, and shivering in silence.
Until tardy daylight came they sal
thus: except that once, when the weird
noises swelled and Waved in a deeper
VOltUM Of imprecations ami blasphem
ies, Mrs. Willis opened the great Bible
on the stand, the precious family heir
loom thai was on the Mayllower whcti
-he anchored off the coast where
I'rovincetown stands and placed he
her hands upon it pages, as if Invok
Ing its protection against the ticiuU
that wen- raging through the house,
(luce Helen raised the curtain and
looked out of the w indow . The night
hud grown Iflggi and dark.
"Let us slip out at the bnck door,
mother," she whispered, "We can
inn over lo Mr Tw,.h'i .... i
:,...v fmlll .1.1, ',. ',
Mrs. Willis half rose from her chair
... .. ..... , ,.
heavy step sounded on the stair.
Tramp, tramp, tramp, came the foot
I ills down to the hall tramp, tramp.
,r,nP- UM9 ascended in regular steps,
deep groan burst forth from the hall
sbove then, receding gradually into
the old part of the bouse, the terrified
listeners heard Jells, shrieks, cries and
prayers f,.r mercy, laughter and pistol
shots. (iod he merciful to us!" gasped
the mother. I dare not h ave this
loom. O Helen, what dreadful news
for you nnd mcdov- thi. night biingf '"
The hours drsgged 011 till the dawn.
wane mre poor dlstreist one sat
there together. Before the Welcome
light of the new day came, the candle
burnesl out and left them for half an
hour in the darkness. So helplew
were they now from fear thai neither
direst to look for another and light it.
At last Helen summoned resolution
enough in go again to a window, raise
the curtain, open .he sash and throw
able the blinds. The blessed light of
W I 1 V-i V-ssUI fi 1 A r
-Wutssw
I " Sr AUK US!" CUIUD TRK MOTIIUU.
any poured into tne room; in the joy
of their relief, both fell upon their
knees and offered a silent prayer.
A rap at the door distort! them.
"Are you awake Mrs. WililsP-are
you and your daughter alive?"
It was the voice of Imis Hunter,
shaking with excitement tnd agita
tion. The door was unfastened to him. he
came in, looking haggard, exhausted,
sleepless. He stared wildly at the
women.
"Kxcuse me I've come to bid you
an abrupt farewell," hesald. "Nothing
could tempt me to remaiu an hour
longer in this cursed house. I should
h u e fled in the night had I dared."
He turned to go. In the hall he
stopped and looked back.
"Did you aee them?" he whispered,
glancing fearfully up the stairs.
"We Heard the horrible noises; that
was enough," Mrs. Willi said. "Pray
don't talk of it! Good-bye, sir; Helen
and I will leave here at once."
"Not talk of It!" he cried. "No, I
would not to any one but yon. I've
seen that in the night which has turned
men's hair white, and nude the strong
man a chattering idiot 0, Heaven! -0,
God, blot it out from my memory!"
He put his hands over hia face, and
shuddered.
"Spare us!" cried the mother. "Go
in peace."
"1 can not go till I have told you; it
would be cruel to keep you in ignorance
of what these horrible thing mean.
You must know; you must be prepared
fur the news that is on its way to you."
The poor woman stood rigid as 11
statue, staring at him, bold up from
falling only by the arms of Helen.
"I heard the awful noise nil through
the night," be went on. They chilled
my blood with terror. I fear not man,
but I lay cowering with affright at the
demons from another world. At last,
when for an hour there had been a lull
in the hellish revels, I became bold
enough to open my door and look out
into the ball. Horror of horrors! 1
saw a light coming up the stair. I
heard the footfalls of the man who car
ried il; it was a ship's lantern, held
high up at arm's length, aa if tho bear
er wished to make sure of the way. 1
fell back into the chamber; the hideous
thing followed me. He stopped at the
stand, and laid something upon it.
Then be looked at me with the ghuslh
face and dull eyes of tho dead. He
looked at me, and pointed at the ob
ject which lie had placed upon the
stand. I looked that way, and I saw
that it wits 11 great seal-ring. He
made tin circuit of the room slowly,
examining everythiog In it; then be
vanished through the doorway, and I
lost sight of him."
'lull saw bis face, Mrs Willis
screamed. "Who was it?"
You know don't ask mo! Here is
what ho left with me."
It was a massive ring with an onyx
stone, engraved with a Uoman W
Mrs. Willis' uwn gift to her husband,
which bo bad worn for leu years ou his
little linger.
Helen was holding a senseless form
In her an il.
Louis Hunter hastened away by the
back door.
PART HI. CHAPTER IV.
mi. IMUOa is run 01 11 inn SB,
Rumor of the mysterious and
frightful occurrences of the night in
the l.obdell House flew fust and thick
through the town all the day. Tho
fame of the ui spread abroad over the
sandy peninsula, and for the time
there w as hardly any other topic in tho
lUta or upon the tongues of men mid
Women, Groups of people, old, iiinl
die-aged, -youth, boys and girls gath
ered ui.. .11 the streets at a resueclful
distance from the oicl house, and gaz
ing in awe at it, spoko in low tones
and with bated breath of tho last
DUton about it. In the terror and dis
tress m winch Mrs. Willis and Helen
had that morning abandoned their
part of it, they bad left the ball-door
open. No man ventured to go up and
clench. Helen sadly needed the arti
cles ol di 1 ss and toilet which she had
packed in her trunk the night before,
and Mrs. Willis wanted hor own ward
robe; but the man who was bold
enough to enter those rooms was not
to be found in I'rovincetown. Tho
more pressing needs of the ladies were
supplied by their sympathising friends
and neighbors; but neither friendship
unr UK) Uay could have induced any
one to go to the now untenanted bouse
for their cH'i'i Is.
Our tale is so largely based upon
facts, and the thread of riot ion that
runs through it so thin, that the writer
feels like stopping at this point and
answering the objection that may Is'
made in some cptartcra, that no such
effect as we have described would be
produced upon people by tales of super
natural event, occurring in an old
bouse.
To those who think thus, we would
say tb.it they fail to take into account
the time, and especially the locality ot
these last scenes of the story.
Should such things occur to-day.
particularly at the West, a committee
of uuterrilied men would probably visit
the infested house, thoroughly armed,
and discover any traces that might re
main of human agencies.
But we .ue not writing of the West,
not of the p:vsont day. It is of New
Kngland that we are telling, where.,
even among intelligent and educated
people, a lurking if unexpressed belief
111 the suieriiatural has descended from
the over-religious and darkly super-
Milieu. Puritan, who burnesl witches
at the slake less than two hundred j
1 ears ago. Aim we are telling 01 a
time removed thirty-live years from us,
and of a New Kngland sea-faring com
munity the most likely people under
'he sun to yield to an Implicit belief in
things apparently tupernalural In their
trigiu. .c we aie simply portraying
life at it waa, at tba time and plan
HuV
All day hat) the psopla come and
gone, gathering iu groups iu the vicin
ity of the old house, and passing from
group to group to leant every report
that had been set afloat.
At night cams on, all thee gather
Inga slowly dispersed. Curioaity waa
by no meant atUaued; but nobody
wanud.to remain la the w.uny ol the
huifter TnJ,f.c after dark.
This night was dsrk from twilight.
Ten rod off the house could uot be
seen st all.
It was at this prudent limit that the
loafing company of old sailors were
assembled near eleven o'clock ol that
night. The fascination nf the siier
natural, too powerful to be resisted by
men of their peculiar education and
experience, had drawn tl 1 away
from their customary haunts. The
stories and the excitements of the day
would not permit them to rest iteace
fully In their beds, and tin y bad come
up here to breathe the atmosphere of
mystery and terror, it will lie useful
to the reader to overhear their talk.
"Both gone, d'ye say?"
"Yes; they went to Bot'l this artcr
noon." "Poorwiminin! how did they stand
itr
"Better'n JTOU could expect. Mis'
Willis was weak as a cat, with all the
high-Klrikt (It is presumed that this
worthy sou ol Neptune referred to hys
teric.. ) -he's had, and t lie pre! I v oitng
VmMMM bears up bravely while it's
plain to be -eeii th'.t she's s'lnosl down
sick with her fright."
"As any one would be, alter the
things that happened in that old dev
il's den last night! I say. Uncle Peter
, do you re'ly think Mis' Willis
saw the Cap'n's ghost last night?"
" I haven't a doubt of it! Didn't 1
tell ye yesterday that he'd never
come buekf That meant that he'd
not coine hack in Ihe flesh, and I told
ye why; but if you'd axed me, would
his spirit ciiuie back, I'd said yes, of
course. We can't know much about
these things; but I fancy that old
pirate 1,oIhIcH's got a hold on the Ca
tain's ghost, and is goin' to train him
round with his had spirits."
After a silence of some minutes, one
of Ihe old men remarked:
" I'd like mighty well to know
what's genu' on in the old shell to
night." " May be you'd like to go and find
out," was tho crushing sneer of old
Peter.
"I didn't say so," the other replied.
With some spirit "I can't light tho
devil, no more' tl you can; and, of
Bourse, I wouldn't dare go inside. But
I'll go up close to the outside with
any man here, and listen."
No one volunteered to accompany
him.
" Don't know but I'd go alone,"
said the seaman, rather doubtfully.
" You don't dare to!" Peter Mullins
taunted.
These two venerable seamen had n
long-standing grudge, arising out of ,
their differences about people and
lands they had visited in their voy
ages; which differences were being con
tinually stimulated by their compan
ions, for the sake of mischief. No
sooner was this incipient quarrel com
menced between Mullins and the other
than the bystanders began to express
their opinions as to whether Tom Burt
dared or did not dare to go up close to
the outside of the bibdell house at that
hour.
"There's one way to settlo that 11111.-
tion," said Burt, who was aggravated 1
to exhibit a bravery that he was far
from feeling. "I'll go now. If any of
you want to come, uow's your lime."
He walked slowly forward and dis
appeared in the darkness.
Nobody followed him. Some wanted
to cry out to him to stop, nnd not
tempt the powers of darkness; but tho
bantering that had occurred restrained
them.
They waited in suspense for Ilia re
turn, He was absent not more than
ten minutes; but iu the painful silence
that prevailed no man spoke a word.
He came buck hat less, his usually
ruddy face pale as ashes, his eyes wild
and staring.
Eagerly they gathered about him and
plied him with questions.
"Not here," he said, faintly, look-
ing over Ills shoulder as if fearful that
,
...ine irho.tli' ot-.w,.,,,.., u-iu ..... .il.....
- - f ......
him. "Let s get awav from this ac
united place. Come down lo the tav
ern, and I'll tell Mm."
They all eagerly complied.
Sealed in the ale-bouse, with his
drooping courage braced by a stimu
lant, Tom Burt gave his plaiu and
strange narrative.
By daylight it was lieing r. i- ite.l in
every house iu the town; aud there
after the vicinity of the old Iobdell
house was shunned as though the
plague had nvssessHl it.
PART III. CHAPTER V.
A HOl'SK Or MYtTIHT
The narrative of what Tom Burt had
seen and heard in that brief ten mill-1
utea was delivered to his gaping com-
nauions in the tavern with all the old
loquacity. It is given here in the third
person, as we wisn to strip it of all un-
necessary verbiage ami details, and
free it fi-om alt the mannerisms of
speevh and cvuliarilie of tailor dia-
"I DtDJl'l SAT SO."
leet with which the hero of it managed certainty that the ' Nellie'' had left Ha
to spin it out for a w hole honr. vana on the set-ond day of Septem-
He said, that as he tlowly came np 1 Der Afterward the report of the char
to the old house, there was not a ray acter of the crew readied her. and the
of light proceeding from it, tnspicioiis entertained on the wharf at
Iu long front new before him like a B"""U. rising almost to a painful ccr
great black walk All waa tileuce aud -iuty at time went on. that mutiny
quiet about iu ) had ended the long and honorable ca-
He had heard tome talk during the nm Csjuain Willis perhaps that of
day about Mrs. Willis aud Helen leav- vessel The dreadful truth came
ing the front door of their part nf it out at last. The charred and blackened
open on their hastj flight He thought fcnlk of a vesl, just the site and di
he would get near enough to sea Mentions on ihe water of tha bark,
whetker It waatSti.ll open. waa discovered grounded on the low
ahorse of New rWidsaoe, raiuote
He KM So.' Ha plainly saw that it
wa Mien. He heard the sound of the
clock striking eleven.
He thought that his feelings were
highly wrought up, considering where
be wa., and that lie was alone; yet ho
knew that his senses were all alert and
acute.
He waited for a moment after the
clock had ceased to strike. For a mo
ment be heard nothing.
Then, seeming to proceed from some
where along the abandoned part of the
house, be heard a moan. A moan by
a person in mortal agony might have
sounded so. It was not loud, but dis
tlncL He wa- terrified. He was reluctant
to approach nearer to the place from
which t lie sound seemed lo proceed.
Again tho moan repeated, again
and again. It was muftleil, breathless
- but sounded strangely like a human
cry for help.
Against Ml will, by the fascinating
terror of the time and place, bis re
luctant feet were drawu toward the
place. He came us though drawn by
magnetism.
Window-places, half-raised from the
cellar, were a feature of the bouse. At
one of these, midway of the unused
part, the sailor's feet were arrested.
The sunken part hud been nearly
tilled up by dirt and rubbish. The
window -panes had lioen broken out;
only at cine place was il possible for
light or air to enter the old cellar
through this window; and at this place
only through a narrow chink.
But now a .ingle ray of light shut
through this crack in the darkness out
side. An eager desire to sen what was oc
curring within overcame tho fears of
the sailor. He knelt down by tho window-place
and tried to peer inside. I
His hat fell off as he leaned forward,
but he took no heed of it.
Hi- eye followed the ray of light, or
tried to follow il; buthe could make
nothing of It, It was like a ray of sun-1
light shining into a cavern choked
with dan pa and poisonous exhalations !
Wi -s
1 IM nr. '
E&d&fcT
HE KNEI.T
The darkness of the place threatened
to extinguish the light; the light did
not illuminate the darkness.
The moans burst forth again; audi
ble words were pronounced; the car of
the hOrrified listener plainly heard
them. He shook with fright, but be
Stayed.
"O, God! have mercy! 0, save me
from a miserable death! Help! help!
O, Christ! have mercy!"
The stifled cry could only be heard
j by one near to the house; the words
I could only have been audible to one
crouching close to the window-place,
as Burt was, to hear then, Tlie words
ended in a strangely muffled and sub
dued shriek, full of agony and terror,
but still faint and low.
Moans, stilled breathings, dreadful
utterances of pain and rage, came
faintly up from the dismal recesses of
the old cellar.
Tho sailor staggered to his feet and
rushed from the spot, holding bis bauds
to his ears.
The story when told to bis comrades
In the tavern w as at first received with
appalled silence. Then old Mullins
uttered an opinion from which none
dissented.
"It's Captain Lobdell and bis crew
murdering their victims over and over
again. But il beats me to know why
the Innocent should keep on sufferin'
in this way! Mu.t a poor fellow, killed
by pirates a hundred years ago, keep
on bottt' killed every night? I hope
I'm n Christian, but I'll be hanged if I
see the justice of it. Who does?"
None of them seemed to. And for
two months more the old house was
shunned, talked about, and by unani
mous consent given over to ghosts aud
mystery.
PART IV -CHAPTER I.
THHOI'IIH lKM"S TO HKIIiUTR.
Hearts bowed with grief, heavy with
terror and distress. a.s were those of
j Mrs. W illis and Hale
..... .., iiai, UIIICI
. . 1
t,n 1 ... I 1'. . .... .
ami comfort, a i n.
kindly se
cured to them in the home of Mrs.
Willis' sister, in Beaton. The latter
was now a Widow of ample means, and
greatly attached to these, ber only
relatives. Welcoming them to ber
house at this time, she was at once in
formed of late occurrences at Province
town. The engagement of Helen to
Henry Crawford had Ix-en made under
her own eyes, as it were. She now
learned from her niece that he hail
gone to Cuba w ith LntJOB The news
papers bad informed her of the dis
astrous fate of the expedition. In the
whole outlook she saw nothinir but
sorrow and misfortune to come for
these two; and she resolved that, so far
as she could control events, their sad
patn in lite should be brightened by
whatever wealth, aided by warm affec
tion, could bring to them.
Il was in this comfortable home that,
little by little. Mrs. Willis learned the
fate of her husband. First came the
DOWN BY THE WINDOW-I'l.ACE.
from airy of tne inhabited parts. Not!
Ing but a burned rim remained above
the water; a bnet searcn discovered
tome iindistlngulshable human remains
nesr wkftl had been the cabin. Those
who were familiar with marine regis
ters, and the comings and goings of
merchunt-vesels, bad no doubt that
this was all that remained of Captain
Willis' vessel, nor that be, and perhaps
his crew, had perished by some un
known calamity of the ocean. That
the destruction had been by lire was all
that was certain.
For this intelligence Mrs. Willis and
ber daughter were of course prepared.
They mourned for the lost husband and
father; but they had for weeks been
mourning in silence, anticipatiug such
a somber certainty as this.
In the presence of this grief, neither
of them had bestowed any further
thought upon I.ouN Hunter, his recent
mission from Cuptain Willis, or his
startling announcement of what be
bad seen 011 that dreadful night iu the
old bouse at Frovincetowu. They had
not seen him since the morning that
followed that night; they hoped never
again to see him or hear of him.
Poor Helen Willis lived and still
hoped under the cloud of her own over
shadowing grief. Not a word had
reached her directly from Henry Craw
ford since the letter that told her he
hail joined Lopez. The dreary list of
Crittenden's men, slaughtered hy
Spanish volleys after their surrender,
was published iu the papers; her
lover's name was not in it. Other
lists followed, of captive filibusters de
ported to Spain in irons, for whom the
American Government was making in
tercession, but be was not named
among them. She was heavy-hearted,
and yet hopeful. His cruel silence
seemed like the silence of the grave,
yet she had no positive intelligence of
either his death or his captivity, and
hope with her was a Deacon that nover
expired.
The days went on till October waa
well-nigh spent. On one of those gold
en afternoons, Helen sat in her room
alone. She had been reading for tho
thousandth time that last letter of her
beloved; she had kissed it again, and
cried over it. The strong, passionate
yearning of her heart went out to him
over seas and lands; she could not,
would not, think him dead.
Her aunt rapped st her door, and
entered.
"Helen," she said, "there's a poor
vagabond-looking fellow down below
in the parlor who insists on seeing
you. He looks as if he wanted charity;
but I couldn't get rid of him by offer
ing him half a dollar. He was so ear
nest about it that 1 finally let him in."
"I suppose it's one of my Province
town sailor-friends," Helen replied.
"I'll go down."
The stranger attempted to rise as
she entered the parlor. He walked
with two canes, but seemed so feeblo
that they could not support him in his
attempt
"Pray, don't rise," Helen said.
"What do you wish?"
"I have walked too far," the man
said. His voice was weak, his face
was wan and hollow; but there was a
fire in his eye that spoke of the inva
lid's ambition to be away from the
sick-room. "I am not long out of the
hospital; the doctor says I should not
be out yet."
"What do you wish?" she asked
again, touched by his appearance and
manner.
"I was directed to Miss Helen
Willis," he said. "You are the lady, I
suppose? Well, miss, I've been in
Cuba: I've seen rough times there with
the fillbustera; there were not many of
us got away. Not knowing from one
day to another if we should ever see
home again, we used to give each
other messages to carry for us. There
was one fellow gave me some word for
you; and now it is curious I can't think
which one it was."
"Crawford?" was her breathless
question.
"0, yes; Henry Crawford; I remem
ber now. An ordinary kind of fel
low" .
"Sir, you must speak respectfully of
him, if you talk to me! Where is he?"
"Crawford Crawford let me see,"
the man mused. "The fact is, miss, it
is not easy to remember names among
several hundreds. 1 hope he escaped,
as I did. Haven't you heard from him
lately?"
"No -not a word. You have some
thing to tell me of him; why don't vou
tell it? If he is dead, say so, and end
my misery.''
"No, miss; he's not dead."
"Where is he?"
"The last I saw of him be was walk
ing along the streets of Boston inquir
ing for an address that he got at
Provincetown, so he could find Helen
Willis."
She came up close to him and looked
Into his face. How could she know
him? how tell that the poor, wasted
creature Mure her was the strong,
handsome lover who had bidden her
farewell here less thau three months
before?
"Is it you, Henry?" the asked, amid
her tears.
"I must be sadly changed, Helen,
when your eyes don't recognize me.
But every thing teems changed to me
of late; I hardly knew the bouse whera
we parted."
She t.,k him in her arms; she wept
over him tears of mingled sorrow and
Joy. Sorrow for his sufferings, joy that
he had returned to her.
An hour later they were sitting there
together. Her mother and aunt had
been with them; they had brought him
refreshment ami cheered bim with
their sympathy and kindness. He had
briefly told them of the fate of the bark
and its Captain, and hi. ,. ,
from the burning deck by the boat of
r.nglish shin: of hi, twi,,,, ii
into Nassau and being -placed in the
h.wpital. from whence, barely conva
lMM, he had coma to New York,
against the advi.-, of the doctors. At
Provmcetowu he had learned ol the
venu thai had cat Mrs. Willi, and
ir daughter to leave it; and imp4aU,t
ruvtHTY fs ,NDA
A Countrr When AMct-NwlMMni
for Hli Csat, a n,,.
I bad always looked unon'i.j..
rloe-eatlng country. 1 find that,
number 'of the people he
-mi
M l' I-B t L
ana grain. In Nort
nod grain. In NoHh .Qi
onij aooui ten percent, of ine,
-"I
w. 1
eai rice, ami in
found that the
the 1, , . w
. ngr.
prison.-.,, :
upon grain. Everywhere tl,en
the people seem to be unde.u!
the leanest, scraggiest s
humanity I have ever sen j,""0'
this rich valley of tho (iangea
nature bus done every thing ,he JJ
pie are starving. und you cat h,v.
idea of the skin and bo "
boys whom I see dully by th th
sands. The costume of the toOD0U"
such that the arms und legs SShl
the breasts and waists are bsre Th
teems to be nothing but skin
and sinew, und the averae ,hl h,
not bigger thnn u muscular Amarb-a
biceps. There are no calves J"
ever, und the joints at the knew
ankles are extraordinarily ,
Nearly every man you meet. If beu
poor, has wrinkles in his belly. an(1
avapv euilrmiH atutin ...... . ,
-v.,,., juu una gaunt
dark-faced, piteous, lean men, h0
slap their bare stomachs to show t'
they are hollow and ask tor bjvcltsbi.h.
Wages are miserably low. ym
laborers get from six to eight etnUx
day and masons get about ten csnu
a day. Kven travelers who have to
pay the highest wages, can get good
English-speaking servants who will
travel with them und feed thetnselva
for thlrty-threo cents a day, and law
than that if taken by the month.
This valley of the Ganges has nor,
people than it cun support, Hiid it a
probably tho most densely populated
part of the world. The ieople live j
villages and tho average country tonj
consists of ono-story mud hult, too
poor and Illy-ventilated for Anieriot-pig-pens.
You would not think o
having such outhouses us the real,
dences of the majority of this ait
population would make, and in alargt
part of India, and especially In tha
best part of this Ganges country, th
holdings average from two to three
acres apiece. At four to the family
this represents a ha'tf acre per person,
or over 1,200 persons per square mile
When it is remembered that these peo
ple live by agriculture it will be seta
that this condition is far worse than
that of China or any part of Europe.
And still the people are bright They
are brainy, too, and you will rind lev
sharper business men, belter cut
faces und more polite people that
these people of India Their facet ii
this part of India have much tha
Bame characteristics as those of the
Anglo-Saxon. Those of the higher
castes are more like those o( the
Greeks, and I see faces every day
which, If the skin Were white, toy
American might be proud to ova.
They belong to the same race germ
that we do, and under the sumo train
ing and Christian influences they
would be strong competitors with
But what can a man do on six rents a
day, or how can a man learn when he
has to struggle to exist The popula
tion of India is continually increasing.
Kngland eats the lion's shure ol the
products of the country, und though
the people are perhaps better off under
her government than they have been
in the past, it is the same old story ol
her weulth going to the rulers and
the people working their flesh off their
bonos to support them. The Gor
ernor-General of India, who, by tha
way, Is the rich Marquis of ban.
downe, gets $100,000 a year. Quito t
contrast with the wages of the mas!
at six centa a day, isn't it? Frank (J.
Carpenter, in Boston Globe.
WORK DELIBERATELY.
Th
Man Who Can Do It In lh 0"
That Will Ho s.i,-, ...int.
There are some things which must
be done In a hur y, or not at slL
Catching a flea is one of the best ex
amples apropos to this. But m
rule, it is sufe to say, the man or
woman who works deliberately to
compliehes the most The deliberate
worker is the thoughtful worker,
with whom the habit ol system be
come second nature. Any one miy
cultivate it who will take the trouble
to try; and the most unsystematic
spasmodic worker will realize wit
amazement how easy it is to t"
through an allotted task In half the
time it formerly required by planning
it all out before entering the offi
workshop or kitchen.
The hurried worker is the one who
fancies he la an uncommonly busy
man. True, he is; so is the man who
tries to bale out a leaky boat with
crownlass hat; and in proportion to
the energy expended, very often, tbe
one accomplishes about as rau-b
the other. The busiest men we b
known were those who never secn
to be in a hurry, and they arco-3'
plished more in a given time, and were
less worn out when their worn
done, than many who accompll'W
half as much and almost rupturd
themselves in doln? it.
rtlr rtf v.nir is-ni-Lr before MRU
nlng it, then go at it deliberately.
111 1 .... ,,f nrve rJ
1 1 Daic -real aim voi 1
muscle, you will accompli-h more.
and what you do will be better uor
Manufacturer and Builder.
tv. c. 1 o...i. lately ue"
1 UC OUIUI UUy IBIC"
derlnik In n.-nu. .hut nnlv llestittit'1
r.v.v ..... j
waits upon tbe men who go 10
bar in Kngland. It has gone ot w
contend that those who tors
medicine have even a smaller cbsm
of earning a livelihood than e-
bun-Uters. Those who take W u"
tura arc, it says, iu a still mors kst
teas plight
The Causa or rweddv'S Solicit"
CholSy. I'm in a doosid bad pW
bah Jovo!
"What's the matiah. Fwddy
"I lost my valise on the wall'
twain yestahdhy, Cholly. " . r
That wasn t much of a loss, was'--Gwaclous!
It wasn't the
It, Cholly. But it had my luat "
a bottle of beeah and some ee
wed hew wings. And the xtiim !Z
my name on It. If any body
find it and adve'tlee the cot,
'Cholly. bah Jove, I think I
sUal" -Chicago Tribunal.