Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, February 3, 1915, Page 2

The Trey O’ Hearts Albnl‘_dv-dgnd&-m-fld-l’n--lfio&mfln- By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE of “The Fortune Hanier,” ™ The Brass Bowl,""** The Black Bag,” ele. , 1914, by Oopyrigh! (Continued from Last Wednesday.) They were granted time to exchange no more than one despairing glance when a curt laugh fairly chilled the blood in Mr. Barcus, and he swung sharply between his two guards to confront Judith Trine. The woman he saw at first glance, was in one of her most dangerous moods—if, Barcus mentally qualified, there was a pin to choose between her moods. But now, beyond dispute, she exhibited a countenance new in his experience with her, and one well cal- culated to appall. Her face was bloodless, even ae her lips were white with the curb she put upon her passion, Her eyes were lurid with the glare of rage approaching mania. Her hands trembled, her lips quivered, all her actions were abrupt with nervousness. He was by no means poor-spirited, but he shrank openly from the look she gave him, and was relieved when ehe, with a sneer, passed him by and planted herself squarely before her sister. “Well?” she demanded brusquely. “How much longer do you think I'm going to tolerate your interference— Louis Joseph Vance had risen ioré than" aii inch. ( Humbled even in his terror by that | | radiant calm that dwelt upon her, he ventured diffidently: “Rose — Miss | Trine—" She turned her head and found the heart to smile. “Rose,” she corrected | gently, at all what he had meant to say, “I've done my best. I suppose it's wrong 'to give up—but they've made it too much for me, this time.” “I know,” she said gently. “You"—he stammered—"you're not |afraid?” “There is nothing to fear,” she said, “but death. A4 “Then,” he said more bravely, after chin—"good-by—good luck!"” “Not yet, dear friend,” she returned, “not yet.” But the sun was perilously close | upon the rim of the world. But a little time, and it would be night. vision of its slow, implacable descent. with his lips; it seemed strange that you poor little fool! How many more lessons will you require before realiz- ing that I mean to have my way, and that you'll cross me only to euffer for it?” The courage of the other girl won the unstinted admiration of Mr. Bar- cus. Far from cringing, she seemed to find fresh Leart in her sister’s chal- lenge. Her head was high, her glance level with illimitable contempt as she replied: “So you've tried again?” she in- quired obliquely, with a tone of pity. “You've offercd him your love yet an- other time, have you?” “Silence!” Judith cried in fury. “Only to learn once more that he would rather death than you?” Rose persisted, unflinching. “And so you come to take your spite out on me, do you? You pitiful thing! Do you think I mind—knowing 2s I do now that he could never hold you in any- thing but compassion and contempt?” | For an instant there was silence; by the scorn of her sister the heat of Judith’s fury had been transformed futo a cold and malignant rage. She contrclled herself and her voice mar- velously, “You will see,” ehe said in even and frigid accents, And the light of her mania leaped and leaped again in her eyes like a living flame. “I have pre- pared a way to make you understand what opposition to me means ., ., .” She waved a hand toward the nearer voint of rocks. “Take them along,” she commanded, The understanding between her and her men was apparently complete; for | theco last, without hesitation or fur- ther instructions, marched Rose and Parcus down to the end of the epit and on, into the water. It was nenrly knee-deep before Bare cus was hulted with a savage jerk, backed up to a rock, forced despite his frenzied resistance to sit down in the water, and swiftly, with half a dozen They Fought Like Madmen. ‘ “I'm sorry,” he said—which was not : a time—the water now was near his ! and #eemed To derlve little if any com- fort from the discovery that it was not broken, opened his mouth . and remembered the presence of a lady. “Poor Mr. Barcus!” she said gently, “I'm so sorry. Do forget I'm here— and say it out loud!” Mr, Barcus dropped his hands and dropped hie head at the same time, | “It can’t be did,” he complained in ! embittered resignation; “the words have never been invented . . .” Jn the bows Mr. Law (who had barely saved himself a headlong plunge overboard when the shoal took fast hold of the keel) felt tenderly of his excoriated shins, then, rising, com- . passed the sea, sky and shore with an anxious gaze. In the offing there was nothing but the flat, limitless expanse of the night- bound tide, near at hand vaguely sil- vered with the moonlight, in the dis- tances blending into shadows; never a light or shadowy, stealing sail in that quarter to indicate pursuit. “Where are we?" he wondered aloud. “Ask me an easy one,” Barcus re- | plied; “somewhere on the south shore of the cape—unless somebody’s been | tampering with the lay of this land. That's a lighthouse over yonder.” Alan took scundings from the bows. “Barely two feet,” he announced, withdrawing the oar from the water, . “and eel-graes no end.” “Oh!” Barcus ejaculated with the ‘accent of enlightenment; and leaving the motor, turned to the stern, over which he draped himself in highly un- decorative fashion while groping un- der water for the propeller, | “That's the answer,” he repeated; grass wrapped round the wheel. &0 overboard and clear it away.” bit-niow she’s fust asleep—and néeds it, God knows! It would be kinder to let her rest, at least until I see what I sort of a reception that lighthouse is inclined to offer us.” “You'll go, then?” Barcus inquired. “I'd just as lief, myself ol “No; let me,” Alan insisted. “It'e not far—not more than a quarter of a mile. And she’ll be safe enough here, in your care, the little time I'm gone.” Barcus nodded. His face was drawn . | and gray in the moon-glare. “Thank God!” he breathed brokenly, “you're able. I'm not.” He sat down suddenly and rested his head on his knees. “Don’t be longer than you can help,” he muttered thickly. He had come to the headland of the lighthouse itself before the ground began to shelve more gently to the beach; and was on the point of ad- dressing himself to the dark and silent cottage of the lightkeeper when he paused, struck by sight of what till then had been hidden from him, The promontory, he found, forthed the eastern extremity of a wide-armed if shallow harbor where rode at moor- ings a considerable number of small . craft—pleasure vessels assorted about equally with fishing boats. And barely an eighth of a mile on, long-legged wharves stood knee-deep in the water, like tentacles flung out from the sleepy little fishing village that,dotted the rising ground—a community of per- hape two hundred dwellings. Nor was this all—even as Alan hove in view of the village he heard a series | of staccato snorts, the harsh tolling of a brazen bell, the rumble of a train He closed his eyes to shut out the “there's a young bale of the said eel- | pulling out from a station. And then ! he saw its jewel-string of lights flash’ The water was mow almost level Which, I suppose, means I've got to 'athwart the landscape and vanish as its noise died away diminuendo. | Okeechobee Farms i i f , cane, cowpeas, velvet beans, rape, peanuts, kudzu, spineless cactus? Edzdrgigfgcg‘;f:xfd&mflodm, Para, Natal and other grasses for hay and pasture. With all these crops available, cattle, sheep and hogs can have green food the year round. Thousands of Acres of Our Land at the North End. of Lake' Okeechobee Are Now Ready for Cultivation t need draining other than small ditches necessary on any farm. Make a trip gg;e‘:cnhd:b: ::: :he new ;iafion of the Florida East Coast Railway without delay, and see fos just what these lands are. Note that Okeechobee is now only a trifle over twelve hours journey from Jacksonville. Investigate This Wonderful Country While You Can Have a Choice of Locations for Your Farm i it unexcelled for general farming, livestock and poultry raising and for growing all E:‘:]sw;}l \iggtables common tng;‘loridn as well as the finest citrus fruit. This town and count will grow at an amazing rate during the next few years. We a.lso !mve egcellent land md town lots at Chuluota and Kenansville—the former a fine lake section in Seminole County suited to fruit growing, trucking and general farming, and the lnltgr a fertile pine laqd country in Osceola County especially adapted to stock raising, general farming and fruit growing. Write today for full particulars to J. E. INGRAHAM, Vice-President Land and .Industrial Department, Florida East Coast Railway Room 218 City Buikling ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA Like Mr. Law, he wore neither shoes ‘Where one train ran another must. nor other garments that could be more ' He need only now secure something damaged by salt water than they had to revive Rose, help her somehow up been—but only shirt, trowsers and a | the beach, and in another hour or two, belt. | of a certainty, they would be speed- “If you've nothing better to do, my ing northwards, up the cape, toward ' "eritical friend,” he observed as he | Boston and the land of law and order. stooped to hack and tear at the mass | of weed embarrassing the propeller, “you might step out and give us a trial ehove. Don't strain yourself-— just see if you can move her.” The boat budged not an inch—but ! Mr. Law’s feet did, slipping on the treacherous mud bottom with the up- | shot of his downfall; with a mighty splash he disappeared momentarily beneath the curface—and left his tem- per behind him when he emerged. As for Mr. Barcus, he suffered like | loss within five minutes; when, with much pains and patience having freed the wheel, he climbed aboard and‘[ sought to restart the motor. After a few affecting coughs it relapsed into stubborn silence. Studious examination at length brought out the fact that the gasoline | tank was empty. “Not so much as a smell left,” Bar- cue reported, |l "hs throat could be so dry, so parched . . . He opened his eyes, shuddering. “It's good-by now,” he faltered. | “Not yet!” her voice rang beside him, vibrant. “Look—up there—along | the clifr!” { Helifted his gaze . . . Two men were running along the | cliff—and the man in the lead was Alan. But his lead was very scant, | and the man who pursued was one of | Judith’s, and stuck to the trail like a | blood-ound fresh from the leash. And now the water was at his lips; | Barcus could no more speak without _trangling. Of a sudden he groaned in his heart; i though there was no passable way | down the cliff, still the sight of his friend alive and unharmed had brought | with it a thrill of hope; now that hope | dicd as he saw Alan stumble and go { to his knees. Before he could rige the other was upon him, with the fury of a wolf seek- i ing the throat of a stag. For an instant they fought like mad- men; then, in a trice, the eky line of the cliff was empty; one or the other had tripped and fallen over the | brink, and falling had retained hold \ | of his enemy and carried him down as well. By no chance, Barcus told himself, could either escape uninjured. i Yet, to his amazement, he saw one man break from the other's embrace jand rise. And he who lay still, a crumpled, inhuman heap upon the sands, was Judith’'s man. 41 With a violent effort Barcus lifted Already the Waters Had Risen Over an Inch, deft hitches of rope and a stanch knot, made fest in that position—sub- merged to his chest. This accomplished, the men turned ring her in simi- Standing just above the water-line, with every sizn of complete calm and sanity other than that ominous flicker ing in her eycs, Judith superintended the business till its conclusion, then waved the men a ined servants, ed their backs and marched And again, after a brief wait, the woman laughed her short and mirth- less laugh. “The tide will he higt “precisely at sunset. your lives by that. When the sun dips into the sea, then will your lives go down with it.” She turned on her heel and strode |1 Made up my mind your usefulness ' swiftly away, with not so much as { his mouth above water and shrieked: | “Alan! Alan! Help! Here—at the end of the point—in the water—help!” A precious minute was lost before Alan discovered their two heads, so barcly above that swiftly rising flood. Then he ran toward them as he had never run before, and as he came whipped out a jack-knife and freed its blade, Even so—since it was, of course, Rose whom Alan freed the first— Darcus was half-drowned before Alan i d him in turn up to the beach. And as this happened the last blood- red rim of the sun was washed under | by the waves. | Two minutes later the lifeboat was afloat, and Mr. Barcus, already recov- laugh of the most natural effect imag- | | ered, was laboring with the flywheel inable—until it ended in a sigh, and i lay of the motor, stimulated to supreme exertion by the sight of a party, led by Judith, racing madly down the beach. | But it was not until well out from shore and on the way to the safety promieed by the mainland—now read- | ily discernible on the horizon—that any one of them found time for speech, Then Mr. Barcus straightened up from his assiduous attentions to the motor, and observed: “You bear a charmed life, my ad- venturous friend. I want to teil you that when I saw you go over that cliff would be at least permanently im- | e Dug Into His Money Belt. “It's no use,” he conceded at length. !"We're here for keeps.” “Why not wade ashore?” Rose Trine : suggested mildly from the place sha: had taken in the etern in order to ' lighten the bows. “It isn't far—and what's one more wetting?” “That's the only sensible remark ithat's been uttered by any party to this lunatic enterprise since you hove within earshot of me, Mr. Law,” said Mr. Barcus. “Respectfully eubmitted." “The verdict of the stands approved,” Alan gravely. “But there's no sense in Mi wading,” Ba suggested. web-footed as it is, and tired.” “Well, what then?" “We can carry her, can't we?" Trine “We're she’s too { CHAPTER XIX. i : “Gee!” he after a toilsome boat, Re progress from at length slipped from the seat formed by the clasped hands of the two me suggested t The girl responded with a quiet without the least w pled upon her fallen heavi Alan’s quicl S, “Good Lord!™ Barcus exclaimed, ae Alan gently lowered the izert body of the girl to the sands. “And to think 1 didn’t understand she was so nearly all in—chaffing her like that! I'd like , to Kick myself!” | “Don’t be impatient,” | grimly; and would have . In a dead faing, but for Alan advised “I'm busy just at present, but Meantime, you might fetch some water to revive her.” It was an order by no means easy | to fill; Barcus had only his cupped lower court | responded ;| grunted frankly, \whvn‘ the | And it was me who | ning she crum- | Such thoughts as these, at least, made up the texture of his hopes; the outcome proved them somewhat too ! presumptuous. He jogged down a | quiet village street and into the rail- road station just as the agent was clos- ing up for the night. A surly citizen, this agent, ill-pleased to have his plans disordered by chance- flung strangers. He greeted Alan's breathless query with a grunt of in- grained churlishness. “Nah,” he averred, “they ain't mo more trains till mornin’. Can't y' see I'm shuttin’ up?” “But surely there must be a tele- graph station—" “You bet your life they is—right | here in this depot. An’ I'm shuttin’ it up, too.” “Has the operator gone for the night?” “He's going. I'm the op'rator. No business transacted after office hours. Call raound at eight o'clock tomor- row mornin’. Now if you'll jest step i out of that door, I'll say g'd-night to you.” “But T must send a telegram,” Alan | protested. “I tell you, I must. It's a matter of life and death.” “Sure, young feller. after business hours.” “Won’t you open up again—" “I tell you, no!” In desperation Alan rammed a hand into his trousers pocket. “Will a dol- lar influence your better judgment? he suggested shrewdly. “Let’s see your do'lar,” the other re- turned with no less craft—open in- i credulity informing his countenance. And, surely enough, Alan brought ' forth an empty hand. . “Malke a light,” he said sharply. “My money’s in a belt round my waist, { Open your office. You'll get your dol- { lar, all right.” “All right,” he grumbled, reopening making a second light inside. “There’s blanks and a pencil. Write your mes- sage. make an exception for you.” Alan delayed long enough only to not patience to wait the morning across Buzzard's bay to New Bedford. it was implied, were plenti- ly to be chartered. ful advice. | swiftly. Alan wrote his message d to Digby, his man of in New York, it required that n to arrange for a motor-cor | iting on the water- | front of New Bedford from 3:00 a. m. ‘alled for in the names of Mr. | La s well as for a special train at ons, Put now, the ! scious of the fact, he went no more hadow any in the moonlight ke upon the sand the edge of the blu ) noved on sweetheart and his e had left them, with that Mr. Barcus now on his back and snoring | * was wakened quickly enough, | hovcver, by Alan's news. | DBut when it they faltercd. trayed her exha every line of She lay so still, be. on so patently in unconscious posture, as well as in the sharp pallor of her | face upturned to the moon, that it ! seemed scarcely less than downright inhumanity to disturb her. None the less, it had to be done. Alan hardened his heart with the re- | minder of their urgent necessity, and eventually brought her to with the backward glance, overtook her mea, | Paired. As it is, I don’t mind telling | hands for a veesel, and little water ®id Of & few drops of brandy. and passed quickly from sight around |YOU that If ever I get out of this affair | the farther point of rocks. For some time Barcus struggled vainly with his bonds. As for Rose, the wasted no strength in strugsling— perhaps had none to waste. When he looked her way he saw her exquisite profile unmarred by any line of fear or doubt, sharply relieved against the darkness of the rising flood. Her level gaze without a tremor traversed the shining flood to its far horizon. Fe noted that already the waters alive, I'm going to have a try at your life myeelf, just once, for luck!” CHAPTER XVIil, Stranded. Mr. Thomas Barcus picked himsel up from the bottom of the lifeboat, where he had been violently precipi- tated by the impect of grounding, blinked and wiped tears of pain from bis_eyes, eolicitously tested his nose dashed from the shallows back to the spot where Rose lay unconsclous, while the few drops he did manage to sprinkle into her face availed noth- L toward rousing her from tha of cataneiion In o €l livm ker laliung in the end Alan gave up the eXort. She's all right,” he reported, releas- 24 the wriet whose pulse hs had been lng T Nwted it enpuch, remained in them by the time he had' Between them, they helped her up ! the beach, past the point, and at length | to the door of the hotel, where—reani- mated by the mere promise of food— Rose disengaged their arms and en- tered without more assistance; while rem a ily upon his arm, “Wait!” the latter admonished ir a half-whisper. “Look there!™ Barcus followed the direction of his gecturecand _was transfixed by the sight™ of” & rocket spearing info tie night-draped sky from a point invis- ible beyond the headland of the light- house. ‘The two consulted one another with startled and fearful eyes. As with one voice they murmured ¢y PP et The Co g Is Great: It always is— ' the door of the telegraph booth and . It ain’t often I do this—but I'll | make a few inquiries, drawing out | the information that, for one who had | train northbound, the quickest way | to any city of importance was by boat | A time-table supplied all other need- ' h he was all uncon- | the turn of Rose— | one word: “Judith!” To this Alan added gravely: “Or some spy of hers!” Then rousing, Alan released his friend, with a smart shove urging him acrosg the threshold of the hotel. “Go on,” he insisted, “join Rose and get your supper. I'll be with you as soon as I can arrange for a boat. Tc'l her nothing more than thot—that I thought it unwise to wait until every- body was abed before looking round.” He turned to find his landlord ap- proaching from the direction of the hotel barroom. And for the time it seemed that the wind of their luck | must have veered to a favoring quar- ter; for the question was barely ut- tered before the landlord lifted a will- ¥ ing voice and hailed a fellow towns- man idling nearby. ! “Hey, Jake—come here!"” ‘[ Introduced as Mr. Breed, Jake '/ pleaded guilty to ownership of the fastest and stauchest power-cruiser | ¢ in the adjacent waters, which he was | ' | avariciously keen to charter. 1 They observed haste religiously; ! within ten minutes they stood upon a i float at the foot of a flight of wooden steps down the side of the town w while the promised rowboat of Alr. i Breed drew in, at most leisurely pace, to meet them. | Aboard and away from the wharf, | the burden of Alan's olicitude seetncd , to grow lighter with cvery squeal | of the greaseless oarlucks, with ev- ' ery dip and eplash of the blades | which, wielded by a crew of villainous countenance, brought them nearer the handsome motorboat which Mr. Breed | designated as his own. It was mnot |: until Alan looked up suddenly to find ;f { Mr. Preed covering him with a re- | ¢ volver of most vicious character ll;x.ti | he had the least apprehension of any b‘? ! danger nearer than the offing, where’q p Judith's echooner might be lurking, | & waiting for its prey to come out and | < be devoured. b “I'll take that money-belt of yours, | oung feller,” Mr. Breed announced, and be quick about it—not forgetting what's in your trousers pocket!” In the passion of his indignation Alan neglected entirely to play the same by the rules. The indifte e le displayed toward the wenpffmre\?v:s [ $OPPIRECDDIPIIDHIDII 2DDIPTD SOEIIPDDDDILSIBPPBLDDBG positively unprofessional — for he | & knocked it aside as if it had been | | nothing more dangerous than a straw. 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The other two men made a sad busi- ness of attempting to overpower Mr., any Work party verboat.” He concluded this specch abruptly | arcus brought them up under the | == u of the power cruiser, Within two minutes the motor was | n ntedly, the mooring had been slipped, and the motorboat was | heading out of the harbor. | Within five minutes she had left it | well astern and was shooting rapidly | westward, making nothing of the buf-| fets of a very tolerable sea kicked up by the freshening southwesterly wind. : “My friend,” observed Alan, “as our acquaintance ripens 1 am more | and more impressed that neither of us ' was born to die a mnatural death, | rt Lowes Prices onFord Cars icftective August Ist, 1914 to Augustist, ty15 andhguaxanteed against any reduction auring that time. All cars tull i f 0. b. Derroit. i Runabour. . . ... ...$440 Touring Car ........490 Town Car... ... ...690 Buyers to Share i i e in Pr Aul retail buyers of new Ford u?s"t’hum August 1st, 1914 to August 1st, 1915 will share in the profits of the company to the extentof&otoscoperar,on each car they buy, FROVIDED: we sell and de- l-'v:-r 300,000 new Ford cars dnring that pe- riod. 1wt Larticulars L _MCRO MOT_.. COMPany ake a-a Au - ang sy YOLK COUNTY AGEA"V)!IJ‘;? . | | | ! whether abed or at the hands of those | who dislike us; but rather to be | hanged as common pirates.” l “You have the courage of igno- | rance,” Barcus replied coolly; “it | you'll take the trouble to glance astern I promise you a sight that will move you to suspend judgment for the time being.” At this Alan sat up with a start. ' Pack azainst the loom of the EMra- d, shene tha e milk-white sails of an able schooner. Sheets all taut and €every inch of canvas fat with the beam wind, she footed it merrily in their wake—a sil- ver jet spouting from her cutwater. (Continued Next Wednesday.) PH. FISCHER & SON | [