A MAD BETROTHAL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7977, 1 February 1897, Page 4

A MAD BETROTHAL.

A:iiove Story of Intensely Thrilling

Interest,

BY LAURA JEAN LTBBEY, Author of " Tonic, the Pride of the

Mill." etc,

CHAPTER XXXVIII,

Nadine's strength and courage almost gave way before this new and unexpected danger with which she found herself face to face. It seemed to her a relentless fate had pursued her from the moment her poor father had died and left her alone in the great, hard, cruel world.

And kneeling there, looking the desolate future in the face, she sobbed as though her heart would break. Suddenly she was conscious of a sound very like a low, cautious tap upon the door ; and as she listened intently, the sound was repeated more distinctly, this time accompanied by a voice whispering : 'Do not be afraid, Miss. lam your friend.'

The words were spoken in good English ; and Nadine had been often informed by the woman who had nursed her back to health and strength that ' there was not an English-speaking person on board the vessel, save herself.' Who, then, was this ? ' Will you come nearer the door and listen to what I have to say?' whispered the voice. Nadine obeyed. ' I am the boy whom you saw upon the deck to-day,' went on the cautious voice hurriedly—' the cripple boy to whom you spoke kindly. God bless you for those words, Miss. They were the only gentle ones I hare had addressed to me since I was a little child, and they went straight to my frozen heart. I was so grateful I could have knelt to you and kissed the hem of your garment.' I Nadine slid back the bolt and opened the door ever so slightly. There was no mistake ; it was the cripple boy. He stood clearly revealed by the narrow strip of white moonlight which fell on his poor, deformed body and pale, upturned face. ' Yes, I remember, , saict Nadine, pityingly, forgetting for the moment her own woes in pity for the lad. ' Is there anything I can do for you V ' It is what I can do for you, Miss, that I want to talk about,' he replied in a low whisper. ' You know I was on deck. I heard all that passed between the captain and yourself. He didn't mind my presence no more than [if ' Cripple Joe,' p.s he calls me, had been a block of wood or a stone. I heard him threaten, you, and my blood boiled. Oh, if I had but the strength of other men I would have felled him to the deck i but I am only a weak cripple.' 'And. you came to express your sympathy with me,' returned Nadine, holding out her hand in gratitude. ' I came to do more,' he whispetred ; ' I c&me to help you to escape. It is now or never with you, for on the morrow the captain intends to have the marriage ceremony performed in spite of all obstacles. If you dare trust yourself to my care, I am here to save you.' • I do trust you, I will trust you ; but how, my poor boy, can you save me?' ' I have a boat lowered into the water. Come ! Though my limbs are weak and misshapen, my arms are strong. I can row. We are near a port we passed within an hour. The town lights gleaming faintly in the distance will guide me. The moon is now obscured by clouds. Before morning there will be a terrible storm ; but I hope we will reach those lights ere it sets in. We will not be missed until to-morrow. Then you will be safe.' ' Think of the terrible vengeance this Italian captain would wreak upon you if he should ever discover that you aided me,' she said anxiously. He is sure to follow us, you know.' ' I have thought of all that,' returned Joe, calmly, ' and for your sake, Miss, I am willing to risk it. I would risk a thousand lives, if I had them, for your sake. Will you trust me ?' The gratitude that flashed over Nadine's face was more eloquent than any words could have been, but she murmured, quickly : ' I will trust you implicitly, Joe.' He drew her little hand hurriedly within his arm and helped her cautiously out on deck. How dark the night was ! The storm would be upon them sooner than he anticipated, Joe noticed, wrapping the oil-skin coat about his companion, which had been tbe only one he could procure, consequently having to go without himself. They bad scarcely advanced a dozen paces ere the storm commenced in earnest. Thunder rolled in the darkning heavens, and vivid lightning flashed as if the flood-gates of an upper world were, flung wide open on this terrible yet memorable night. How the rain poured and the mad wind roared over that vast expanse of angry water ! Quivering with fear at the wild raging of the tempest, yet daring and brave of heart, Nadine clasped the outstretched hand, and followed her preserver through the impenetrable darkness and frightful storm toward the boat which he had lowered into the dark, maddened, foam-crested water. Not a word was spoken by either of them as they made their way silently through the groups of chilled, grumbling sailors on deck, lest a footfall or the slightest noise might betray their presence there. But cruel, relentless fate had not destined that Nadine should make her escape so easily. A blinding blaze of lightning lit up the dark heavens, lighting up the surroundings with a white glare bright as noonday, revealing to the captain, who stood leaning upon the railing on deck, the white, upturned faces of the fugitives. With a terrible cry of rage, he sprang quickly forward, shouting lustily in his native tongue : ' Man the boats, lively, my men, and follow that fugitive boat! I will make the man rich for life who brings them back. The girl must be taken, dead or live !' He pointed his revolver as he 9poke at the little skiff, which he could see by the lightning's fitful flashes tossing like an egg-shell on the angry waves, and fired. He heard a cry, and in the red, instantaneous glare that lit up the heavens he saw one of the figures throw up its hands and fall to the bottom of the skill. He surmised that it might be Joe whom he had hit, and that surmise proved to be quite correct. • Oh, you are wounded !' sobbed Nadine, kneeling down beside the poor fellow in the rocking skill. ' And I am the cause of it all, for if it had not been for trying to help me escape, this would never have happened ! Oh, never! never ! What if you were to die !' ' It is better to die for a good cause than live for an evil one,'answered -Joe, with great difficulty. The pain each instant was growing more intense, for he had received a mortal wound, and his moments were numbered, he well knew. ' Do not grieve for me, Miss,' lie whispered, huskily. ' I am not worthy of it. But it i 3 sweet to know, if I do die, it will be for your sake.' ' Oh, do not say that, cried Nadine,

in tbe utmost distress. ' You must not—you shall not die. Heaven would not reward you so for au act of mercy. I will watch by you and tend you faithfully until you are well and strong again.' She could not see how pale his face was, nor could she note in the impenetrable darkness the agony in his eyes. ' Hold my hands,' he whispered ; ' your gentle touch will make life sweeter while it lasts.' He was only a rash boy of eighteen, and ho had faced death for her sake. How could she find it in her heart to chide him ? 'Do not be angry, , he sighed. 1 Listen to me. lam going to drop myself overboard. They will pick me up. Don't you see the boat they have put out gaining on us ? And picking me up will divert attention from you. You will soon be far away: you will never know whether I live or die- But before we part tell rae that you will never forget me. Let me finish by telling you that I have dared to care for you. My last prayer will be that you may never know what torture a hopeless affection is. No human pain can equal it. I think that it is better for me to die than to live on with such a cruel wound as this, which could never heal, in my heart.' 4 Poor boy ! poor boy !' These were the only words Nadine could utter through her choking sobs. In vain she pleaded with Joe to remain in the skiff and let her watch over him while life and death hung in the balance. ' I know best, Miss,' he responded, faintly. «I—I must draw attention from you to myself. Good-bye ! good-bye ! 'It is far better to die in the waves than be taken alive,' muttered the brave fellow, setting his teeth hard together for the death leap. There was a plunge, a fearful rocking of the little, shell-like boat to which Nadine clung so frantically, and the wave 3 closed over all that wa3 mortal of poor, faithful Joe. Heaven had been merciful to him. With the great exertion of making the leap, the frail thread of life snapped asunder, and the soul left the cramped confines of its human tenement ; it was only the poor, frail, lifeless body the wild waves received and closed over with such mad glee. On and on over the mad waves the little skiff was tossed, whither, Nadine must trust to God ; and kneeling down in the bottom of the boat, she clasped her white hands and prayed to the pitying angels to watch over her. And the angels did watch over her, for when the grey light of morning broke through the dark cloud, she found that her little bark had drifted shoreward —she was near a little village. She grasped the oars and headed the little skiff for the pier, and very soon, much to her intense thankfulness and joy, was on terra firma. Faint and weak with what she had gone through, Nadine walked up the village street, sinking upon the doorstep of a quaint, hospitable house, too exhausted to take another step. The white cottages, the grass-grown streets, the green hedgerows and blue sky with its white clouds seemed whirling around her. She saw a woman's figure emerge from a doorway—a strangely familiar figure—and the next instant the inmates of the house were startled by a piercing scream.

["to be continued.]