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Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, December 31, 1910, Image 7

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Saturday,. December ,81,' 1916.
allegiance to him, partly no doubt due
to the fact that tho young man had
not.a«kod for any. For he.too,, though
with a fuller recognition of his feel-
Jngs, was trembling In tho balance.
i' tn short, when Susan Hubbell saw
L thftt note In the hand of Owen Conant
fXfshe determined to possess hersolf of
It and then bo guided by circum
stances. Slnco sho. had been a cap
ttlvo Bho had remained abaft tho main
mast. No restrictions had been placed
upon her movements, but sho had not
thought It proper Co go forward nor
had she desired to do bo.
Although her captivity was mado as
lltilo irksome ns posßiblo, sho was
p.t lll a captive, and she was not will
ins to subjoct herself to a possible
recall or rebuke by venturing beyond
(he limits which instinctively apper
tained to her* situation and station.
Her calm acceptance of the situation
had thrown Mornington completely off
his guard. His Infatuation— for he
recognized It ns such if he should' onCe
let himself go — had blinded him to any
possibility of danger from the woman
ho loved. ;: ,' r i;' *. ...
Delilah was the ; last -person 'that
Samson feared, I doubt not, and here
was no daughter of tho Philistines.
Susan turned and observed Mr. Mer
ry field In somewhat animated discus
sion with his superior. A sail had
, been sighted to leeward, -and though
W was more than likely to be British
§ or a neutral ship, yet every sail in war
\timo was a potential enemy; hence
Mornington's scrutiny of the horizon.
The glass was passed back and forth
between the lieutenant and the mid
shipman, as it was Mr. Merryfleld's
watch and as he was a great stickler
for. the regular observance of routine,
with a bow to Susan and a brief word
that ho was golug below for a better
glass which he ..had observed in the
captain's cabin, ho descended to the
quarter-deck and entered the cabin.
Mr. Merryfleld had picked up the
telescope and was still staring down
to leoward. •
'A. rare combination of circum
stances had created an opportunity for
her. ; Susan did not hesitate a sec
ond. Making carefully certain that
no, one was looking at her, she un
loosed the thin, flimsy bit of silk she
wore tied underneath the collar of her
loose . sailor blouse as a neckerchief;
slipped far upto windward and threw
it high into the air. It was blowing
fresh on the quarter. The wind caught
the kerchief and, guided by a prayer
"Vrom her, carried it beyond the gang
way into the waist: Had it not caught
on one of the boom boats it might
have goiie farther forward. :'
The breeze was strong, and the cast
of the silk, made with great skill, had
ibeen eminently, successful. ' Quick, as
thought she ran down the ladder to
the quarter-deck, making no sound as
she went, and before anyone could
have stopped her — Mr. Merryfield be
ing deeply engrossed and seeing noth
ing — she reached for the kerchief. •
For one whose life had often de
pended upon the sureness of her grasp
pended shroud or stay, she bungled un
pardonably in the act of lifting the
silk and the wind whipped it out of
her hand and blew It farther along
the gangway abreast the formast. In
stantly the mate picked it up and
kanded it to her as she came tripping
after; it. (j!^}'u^''l^;;f'^',
"Avast, there!" growled the sailor
on guard threateningly; 'no gam
ming" — he was an old whaler, hence
the homely sea phrase for conversa
»^ lion — " 'twixt the prisoners and the
unarter-deck."
Mr. Conant looked at him as if he
would like to kick him overboard, but
he suppressed his wrath and' re
marked : • ' "
' "I only picked up the lady's necker
chief."
"That'll do. Pipe down, now. Beg
pardon, miss, but it's orders."
"Certainly; I understand," said Su
san, turning and walking aft.
Nothing could describe the quick
ness with . which during the colloquy
she had disentangled - the note from
! the kerchief , aud thrust it into her
bosom. When Mornington, who had
K^^By^ Building Materials
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•^ f J[S** PRETTY CLOSE FIGURES ON YOUR REQUIREMENTS IN
■^^ISI&Tr////7/r^»y S V x/ ' THAT LINE - MAKE A NEW YEAR RESOLUTION THAT YOU
' 'r^W^^amdlJmSL^^i ' WILL h er eafter use only first-class material in
Wl^^*^r WHATEVER BUILDING YOU DO. KEEP IT BY GETTING
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Valley Lumber Co.
CALEXICO ! EL CENTRO
W. C. JONEB, Manager. Phone Main 313. • J.' 8. JONEB, Manager.. Phono Main 273.
Rot tho glass and come on deck and
had noticed tho group forward, arrived
by her Bldo— and he had run forward
with astoniahlng qulckneKs— aho con
fronted him with an air of BmiHng
innocence.
"What's all this?" the lieutenant be
gan authoritatively.
"Your man was very rude to mo,"
said Susan quickly. "I had unknotted
my neckerchief nnd the wind blew^ It
along tho deck."
"Prom tho poop to tho fo'c's'l?"
queried Mornlngton.
"It caught temporarily on the boom
boats," returned the woman quickly,
"and Just as I started to pick It up it
blow free and Mr. Conant handed it
to mo and then tho man began"—
"What did you say to this lady?"
thundered Mornington, his suspicions
entirely diverted by Susan's clever
ness.
"I — yer honor — I" — began the man,
stammering.
■ "Answer me." persisted ' the lieu
tenant, now thoroughly aroused, but
unfortunately aroused \n tho wrong
direction.
* "I'didhH^ay' hothln'to her, sir. I
said no talkin' was allowed between
the prisoners and the quarter-deck,
coptln' with you, sir."
"Mr. Conant didn't say ono word to
me," began Susan, with well-simu
lated indignation.
"I give you that parole you vo been
askin' for that I never said a word to
her," put in the mate, blithely fol
lowing tho woman's lead and" doubly
delighted to deceive the officer he
haled, "I jus' naturally picked up the
kerchief, having seen you do the same
sort of thing maY times, and lookin'
to you for information ayd example
as to what a gentleman should do, as
you onco told mo."
"Very well," said Mornlngton;
"there has been no harm done, I sup
pose, only it looked a little out of
order. No, I don't blame you," he
said to the sailor; "you did perfectly
right. Now, Mistress Hubbell, If you"
— He Indicated . the stern, of the ship
with a gesture, and Susan, kerchief in
hand, quickly preceded him along the
gangway. -
- Her step faltered and grew slower.
She plainly waited for him, and
though he was disturbed and annoyed
and somewhat indignant over what
exactly he 'could not formulate, he did
not join her until she so pointedly
halted that he perforce was compelled
to do so. There was no one by the
starboard gangway where they
stopped, no one who , could overhear,
when she looked up at him and said,
with real anxiety in her heart:
"You're not angry with me? I for
got I was a prisoner." «
"No, child, not angry,"' he said reas
suringly. "I confess I was startled,
but you said ho held lfo communica
tion with you and I. understand it wa.<?
all an accident." '
Now, that was just what Susan had
not said, and perhaps strict honesty
would have compelled her to. have, ex
plained, that he had misconstrued her
remark. And yet it was not her busi
ness to furnish him with construc
tions, she said to herself. If she told
the truth and he drew the wrong in
ference from it or put the wrong
meaning upon it — why, that was his
lookout. So she reasoned, and while!
she had a fleeting inclination to tell
him, the moment passed and she was
committed— and committed with an
uneasy conscience indeed.
"You see, I never can be sure of a
prisoner. The only one I'm certain
of is the Frenchman in double irons.
The mate has Indeed given me fair
warning that he will try .to get back
tho ship, for, as you know, he has
refused to give his parole a half doz
en times, and when I first saw you I
thought you might be there by some
Susan's lips trembled from a com
bination of. motives, hard to analyze
and harder to define. She had been
there because she wanted to be. She
had contrived very cleverly to get
there. She had in her possession,
agaUist her heart, a note which she
I MP E R I A L VAL LE V PRE BIT
felt morally certain contained tidings
of moment.
Bho did not repent of what she liad
done, nor bf'tho'wny in which ahe
had done It, yet eho felt ft definite
Benso of personal dishonesty nnd of
disloyalty toward Mornlngton. The
very trust that he reposed in her, the
rcadlneßS with which he li^l received
her explanation and had allowed him
self to be deceived smote her keenly.
She felt like a traitor. She wanted
three things at tho same time. Sho
wanted that note, nnd now that Bhe
had undergone so much and ventured
so much to possess It, sho wanted it
more than ever. Sho wanted Morning
ton's respect, and sho wanted to Justi
fy It. Lastly, she wanted her own
solf-rospcct.
Of the three desires she was sure
of nothing but tho note. And with tho
choice plainly before her, sho had
chosen tho note. Perhaps had sho
nlonn been concerned she could have
fought down the temptation and have
handed It to him then and thero. In
deed, there came Into her mind the
fleeting intention jso to do. ■ ': ' v •"
But she realized ' also that If tho
note contained anything incriminate
ing — and the mero fact that so much
had been risked by the mate to get
It into her possession was evidence of
Its character — sho would be betraying
the mate, and perhaps the men of the
crew.
Like everybody else, once em
barked on a course of dissimulation
every way spelled treachery and dis
aster. All this gave her a very trou
bled feeling Indeed.
"I — I wish you wouldn't look at me
that way," began Mornington as he
saw the grief in her face. "No, no,
I don't mean turn your face away
from me altogether; that makes night
where I stand. But don't grieve about
it. It's all right. No harm's done."
I "I know, but I am a prisoner— your
prisoner."
"Sometimes, Mistress Susan, I want
to forget that and sometimes it's my
sweetest thought." ' •:* '
He spoke softly, leaning over the
rail and looking out through the open
gangway in the ship's side. She
would have won a proposal from him
then and there had she been artful
enough or even had she been merely
acquiescent, but she could not allow
him to say a word of love to her whiie
she had that note against which her
heart was beating.
"I am your prisoner," she said, "no i
matter how you feel, and I shouldn't
have left the quarter-deck, but I
thought when the wind whipped my
kerchief out of my hand that it was
no harm to get it."
"There was no harm at all, my dear
child," he returned promptly, with
that air of paternalism with which
he sometimes strove to disguise his
anything but paternal feelings for her.
"Say no more about it. I am ashamed
to have brought any more trouble to
you by what seemed my harsh words."
"They were not harsh. They were
kind and generous, like . everything
else you have ever said to me. I can
never repay you — never — never. I
should have stayed on the quarter
deck or in the cabin."
"Doju't say that," he began.
"I must. I will."
Her lips trembled. She was on the
verge of a breakdown. Not because
she was a woman given to tears on
little occasion, but because the situa
tion was fast becoming unbearable.
The more magnanimously and gener
ously he forgave her and the kinder
he became the worse she felt. She
was sure that she must terminate the
•nterview immediately or else sjie
would betray everything. So she re
sorted, for the first time in her life,
to the old feminine form of evasion
or escape.
"I — I don't believe I'm well," she
faltered, who had never experienced
a sick day in her life.
He was all solicitude at once.
"No," she returned in answer to his
protestations, "thero is nothing you
can do. I shall go to my cabin for a
while."
"And you won't hesitate to call me
If you think of anything to help you?
The ship la yours, you know."
He was not ns surprised at her pro
fession of illness as he would have
been had he been able to fully realize
her abounding physical vigor and
health, and m, on the plea that ill
nesa warranted It, lio, supported her
along the deck nnd ' left her at the
entrance to tho cabin. < . ,':^>
She went through the cabin and
locked herself instantly in her own
room, and then snt down on tho tran
som, tore out tho letter and stared at
It idry-eyed and shuddering. Sho had
always had a Jilgh and splendid
opinion of herself, but now she fairly
reveled In her self-contempt and^ dls
gUßt.
If she had followed her first inclina
tion she would have thrown tho note
out of the open port and thUB have
ended tho matter, but that Bho did not
do. It was the mate's secret, and she
must know It. Whatever might bo
her course of action, she must read
the note,
And so, with a beating heart and a
furltlvo glance at 'tine deck above,
where her lover walked, as If per
chance ho might in some way observe
her in tho recesses of her cabin, she
opened tho soiled and. tattered piece
of paper which was the mate's only
medium of correspondence.
(To be continued.)
PROFESSIONAL 1 CARDS
'LAWYERB.
*■» * a « -.'c ** % -:•. *#** * # # *
* C. L. BROWN M. W. CONKLINQ *
» ' *
% CONKLINQ & BROWN ft
* Attorneys at Law #
» XL CBNTRO - - CALIFORNIA *
* * * w ****-»■?:-** * ii # * * -*
* *• * •::- * •» •* -s- * -::- * * * * * * * *
-» ' WALTER H. SPRAQUE #
«• Attorney at Law #
* INSURANCE - NOTARY PUBLIC *
* El Centro, California #
* « # a * «■ % * * w •» * « *■;:•**-:*
* •:* -x- -x- -:{■ * * % * -::- -x- % ft * *■ * ft *
* ft
ft DAN V. NOLAND ft
ft Attorney-at-Law ft
ft Notary Public ft
*r Rooms 1 and 2, First National ft
ft Bank Uuilding, Xl Centro, Ca)lf. ft
$ftft»ftft ft » ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft *
ft ft ft « * ft * * ft. -x- ft * ft * ft « * -::•
ft W,;;*
ft •'.'•' 3. LAREvV ' ft
* Attorney-at-Law -X
ft ?.ooms 7-9, Bill Block. *
ft EL CENTRO - CALIFORNIA *
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ft #
ft SHAW & DYKE • ft
ft Attorneys and Counselors at Law ft
ft Telenhone Main 173, First Na- ft
ft --rational- Banlc Building. ft
ft IMPERIAL - -. CALIFORNIA *
ft *
ft 1 ft ft ft ft ft ft ft * ft ft ft •:< ft ft ft ft
ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft « ft ft ft ft ft ft * »
ft A. C. LOVELAND, Attorney and ft
ft Counsellor at Law. All business ft
ft attended to promptly and care- *
ft- fully. ; HOLTVILLE, CAL. ft
ft ft ft * # ft ft ft * ft ft * * ft * # *
PHYSICIANS.
«■ « * * # * a a -J5- -»• * «• # » 'a # *
* DR. W. W. APPLE *
* Physician and Surgeon «
Rooms 4, 6 and 8, Bill Block. *
:• Office Hours: 10 to 12 a. m; 2 *
r to 4p. m.; 7toBp. m. Phone. #
C- Main 63. EL CENTRO, CAL. *
«• -::- -» % * * -» -» «- * -s % * * * # «
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* , ...*
5J Dtt. EDWARD MATTOCKS *
«• Osteopathlc %
X- Physician : / "•.,'* *
•>r Room 10, First Nat. Balk Bldg. *
X- El Centro - • - ■ California -X-
¥? •::- * * •» -:{- * * x-.x «• *,-» «■ •.«■ * * -x
ENGINEERS.
-::- * -::• % -:> v. * * «. -x- «• # w * &.# « -x
* ■ «
•X- C. N. PERRY E. H. CAINES *
-:•:- . engine Ens #
*J SURVEYORS -X
«• •>:
•:;• EL. CENTRO - - CALIFOUXIA 4»
•» •::••::• ■;<• -x- •:{• # -x- -x- •>:• # * * •:<• •:* * -* -x
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*
X I. B. FUNK •:}
*• { -x
Vc Const Itlr.g, Mechanical and- '.t
-:> Electrical Engineer. ■ : ■ X
* I'hone No. 392 ..'■
«• IMPKHIAL, - CALIFORNIA #
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MISCELLANEOUS.
a a •;;• •;■;• •"• •;;• •;•;• •?:• •;■:- •;> •;■;• •;> •;> •;> ' -x- a
* ! /•' •"■' ; fM
* DR WILLIAM H.CARL /tt
•«" Dentist , «
•«• Ofilco — Rooms 4 and 5 ,v- •;•}*•
w' Opera House Duilding •:>
i* , Telephone Main 12 •::•
*:• En Centro California ■»
* # % -Yt ■» •?{• w •::- •» i> *:• •::• •:;• -i;« -jj -j;-
•x- 5 # ■s:- •:> 3 *:• ->:• •» •» •» •;> «• •» % •»
"• •::-
W A. H. EDDY ii
X Architect , ft
•::- Cottages, houses and buslnoss' H
■■'■ ■ houses a specialty. •»
■:> Do 583 Imperial •:>
•::■ , Uox 234 Xl Contro. ■:*
*.r > «
■>:• •>;• -x- •>;• •» «■ •» •» w a # # $ ■» .» #
- ( . i * / • . .-- L' v
F. D. FULLER, / /fft M ife^ f* *'imt
r ~ President. y^Y^^SSS. Capital
F. W. WILSON. f /^^MW{^Mm^^P\!C\. MOCK
- c " hler Ir^/Mmm If PP^v^A
chas. witt, \^\wwm^^^Si^\ <fc^n flfift
A.st. Ca.hler Ul |P|^^^W^f j H V JU ? UUU
Thl* Dank own«
own banking house, VC^^WSsSSSSU^ISf^J tn N#W ' Qu ' rt#r *
acknowledged to b« \^\&&f '^^^^^MW^%I * nd B * ltep ThJn ;
the best and most \/!S»^M\// Ever Prepared to j
"snxst , „ ;„.,;• \
crn California. mer ** ■l.'f.Qj
OUR LOAN DEPARTMENT
Is conducted on safo and conservative lines, and hr.n been vcr/ '
successful, as la shown by the fact that vie have made more than;'
14C0 loans during the Bank's history.
BAFETY DEPOSIT . AN INVITATION.
Our Safety Deposit Vault Is as We Invite the tanking business :
strong as cement and Iron can of those desiring the best Mrvlc*.
make. Our boxes are of the latest We have the will to 1 render It;
and strongest deslffns. the system to insure It'
Central Hospital
(Incorporated) '
EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA
Thorough equipment for any
Medical or Surgical Case. Lat-
est equipped operating room.
Rooms exclusively for Maternity
Cases, where the patient has ev-
ery convenience for comfort and
quiet New two-story building,
with spacious Ecrocned-ln veran-
das. 30-bed capacity. Graduate
Nurses. RATES: Ward, $15.00
per week. Private Room, $20.00,
$25.00, and $30.00. For other In-
formation address Central . Hos-
pital, or Dr. Virgil McComba.
Save on Groceries
Bay in Log Angeles for Less
You can save 10 to 15 per cent on'
all . your groceries, fanned fruits,
vegetables, etc., by ordering direct
from Los ! Angeles.' Kvery hotel,
restaurant .'md private family
should get our price-list. All goods
arc carefully packed and classified
to secure lowest freight rate. Write
for price-list and particulars— Free.
We can save you money on your
Christmas supplies. . ■
PACIFIC SUPPLY COMPANY
748 W. Pico St. Los Angeles, Cat.
Ketcherside & Halliday ; !
HARDWARE AND IfIPLEMENTS
Agents for Mitchell Wagons, Fairbanks, Morse & Co., En-
gines, Windmills, Scales and Pumps. Standard Mowers,"
Rakes, Oliver' Plows, KeenKutte'r Ku'ttlery^ : ;'V ./. r , :; . : . ,., ,-
BARD, - - CALIFORNIA ,:;:
Gor r ect Methods
Over 6000 cars handed successfully by:. us during, the
season 1909, demonstrates that ' our System of Selling
is based on correct methods. Sales Consumated F. O. B.
' — In Transit— Delivered! ' . ; : . x'H)
We are in constant touch with every carlot buyer of
fruit and produce in the United States and Canada.
ASSOCIATION AND
CARLOT
Get in Touch With Us Regarding Your 1910 Business
CRUTCHFIELD & WOOLFOLK
Executive Offices : Pittsburgh. Branches : Chicago, New
' York, Washington,' Cincinnati/Jacksonville.
Property Wanted
; .V H .'you Hav^ IMPERIAL (VALLEY RANCHES,
ACREAGE OR TOWN PROPERTY that you
really want to sell, LIST AT ONCE WITH
Sprpuseßeal Estate Agency, Ijel1 jel centro
lim PQpr HALL
Haker.& Lurhius bine opened a commodious, wcll-Illumluated and
well-ventihUed Pool Hall in tho Levy Duilding. formerly occupied by
the Picture Show; »nd invite you to call and enjoy the recreation'
provided. Wight tables; latest equlpmeut. lA'hlgh-cluss resort.
CIGARS, TOBACCO AND SOFT DRINKS.
"Y. IJ." Cigars— Five and t^n cents a specialty. '
ijt _. I .' / i _ ' !
7
GET ACQUAINTED
WITH ...
THE
CHARLEYS'
Fancy Baking
Fresh Every Day
At Palm Confectionery El Centro
EUCALYPTUS
TREES
All of the most desirable va-
rieties in any quantity; also
'Monterey Pines and Cypress; ■
Magnolias, t Guavas, ■ etc. : For
prices, etc., write or phone-, to ;
' . L. J. STENGEL ._.;>„
261 North Johnston Street
Los Angeles, Cal.
, Home Phone 31110 .:. , .
WANTED— A : position as ranch fore^r
man. Have had long, experience: in
every line but cotton. Expert Jr-..,
rigator, stock man; five years in
valley. References. Address J.'WV*
■ W.,- at Franklin Hotel, • El Centrcr.: 1
; -.••: -.:.■,-■ :.-, j:iSB-M tv

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