Adventure stories; Islands -- Fiction; Love stories; Shipwrecks -- Fiction
"No, I thank you," she hastily replied. "His room is on my right, I
remember. Sorry if I disturbed you," and she was pounding on the other
door. She glanced back at the stranger's door involuntarily and then
away instantly. He was staring at her in a most uncalled-for manner.
And Hugh did not answer! She rapped again and--no response. The calm
voice of the stranger came to her reddening ears.
"The gentleman who occupies that room just passed me, going on deck.
Straight ahead. That's right." He called the last injunction after her
swiftly departing form.
"Thank you," came back to him with a breath between the words. Hugh met
her at the bottom of the steps. She rushed recklessly toward him
and cried,
"Oh, you don't know how glad I am to see you. Where have you been, Hugh
Ridgeway--"
"Sh! Ridge without the 'way.' For Heaven's sake, don't forget that. It's
every bit as important on this ship as on the other. I've been on deck
for a look. Say, are you all right? Are you still glad you're alive?" He
was holding her hands and looking into her eyes.
"Of course I am. What a ridiculous question! None but the good die
young, and I'm not very good or I wouldn't be running away with you. But
come,--take me on deck. Is it raining? Why, your coat is wet. Hurry,
Hugh; I want to take a good look," she cried, dragging him up the steps
hilariously. A peculiar smile came to his face as he followed her to
the deck.
Neither spoke for a full minute, she gazing dumbly at the bleak waste
before her, he lovingly at her pretty, bewildered face.
"Where are we, Hugh?" she finally asked, terrified for the moment.
"Where is London?"
"You are not afraid, are you, dearest?" he whispered, his strong arm
stealing about her. "We are on the bounding main, ticketed for a port
thousands of miles away. London is back there," pointing astern.
She placed her hand in his and looked out over the waters. Nothing but
rain, leaden sky and rolling waves. What her thoughts were during the
silence that followed he learned when she turned to him again, looking
imploringly into his eyes.
"Hugh, you will always be good to me?"
"So long as I live, sweetheart," he said, pressing her hand firmly. For
some time they stood alone and silent beneath the awning which covered
the promenade, the sleety rain pattering dismally over their heads. But
few of the passengers were above deck. Several officers were chatting at
the end of the deck-house.
"We have not breakfasted yet, Grace, and I'm as hungry as a bear. Isn't
it a relief, dear, not to feel the necessity any longer of keeping a
sharp lookout for detectives? Those days on the Atlantic, every other
man I met I thought was a sleuth-hound bent on capturing the
million-dollar reward that has been offered for our capture by
Chicago society."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account