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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1904)
The Diamond Derelict Being the Record of a Young Man Who Finally Won Out By Edward Marshall room. Mo nngel Tim (f'opyrlglit. H03; All Uighti Reserved by 1 h. Marshall. CIIAI'TKU XVII. God saw n woman In 11 Hick cnplel her and rn'uln mi 1B Ifook of The l.lddy. llj j Into Ida room several hours later Ki.WI n,,t ':'" awoke. Tho doctor wiih ii giMid-niittirod yo'ing tnun, snipnwhut proud f the promi nence with the reporter! which IiIh Inti mate knowledge of the case, of the catas trophe gave him. "Do yn think that ymi feci strong ninnh to l:lk to pome newspaper men?" lie asked I'nrlnii. "I tolil ll.eui I thought you would bo able to kit them, tit) t that yon should, f course, do quite bh you pi. fined about It." Immediately a thought fl ished ncrons Par ton's mind wldc:h was most unplcasa nt. (If course, the fact that he, wiih a shlp wr 'cki-d man would make hhn more or less a matter of public gossip. Hp had reason to believe thai hU stepfather would bavo had tho New York police notified of tho fact that lie wan "wanted" for the theft of the diamond!, and that they would bo looking out for anyone who mlKht be trav eling under the name of Henry I'arton. "I think I should be Kind not to Fee. re porter," iiaid ration, with a little effort. Then he hcsltutod for a moment. Ho was very anxious to learn whether or not ho bud given bin own or his assumed nam after be bud been taken un board the ship. BUM, be hardly IV It that he could ask the question directly. "I wish you would tell me what I havo lid Hluee I have been on the ptenmer," lie finally stammered. "I have a convic tion that 1 have not only been unconscious for a part of the time, but that I havo been dcllilous fi r a purl of the time. I remember Home strange fancies that were In my mind Just before you picked me up, but 1 have pract I'-ally no memory of hiving In en brought aboard. For instance, us your ship wan bearing down on me I thought that Its bows formed a vast face the fare of my mi ther." lie was speaking Very quietly and there was a Hash of quick i uiputliy In the. surgeon's eyes us ha looked at him. "1 fancied that you thought that you had et-ii her," Haid lao doetir. "As a matter of fact, I scarcely liked to listen to you after 1 bad heard about the Rid circum stances which uiUMt, of course, have made that bit of delirium doubly and painfully Impressive to you." 'What do you mean?" usked I'arton, quickly. The doctor wan evidently somewhat em barrassed. It wan clear to see that be thought ho hud rouKhly touched on n sub ject which he should not have permitted to enter Into the conversation. "Why, after 1 had learned about the re cent death of your mother," said the dorter. "You must havo persistently mistaken Hiss" Mere, the doctor stopped again and colored lightly. "You have persistently mistaken a woman passenger, who has been good cnoiiKh to help In nursing you, for your for your late mother. It wiih It wus extraordi nary that you should have happened to havo acquaintances on bond, Mr -Mr-" I'.utoM lauglod uneasily at this repcti tlon of the pause after Mr. "What's the trouble, doctor?" he asked, trying to appear an unconcerned as be could. "t!o ahead." The doctor laughed. "1 guess you're past that stage of your trouble now," he Haid, "ar.d I am glad to congratulate you. You know ever ince you havo been on board the m ntlon of your name has seemed to agitate c u B that I feet almost afraid to spmk It. I liave never en another ca"0 like it at 11. It 1 a most curious circumstance." "lKm't worry ib ait me now." said Tar ton, feeling sicker In mind than In body. "I fancy that I'll be ell ri;tit as s oi ih I've had a chance to rest up a bit and get my strength back. lon't you?" "I think ho," tiald the doctor. "You had a very narrow escape. It will le a weei tr two, and perhaps much more than that before you will be able to use your band r arm again." "I don't know what Is the matter w th It, doctor." ruid I'arton with a st-mewhit foolish grin. "When I first came to my self I kiw that It was bandaged ami, of Course, I have been conscious that It ached like the devil, but I don't remember hurU Ing it very clearly, although there Is a dim rerol!r Hon of some uecl'lf nt to it or strain on it." "Welt, you must have had n limV Rill tho doctor. "When our men wnt out f r you they found that you had thrust jour wrist through tho rope which held your companion to the grating to which he wis huhed apparently In order to Ugn'on It. If you hud not done so he might have Icon washed off the prating and y..u woijd certainly have I st your hoi I and te.'n drowned, for you were practically u;.c.n Fcious when we picked you up and cnul 1 have done nothing to help cither your.vlf or him. "You're wrist Is broken, Mr. Mr. " Again that hesitation which so puzxM I'arton. Mt also noticed that the doctor eyed hlnr very keenly as he paused." "Well," said the doctor, "you see that fact that Khe haa lieen with you night ami day?" "I believe that the memory of It was of a kind with the memory of a Kood many other Ptrango notions I have had Bince I have la en here," Hald I'arton. "How upon earth did she happen to bo on board?" 'You'll have to ns-k her that?" said the doctor. "Of couriv I don't know." lie grinned a little. "You didn't soem to be exactly exactly sorry that sho was here." "Then were all the things which are in my mind did they how havo I been act ing toward her?" "Well," said the doctor slowly ami with an unmistakable twinkle in his eye, "well, you spoke your mind pretty freely to her." "How do you mean?" asked Partem ner vously. "Oh, In the way of expressing your want to thank you. I I must have been a very great trial to you. The doctor has Just told me how good you have been to me. I think that I have never heard of a more amazing thing than your being on this ship." "I have," said she, "that Is your being on It. Th:U was It was tho most wonderful thing 1 have ever heard of. Some time you must tell me all about It." I'arton started to speak, but she stopped Mm. "If I am to be yotir nurse," she said, "you must obey oil my orders. And oun of them Is that you must not talk about that yet. For the present, sure we'll just be thankful that It wasn't worse. I can never I can never tell you how miserably the whole wretched matter haa made mo feel. You were placed In a very dreadful AM or. tho mention of your name his been th thing which has bothered you more than anything rise tdnce you have been n board. Kveii Miss Miss MaiFarren has never called you by your name since the first time Hhe saw you. It seems dangerou-i to do It. It ti'tmed to afle. t you slran.'ely." And something affected him strangely then so strangely that the dot tor wan e 1 dently startled by It. He put his hand out quickly to I'arton's shoulder In order to prevent him from rising, and said hur riedly: "Now-now you mustn't lean on your broken wrist, you know!'' lint I'arton had half risen In the berth. "Who did mi say?" he asked with a look of amazed wonder on his faco. "Why, Miss M.icKnrren." said the doctor. "la she on board this ship?" asked I'ar ton with a queer, weak oiee. "Of course," tiiid the doctor, regarding him curiously. "You don't mean to tell me that you have not recognized her at all?" "Ho you menn Miss Norah MacFnrren, my sister-in-law?" asked I'arton, Blaring at the doctor wl'h un expression of duxej astoiiibhmeut. "Kxaetly," Faid the doctor, "Miss Norah MarKnrren, your step-sister. Of course she is on the ship. Hasn't she lieen nurs ing you and looking after you as If h were your own sinter ever since she found out the next morning who it was we had picked up?" I'arton was too astonished to speak. Finally be broke into a half hysterical la ugh. "l hen it has not all been fancy," he aid. "lo you thii k it has been?" asked the doctor. "Do you mean to tell ro thut you bavo not reully been conscious of tlie AO YOU ARE BETTBR," SAID XOHAII. jour stf p-brotht rly affection." lVrton colored vividly. Ho did not smile, althouuli the doctor's broad grin ought to have been contagious. After a mo ment's pause, evidently feeling mercy for the young man's distress, the doctor added: "I don't believe you'd Ix-tter worry any more about It than you can help. I wouldn't feel loo badly about It If I were you. It might put you back, you know. And and Ix'sldcs, ahe seemed to to like It, you know." I'arton gazed at him In bewilderment. He was about to add something to his remark, when there came a rap upon the HtatiTiHim door. The doctor rose and opened It, and admitted Norah herself. "You can look ufter him for awhile, Mis McFurri n," ho said. "I'll bo down again dltectly." He started to paos her and go out. and, as bis foot had advanced alsive the raised ill of the stateroom, he added: "lie's quite conscious now, and very anxious to see you." Then he vanished. Norah entered the room with considera ble hesitation. Her face, as she stood by the side of I'arton's berth, was brightly flushed. He scarcely knew what was best to do or say under tho circumstances, so he only Bmtled foolishly. "I am glad that you are better," she aid, speaking bravely In spite of her vio lent coloring. "We have been dreadfully worried about you. The doctor tells me that the fever has left you now, and that all that yeu will need will bo rest to put you in good shape, again. Does does your wrist ache very much?" . "No," eald 1'artou, "not very much. I situation. I think I can guess how yon must have fell. "Now," went on the Irish girl, "we can not understand one another too quickly or too well. I've had a quarrel with my Btep father that would have fitted Donnybrook and all about yourself. I've always heard that troubles come with riches, and now I know It's so." "If the trouble goes when they do," Bald I'arton, "it haa flown already." "How's that?" said Norah. "They sank with the ship I sailed on," said I'arton grimly. "1 had to hide them to keep the mate from stealing them, and Win n tho lire c;uiie I had no chance to go l.elow to gi.-l them." "1'raiscs be'." said Norah. "Now, per haps, there'll be some ';ice. And, Mr. I'arton," this was said with a pretty bur lesiiue of entreaty, "don't go and get the likes of them again. There's no luck in them. If you must have jewels get some other kind. Try opals." I'arton looked at her and smiled. He held out his uninjuicd hand un she took It, holding It quietly in hers for a moment anil then laying It back upim the coverlet as if she feaed that It might hurt him to ki-cp It nut In truth. It hurt him worse to haw her itlve It up. "It's iin very line to have you III here," She said Willi l lauuh. I'urton looked l( r n surprise. "What 1o you mean?" Said he. "Oh, while 1 nursed you and sure I couldn't have left a hound dog to the mer cies of theee stewards. I'd have nursed you If I'd never mnn jour face before " rartoa'a fur lell, and ahe laughed Into his cyea as she noticed it. Then, leaning