how he was getting
along, and Mrs. Hampton had brought a bottle of her choicest jam for
his special benefit.

"It is sartinly good of yez to come," he told them. "Martha was
entertainin' me by readin' the paper. It helps pass the time."

"I was just reading about that poor girl who drowned herself," Mrs.
Tobin explained. "Have you seen it, Miss?"

The girl's hands trembled slightly as she took the paper, and ran her
eyes rapidly over the article. Her face turned somewhat pale as she
read, and her heart beat fast. It was not the first time that the
seriousness of the situation had come into her mind. But she had
always excused herself by the justness of her cause. Any girl with the
least spark of spirit would do the same, she reasoned. Her parents had
no right to force her to marry a man she hated. But the thought of the
men searching for her body was horrible. What would the papers say if
the truth became known, as it surely would in time? She was much
relieved, however, to learn that no one suspected that she was alive,
not even her parents. Anyway, she had taken matters into her own
hands, and she did not intend to turn back now. She longed to speak to
the captain alone, and this opportunity was soon afforded when Mrs.
Tobin took Mrs. Hampton into the garden to show her some special
flowers. Thus the captain and Jess were left together for a few
minutes.

"Oh, Captain, I want to thank you for your kindness," the girl
impetuously began. "I was almost frightened out of my senses when I
saw you last night."

"So I looked as bad as all that, did I?" The captain chuckled as he
looked at his fair visitor. "No, Miss, I wouldn't give ye away. But I
was afraid that Martha might pump the secret out of ye."

"And you will keep the secret, won't you?" the girl pleaded. "You will
not tell anyone, not even your wife?"

"I'll try to, Miss," and the captain sighed. "But Eben knows, and I'm
expectin' him home shortly. How did ye git that cut on yer head?" he
suddenly asked.

"Why, don't you know?" and Jess looked her surprise. "A stone came
through the window as John and I were sitting by that injured man at
the quarry."

"But who threw the stone?"

"I have not the least idea. John wanted to have a search made at the
quarry in order to find the one who did it. But I would not let him.
I was afraid it would make too much talk, and it might get into the
papers."

"D'ye intend to stay here, Miss?"