By the World Forgot

y misery, than any Stephanie Maynard and George Harnash had ever passed. Of th

man's feelings are she can never be indifferent to the preparation of a trousseau. Even death, which looms so horribly before the feminine mind, would be more tolerable if it were accompanied by a similar

preparation of a trousseau which, were it not so pleasant a pursuit, might even be called labor. The fit of Stephanie's dresses on her bea

lf in his own prowess. Try as he might, plan as he could, he found no way out of the impasse so long as

hands of his partner. Harnash had not meant to play the traitor but he had been unable to resist the temptation that Stephanie presented, and he simply could not bring himself to make such a bare-faced admission of a breach of trust. Besides, he reasoned shrewdly that even if he did make such a confession it was by no means certa

ions which the older man had engineered, without having formed a sufficiently correct judgment of his character to enable him to forecast absolutely what Maynard's position would be in that emergency. Maynard had a considerable liking and a gr

ay vindictive, an antagonist and enemy Maynard could be when he was crossed. If Beekman withdrew from the engagement, broke off the marriage, about which there had been sufficient notoriety on account of the first po

f it had he been a little more sure of his position financially. Whatever else he lacked, Harnash had courage to tackle anything or anybody, if there were the faintest prospect of succes

ything like that. His mind was in a turmoil. He really was fond of Beekman, and if Stephanie and Derrick had been wildly in love with each other Harnash believed that he would have been man enough to have kept out of the way and have fought

the marriage again he would have greater opportunity to work and plan. He had enough confidence in himself, backed by Stephanie's undoubted affection, to make him believe that with time he could bring about anything. Therefore he must eliminate Derrick Beekman, temporarily, at lea

dding, and how, having spirited him away, could he keep him away long enough to make that disappearance worth while

could never keep him long in confinement. He himself would probably become the victim of continuous blackmail. In the face of rewards that would be offered, his employees would eventually betray him. Sooner or later, unless something happe

wedding. The Beekman yacht had broken down in Honolulu Harbor after that long cruise, and instead of following his telegram s

passage. Beekman had some business matters to attend to in San Francisco and he did not arrive in New York until a few days before the wedding

discern her real feelings any more than he had to find out Harnash's position. He had, indeed, remarked that Stephanie looked terribly worn and strained, and that George Harnash was haggard and spent to an extraordinary degr

they were married; and after he had shaken Harnash's hand vigorously he had slapped him on the back and declared to him that as soon as the honeymoon was over he would buckle down to work and gi

matrimony with a more confident assurance or a l

ast suspicion. He hugged me like a bear and kissed me like a battering ram," she explained

r his breath. "He wrung my hand, t

u are, ar

nd I'm going to

sfortune of

ou can jest under

dn't jest I should die. I don't s

if making an oath--as, indeed, he was--"I'm going to

purpose and a determination, but no practical plan. It was Bill Woywo

nor. It also boasted of the nativity of Bill Woywod. The two had been boyhood friends. Although their several pursuits had separated them w

and college course and had gone down to New York as none of his people had ever done in all the family history. Both men had progressed. Harnash was already well-to-do and appr

et, in line for first promotion to a master. Woywod was a deep-water sailor. He cared little for steam, and although it was an age in which mas

been not a little contributed to by sailing vessels in the preceding century, had refrained from selling her. There was a sentimental streak in the hard old captain of

whose seamanship was unquestioned was appointed to command. Captain Peleg Fish was one of those old-time sailors to whom moral suasion meant little or nothing. He was Gloucester born, and had served

e to get crews and keep officers. Quick passages in a well-found ship, and good pay, had offset his proverbial fierceness and brutality. He was now an old man, but sailing masters were scarce. Officers and men were scarce, too, on account of the war, and although the

ld have Bill Woywod for mate. The two had sailed together before. They knew each other, liked each other, worked together hand and glove, for Bill Woywod was a man of the same type as the captain. The captain was getting old, too. He wanted a stouter arm and a quicker eye at his disposal than his own. Besides, Bill hated s

how her heels to many a tramp steamer or lumbering freighter, and even not a few of the older liners. She was

iend. To be sure, there was not much congeniality between them. The only tie that bound them was that boyhood friendship, but both of them were men without kith or kin, and they somehow clung to that association. Woywod was proud of his fr

ly designed for the tired business man, which was extremely congenial to the care-free sailor; and not to go further into details it may be alleged that they had a good time together until far in the night or early in the morning, rather. Harnash was usually not a little ashamed next morning; Woywod, never! With sturdy independence Woywod would alternate being host on t

essity of getting the ship ready quickly for her next long voyage, paid his annual or semi-annual visit to his friend. Now these visits had become so thoroughly a matter of custom that Woywod had established the right of entrance.

ssly and surprised his friend seated at his desk, his face buried in his hands in an attitu

the other's shoulder, and that touch gave Harnash the f

he recognized his visitor, and grasped him by t

t trouble that ever fell on a man, and y

a dark angel, but Woyw

If it's money you're needin' I got

ney. I'm making

to safety? Well, me an' old man Fish is as thick as

t that,

blazes is

wom

n' there ain't no man as ever sailed with me that won't endorse that the

l," interposed Harnash, smiling. "It

p you there unless you want me

tensely comical, as it well might, b

man if there were going

oman?" asked Woywod, goi

exa

d'ye

answered Harnash, and in as few words as possi

he man, do you?" he asked, w

m harmed. I just want

think t

help me I don'

arnestly. "Is this square an' above

a

an' she don't love this other chap whi

ig

it's

t you'd f

t some dark night where I can git a hold of him, with a few drinks in him, an' that'll be all ther

any harm to

him jest as gentle as I

t never kno

might tell yer lady friend that this is a little weddin' present I'm makin' to my old

r part of the transaction. Wh

turns at two o'clock. We

t touch a

if we do git hold of a cable I'll see that he stays safe aboard, in case

ot a wirele

e from Fire Island it's up to Cap'n Fish

's no

treets of New York with all them automobiles runnin' on the wind an' by the wind an' across the wind an' every other way at the same time. It's as much as a man's life is worth to try to

een tomorrow, Wednesday, it would have been di

nd of yourn. Why

he is a friend of mine I tell you I don't want hi

accepts the situation he won't

lieved they indeed expected, without which indeed discipline could not be maintained and the work of the ship properly done. Harnash had some doubts as to Beekman

goin' to be all right, had

er appreciation of the situati

r part an' I'll do mine an' if the man does his part he'll come back to fin

ary that I sh

his name I can call him a damn liar whatever he says it is, with a clear conscience,"