two days after being brought to the plantation colonel stanton's fever went down, and the surgeon who came to attend him pronounced the officer much better.
"but he must remain where he is for some time," said the medical man.
"he can remain as long as he pleases," declared mrs. ruthven. "i have no wish to hurry his departure."
she was anxious to learn the truth concerning the colonel's past, yet realized that she must move with caution, otherwise he might be thrown into another fever.
"colonel stanton," she said, seating herself at his side, "were you ever in the neighborhood before—i mean some ten or eleven years ago?"
at this question colonel stanton became immediately interested, and his wide-open eyes showed it.
"i do not know if i was in this neighborhood," he answered slowly.
"you do not know? surely you must remember where you were at the time i mention."
"the time you speak about was a very bitter one to me, madam," was his slow answer.
"and you do not wish to speak about it?" she said softly, seeing the pain in his face.
"i have spoken to nobody about it for years, madam. yet i would not mind speaking to you—you are so kind to me. during the time you mention i took an ocean voyage which was very disastrous to me and mine. the ship went down with all on board, including my wife and child."
"did the ship go down on this coast?"
"she struck somewhere along the coast; where, i am not exactly sure."
"may i ask the name of the vessel?"
"she was the nautilus."
mrs. ruthven's breast began to heave. "it must be true!" she murmured.
"what must be true, madam?"
"the nautilus was wrecked on our coast here, not over half a mile from this plantation."
"you are sure of this?"
"i am. the wreck is still on the rocks in the bay."
"and were you living here at the time?"
"i was, and i know all about the wreck, and so does old ben, the negro who has the boathouse on the shore."
the wounded officer's interest increased.
"i would like to visit that wreck some time, if it is still intact," he said. "i left some valuable papers in a secret closet. it is possible they are still on board."
"do you know who was saved from the wreck?"
"saved? no one was saved."
"you are mistaken—a lady and her child were saved. the lady died two days later, but the child still lives."
"what was the name of that lady? tell me, quick?" gasped the officer, and tried to sit up, but fell back through weakness.
"do not excite yourself, colonel stanton, i beg of you!" pleaded mrs. ruthven, in alarm, fearful of the patient's agitation.
"but tell me the name of that lady—and was the child a boy?"
"i do not know the name of the lady, for she was badly hurt and could not give it. the boy's name was jack."
"jack! my child's name was jack. and you say he still lives?"
"he does. the child is our jack, for my husband and i adopted him."
"your jack? that fine, manly fellow? oh, mrs. ruthven, send him to me at once!"
"i cannot do that just now, colonel stanton."
"if only we can prove he is my son! have you nothing belonging to the lady?"
"yes, i have her clothing, also the little boy's, and some jewelry."
"bring them to me," and now the colonel sank back, too weak to say more.
as much agitated as her patient, mrs. ruthven hurried from the room, and presently returned with the clothing, the lace handkerchief, and the wedding ring.
"they were my darling laura's!" murmured colonel stanton, as he gazed at the things. "and this was little jack's dress. mrs. ruthven, beyond a doubt jack is my son!"
"i suspected as much two days ago, colonel stanton. when you had a fever you spoke of a shipwreck and of the loss of your wife and son jack. yes, jack must be your son. but how were you saved?"
"it is a strange tale, madam. as you know, my wife and my son were washed ashore. i thought them drowned. hours after i found myself, i scarcely know how, clinging to a spar, tossing up and down on the dreary waste of waters, far out to sea."
"and you were picked up?"
"not for twenty-four hours or more. then those on a passing ship espied me, and sent out a small boat to my rescue. i can remember how they hauled me in, and how i shrieked with joy, and then fell to the deck unconscious."
"the exposure was too much for you."
"yes, and it not only affected my body, but likewise my mind, for it is only in a dim, uncertain way that i remember being taken on a voyage of several weeks' duration, and then finding myself in a strange-looking hospital. there i remained for two months, and was then transferred to an insane asylum."
"an insane asylum! colonel stanton, how you must have suffered!" cried mrs. ruthven sympathetically.
"that was not the worst of it, madam. at the asylum i was treated most brutally by a good-for-nothing physician, who did his best to pry into my family affairs."
"and who was that physician, colonel stanton? excuse my curiosity, but i have a strong motive for wanting to know."
"he was a tall, wicked-looking fellow, who went by the name of mackenzie, although i have since learned that his real name is mackwell or mackey."
"dr. mackey! he has been here."
"here?"
"exactly, and he claims jack as his son!"
"the vile impostor!" cried the wounded officer wrathfully. "he is a villain to his very finger tips. it is to him that i owe my long term in the insane asylum. where is he now?"
"that i cannot tell you. i refused to give jack up, for i did not like the looks of the man, and moreover jack did not wish to go with him. i told him he would have to prove his claim at court."
"that was right. if i can get my hands on him, i will either shoot him or place him behind the bars."
"he certainly deserves arrest for plotting to take jack."
"i presume he is scheming to obtain the property which is rightfully mine. during my lucid intervals at the asylum he got me to tell him my story. there was property in england coming to me, and also an estate in virginia coming to my wife. the trip on the ocean was taken to obtain the property coming to laura. he drew from me all the details he could, and then drugged me, so that for a long time i knew scarcely anything of what happened. when i regained my own mind, i learned that he had left the asylum several weeks before, and departed for parts unknown."
"and were you kept at the asylum?"
"i was, for years, for this rascal had put me on the books as being incurable, and subject to attacks of great violence."
"of course he did this to obtain possession of the property."
"undoubtedly."
"it is strange he did not put in an appearance before."
"you must remember he knew no more than i about the exact fate of the nautilus. how he found out the vessel was wrecked here i do not know."
"he has paid the wreck a visit—old ben rowed him over to it!" cried mrs. ruthven, struck with a sudden idea.
"did he bring anything away with him?"
"old ben thought he brought with him a tin box."
"it must have been my box—the one i placed in the secret closet! i must get it away from him. but tell me of jack. when will he be back?"
"i—i cannot say, colonel stanton."
"did you send him away on an errand?"
"i—i did not."
"but he is not here. tell me, is he—is he missing—shot?"
"he is missing, yes. i do not believe he has been shot."
"it must be more of dr. mackey's work," muttered the wounded officer, and then sank down. the conversation had exhausted him utterly, and it was a long while before he spoke again.
