Show i t A APonti Romance a cc of the No North I Atlantic C 61 RANDALL RANDAL A cn Ca' Ca YR t g aa c co coV I V AUTHOR o oj-MY oj tW LADY o f 1 Lh r 1 be fonEJr re HOLLIS AND VERA BECOME VERY FRIENDLY THOUGH HE HEIS HEIS IS UNAWARE OF HER MCANN IDENTITY MAKES TROUBLE AND REGRETS ITi IT i Synopsis Robert Robert who tells the story Is a guest on GIrard yacht Esme Esmeralda ralda It Is supposed to be a stag party and Hollis Is s surprised on discovering a woman who evidently wishes to remain unknown aboard Hollis the next night t succeeds In Ini i having an interview with the woman She merely tells him hor har name Is Vera Carrington tells his guests of the he coming war and that he be heIs heis is IB engineering a a. copper pool The yacht is sunk in n a col collision nd I Hollis Hol Hol- Its lis saves McCann millionaire and one oae one of ot the party Hollis and McCann McCann McCann Mc- Mc Cann rescue Vera Vem and find leave th the ship in a small boat I CHAPTER V V Continued 4 I The sight of ot the little craft cratt stanch and buoyant bobbing bobbIns about Just below belowus us in the glow low of light brought back my courage Ay there was a chance here we could get het et free tree of the doomed yacht we were not to perish like drowning rats helplessly To be sure the boat bont was a small one nc a n mere dinghy intended for use in smooth waters waters wa wn why they hid had continued trailing It astern so far tar at sea sea- was a mystery yet et it would bear the three Q of us unless a storm arose There was no time to tose se seek k either blankets or provisions nor J i-J t h 1 5 h. h 4 i i s s s I She Went Down the Rope Hand Over Hand was there any fresh tresh water to be had had had- but at least we need not go down with I Ithe the ship We had still a hope of ot rescue rescue rescue res res- cue a fighting chance God chance God be thanked for tor that 1 My hand closed dosed over hers as she turned and looked at me Never in any eyes ha have ve I seen such sach glimpse of ot steady courage eThe e. e The boat is strong stanch she will carry us Mr Hollis Houis Ay dy I this Is better than I dared hope But there Is no time to lose the yacht is settling fast see fast see those bubbles babbles of air Why I can almost feel teel the droop of ot the planks beneath my feet teet Here McCann bear ar a hand I Pull yourself yourself your your- self Belt up by that flag locker now get a grip riP here Are you sailor enough to elide down that rope rope He stared at the boat bobbing up and down on the black water with v lackluster eyes It uIt-lt uIt It will sink he half balf sobbed it it it Is almost full of ot water Sink nothing my disgust rising I a beyond control It will hold twice 1 your weight Down with you and bail ball Vi Then stand by to help the lady Indy Over you yon go my lad If I have to pitch you headlong this Is no time to argue tho the matter Will you try it quietly He stared up Into my face but bat his biB fear of ot me must have been greater reater than of ot the lapping water below forthe for the strands of ot the rope slipped sUpped through I his fingers and an instant later he heI I clambered into the bow of ot the boat bon and sank onto his knees in the water r To my relief the dory did not sink greatly beneath his weight the water shipped proving scarcely ankle deep r 1 It would support the three of ot us without without with with- j out balling The yacht rolled to starboard starboard starboard star star- t board taid fairly burying her ber rail I thought 1 she would never rise again and my I arms clasped the girl to hold her ber I II I steady Then the hulk rose slowly I painfully like Uke a 0 giant struggling for forone forone one last breath No words can cnn describe 1 the dead sodden feeling of ot the sinking hulk under us u I. I CHAPTER Vi VI Adrift In the Boat I 1 1 To c cling ng there longer to delay another moment would be suicide I j leaned far tar over and looked down at nt atthe atthe the dinghy now rising and falling tailing on the I swell caused by the plunge of ot the yacht McCann was upon his knees I clinging dinging to the gunwales his face turned upward pleadingly toward the light Catch this lantern McCann I 1 called down to him sharply I will swing it to you on tho the end of a rope Easy man i t Now Now- throw off ott the lash lash- f. f ing and make the glim gUm secure on the thwart behind you better tie it to the lock Good you youtH ll m make ke n a sailor yet Now listen work your boat over until you can get t a grip on the rudder chains and hold her steady yes steady yes to your right use one of ot the oars Now hang on Im on Im I'm going to send the lady Indy down stand by 16 to give her a hand He lie did as ns I bade him in a fashion but was so awkward about it I wondered wondered wondered won won- dered the boat kept upright Satisfied I glanced aside at my Not a very easy gangway but the best we have hn Are Arc you ou afraid 1 She smiled Not Kot In the least Mr bills these skirts are a nuisance but I can climb like a bo boy Help me keep my balance on the rail She was over o so quickly I can scarcely scarcely scarce scarce- ly recall more than clasping her arm armand armand and she went down the rope hand over overhand overhand overhand hand as lightly as a sailor By the time she reached the boat her body was half submerged in the water but McCann gave her his hand and find assisted assist assist- ed in dragging her in over the side I 1 am all nil right Mr Hollis she called in her clear steady voice Now you come come come-come come quick I Just a second more I answered Here is the line haul it in Get out your oars McCann and pull Dont Don't wait walt or you'll youn be sucked down when the yacht sinks Never mind me Ill I'll jump from the rail ran and swim out to you I climbed onto the rail ran gripping an iron stanchion for support and poised myself for tor the plunge The boat bont sur- sur sounded by its little circle of ot light drifted away McCann awkwardly struggling with the heavy beavy oars The lantern rays fell full on the girls girl's upturned upturned upturned up up- turned face and once she held out her hands in pleading gesture It could scarcely have been a minute I hesitated hesitated hesi hesi- yet suddenly beneath me came a n sound of ot rending wood a muffled explosion explosion ex ex- and the deck reeled as ns though burst asunder I leaped leape straight outward outward out out- ward and went splashing down into the sea I must ha have e sunk deeply for tor I felt no no swirl of the waters no suction but when I came again to the surface nothing was visible but the bobbing lantern on the dinghy The Esmeralda had disappeared A faint taint cry reached me me- and I answered it it striking out strongly toward the guiding gulding light Five minutes later dripping and a bit exhausted ex ex- hausted for or for I had been ashore a long while while I t managed to clamber in over ver the stern Even as I rested breathless on the thwart I realized that the girl had hod crept af aft and her bands hands sought mine I I Oh I am Dm so o glad she sobbed al almost almost almost al- al most hysterically I was afraid I II II II I- I I thought you went down with the yacht No such luck I jumped just as her decks blew up Is there anything in la insight insight sight I I 1 I haven't looked but there is no sound no light anywhere Do you suppose the steamer has hns really left leftus leftus leftus us I have no doubt of ot It It I answered but stood up so 80 as to see about more clearly They supposed all who lived h had d been picked up and then continued on their course course My eyes ranged the horizon but but I found nothing We were alone on the great ocean in the grasp of ot the black nl night ht I sat sat down again dazed for tor the Instant by t the e immensity immensity- of ot the Wn wa- wa waters waters the utter loneliness and the sudden sudden sud sud- den rc realization of the littleness of ot this cockleshell In wh which ch we floated Her voice olce aroused me to a comprehension that I alone was a sailor and that on me depended every chance bance for life Do you know Mr Hollis w where ere we weare weare weare are Not exactly y I heard the captain state the position of the yacht yesterday yesterday yester ester day noon about one hundred and fifty miles east enst and south of ot Montauk we have nave drifted some since Are we e in the steamer lanes Not of ot the north Atlantic liners they would pass farther eastward I cannot imagine what that fellow who rammed us was doing up in here so 50 fa tar far out of ot his course Yes that was u a aliner 1 liner I could see the lights of or he her herport ports port The only vessel passing alon along here will be coasters or b by luc luck possibly pos pos- sibly some some tramp bound Bo Boston iton way Now lets let's see what is s on board try th the locker forward and Miss Vera you yoa might examine beneath the stern sheet This boat has never been Inboard sine since we sailed palled They went at the task as os thou though h glad of ot the opportunity McCann cr creepIng creepIng creep creep- tp- tp Ing forward on hands and knees Theres nothing here he reported discouragingly but a roll of ot tarpaulin lin Ilu some rope ends and the d handle of ot a paddle Well what more do we want That means q sail If we can enn make a hole iI in one of the thwarts to step n a mast How lIow much cloth Is there Two or three yards Puss Pass It back hc here re good solid stuff that Now Miss Vera Vent what are yo your your r discoveries 2 She loo looted looked ed up quickly her eyes sparkling in n the dim then gleam of at the lan lan- ternA ternA tern A bag of sea biscuit a small beaker of water insipid but sweet some strong cord and a n brad awl I Lord ord 1 I exclaimed this is almost st too go good d to be true Wh Why we are outfitted outfitted out out- out outfitted fitted for tor a voyage vo However there is little use endeavoring to rig up a jury mn mast t before daylight da when wilen we know in which direction to steer McCann you ou haven't been overboard and no doubt your watch runs what time is it He lIe fumbled about and found t the timepiece staring at nt it in amazement Must have stopped Hollis he said No b by jove dove the tile thing Is running allright allright all allright right the hands point to 1 30 about the hour The collision collision colli coUl- sion slon occurred before eight bells or else Seeley Seele would have been on the Ule bridge Instead of ot aft by the cabin Have you any idea who was saved I heard the captains captain's voice back there under the awning ordering out the boats and after I was caught under that wreckage Carrington came came up up from below and und climbed along the rail I called to him but he lie paid no attention atten atten- attention tion there was considerable noise then and he might not have hac heard m me Vera was leaning forward listening Did Mr Seeley leave In the boats bonts she asked Was Vas he hurt hurU I tried to stop him from answering i by a gesture of ot m my hand but the man was gazing out over o the port quarter and saw nothing t I Seeley the Seeley the second mate No he didn't get away The same spar that got me caught him and he never spoke after that seemed like a n nice fellow too Her face was like marble in the lamplight lamplight lamp lamp- light He was killed Then it was because because because be be- cause he was killed he did not unlock not unlock my door I I-I I I am nm glad I 1 know She burled her face ince in la her hands bands and sat there motionless There was nothing I could do or say for I I had bad no conception ns fis to what the man was to her her lover lover husband father friend Truly only the last relationship appeared appeared appeared ap ap- ap- ap possible for tor seemingly there could be no closer ties tics 8 between the two They were clearly of ot the same class yet the girls girl's sor sorow sv was evidently real and genuine Ii To relieve my mind I compiled McCann McCann McCann Mc Mc- Cann to pick up a which l had lodged under a thwart and bi bl blout out the boat He crept about t to himself but did a n fairly good jot jol As Asno Asno Asno no water ooze oozed In through the learns earns we were soon floating g with much greater buoyancy the planking underfoot underfoot under underfoot I foot rapidly drying The night was dark and thick but without rain My wet cloths clothes clung to to tome me In n discomfort yet I had no rio reason to fear evil results as the theair theair theair air was warm and the salt water Tater had Its own virtue It It was a gray ghostly ghastly morning the sky overcast the great surges bearing down upon us ever racing rac rae ing toward our little cockleshell terrifying ter ter- In their aspect The bow of ot the dinghy rose to them buoyantly enough but the broad e expanse of troubled trou troubled trou- trou bled waters stretching nil all about the black cloud shadows overhead and the little boat i In which we were tossed combined to bring to me a feeling akin to despair The only hope was the possible overhauling of some passing ship but the lowering sky scarcely enabled enabled en en- me to see clearly a 8 hundred yards even even In the light of ot the gray 1 k E t It It Was Wars Wasa a Gray G st Morning dawn dawn A easily rescuing T vessel verse Ss 1 night might y pass 1388 us by w a e ot of a tt b l Lie e uns unseen en nor had w we an i Jeans ans of at n nt acting attention attention I J I-J COnfesS that sitt sit sit- ting there ern hi n lonell ring bou abou about into t the grim a expanse o and sea sen 1 I fell foil into a n. blue funk fonk Nor or was as ns I greatly heartened when the sun finally rose above the h horizon for It was 9 n no ao nomore more vIsible than a sullen red led glO barely through the of ot vapor Clou ud and only rendering mole Inore mostly bBs y than the ever ever the g heaving le leagues agues ot of Ocean oceon M My Y gl glance nce turned d o R and d to my companions In the boat sti still Mann eDt with head hend his arm OD Oa H. H A R i 1 but the woman ln lay with her eyes wide open looking upward at nt the drifting spume Her eyes met mine and she sheat sat at up P grasping the gunwale with ith one hand and stared about her over ver the drear expanse of or sea There Is nothing In sight she spoke wearily wenry Are you sure Mr Carrington Car Car- made his rIngton escape As liAs certain as I can cnn be I did no not see him after I left the party in the after alter cabin last lust evening But McCann Insists that he lie came on deck am and j joined the others in lowering the tile boats Beyond dou doubt t he lie got away safely am and andas as was picked up by the liner She was silent for tor some Borne time he her gaze on the man sleeping in the bows lIe He rolled over revealing his face gray and haggard in the dawn Who Who who is that man she ques ques- You call him McCann Is he hea a sailor No he was one of ot the guests He HeIs Heis Heis is a rich mans man's son who wh occasionally takes a flyer on Wall Van street Not Not Not-not not Fergus McCann I believe that is his name now that tha you recall It Why Did you ever eve know the fellow Only by re reputation which is no not the best He was involved rather unpleasantly unpleasantly un un- p pleasantly in the Bascom shooting case Aye I remember I read about th the affair in a Chicago paper at the time but failed to comprehend it was WIlS this McCann who was Involved Did Bascom Bascom Bas Bag com die He will be crippled for life Ufe o ot of course his assailant may not have been entirely to blame blame It it was a drunken quarrel over a woman Well I said quietly the tithe man 1 Is In for tor a n Job of sailor work here whether er it pleases him or not He acted a abit abit abit bit sullen last Just night but I am in n no mood Just now to baby him Have you ever cyer steered a n boat bont with an nn oar MIss Mis Vera Vern I have dono done lots of canoeing and last summer |