The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-17


leaves and continually wet my head with
salt water.
1t was about o'clock and Miss Vanhoof
was sleeping quietly. when the maid stole
up behind me. l was standing against the
must. Putting her hands upon my shoul-
ders she Kissed into my ear, II want some
thing to drink"
II can't help it, I returned, as I shook
myself free and faced her, you threw the
kegs overheard, you know. l am very
sorry, but il you are thirsty it is your own
fault
She laughed at me. Guess you want
me to believe that lie." she said, shut
you've got water, / know. and l want
some"
There is no water on the raft" re-
piled. $50 sit down and be quiet"
Instead of obeying me she began to
search among the parcels and packages
and 10 fling them about, quite regardless
whittier she cast them.
''You will throw something overheard if
you are not careful" l said, sternly. "Sit
down or shall have to tie your hands,"
She laughed again. 'Tie nv handsw
she exclaimed in derision. Guess Pll
jump overheard first"
Seeing that she was preparing TO put
her mad threat at once into execution |
sprang upon her and seized her by the
shoulders.
Dom be insane" said. "You are no
worse off than we are. Wait and hopeP
and opened for her tin of preserved
lowed with avidity. Now" continued,
unless you will promise not to make any
further attempt upon your life l shall
really be Obliged to tie you to the mast"
The girl sulkiy gave the required prom
ise, but couple of hours later we caught
her soaking her handkerchief in salt water
and squeezing 1t into her mouth. and by
sunset her senses had completely left her,
| aud she was chatting insanely to herself.
"Y ou must Sleep" said Miss Vanhoof to
me. "or you will die. You have had no real
sleep for more than three days"
II am beginning to think" / replied.
that shall not sleep any more until L
sleep for good. l cannot leave you alone
with her. She might murder you, or push
both Of us overheard: But yon can sleep.
Sleep while you can"
NO." she returned: 81 shall not lie
down tonight. If anything were to hap
pen to you we should all be lost, and l see
how weak and tired you are already. Be-
sides, l have slept we'll to-day"
The maid had begun to moan petulantly
for water, but there was nothing to be
done for her.
Are you not thirsty, too. Miss Van
hoof?" l asked.
Yes; my mouth feels like brown paper.
but 1t Is useless to grumbie. You are as
badly of, am sure. What shall we do if
we are not picked up? We shall 60 mad.
too shall we nOt?"
turned away without replying, and for
the hundredth time that day swept the
horizon with my glass. The sun had Just
dipped In the west, and sky and ocean
were Redeemed as with the hue of blood.
What Is tbat?" | calculated. starting
and pointing aDxiously across the ruddy
waters at black object which stood out
against the dazzling glow of the sunset.
q hQt
maid. who leaped to her feet, and with ex-
traordinary tokens of excitement went to
the very edge OF the raft aud gaZed in
tently in the indicated direction. 1t was
sail. few moments swept away all
doubt upon that score; and, moreover. il
was approaching US. Poor Miss Vanhoof,
who until then had so admirably retained
her self-contrOl. uttered a cry of Thank
God! ~ and sank first to her knees and
then senseless and inanimate prone on
deck.
was in the act Of STOPPING to attend to
her when the maid, with yell as of a
demon. jumped beadlong into the sea-
flung her ropes cpd. but she declined
to take hold of it; and. as it was evident
that she could not swim. / hurriedly tied
the other end of the rope TO the mast, took
the slack in my left hand and leaped after
| the would be suicide.
The water was like ice, and was woe-
fully weak. but by great efforts / managed
| to reach the drowning woman and to prasn
| her by the hair. She struggled Violently.
| Twice she grasped me by the throat and
had to choke her off, and when at last she
was senseless and struggled no more was
so exhausted that / could not even pull on
the rope. the end of which | still retained.
| The cramp took hold of me and lost
| hope. L remembered the rescuing shin
that was so near at hand and the
dispatches which l was carrying to
hnr a. not
looked up for moment at the still, gior-
| ious beauty of the evening sky and then
| closed, as | thought, forever. But nv time
had not come. Miss Vanhoof had opened
her eyes and had seen what had happened.
| Not many yards from her / was struggling
in the sea. But gently hauling on the rope,
which L fortunately clutched convul-
slvelv in nv need, she drew me 20 the
RATS side and dragged me- senseess on
| board.
half an hour later the ship Rosicrucian.
| five days out from st. Johns, Newfound-
land, and bound for London, came along
side and lowered boat. At first the peo-
pie believed that both Miss Vanhoof and
l were dead, and it was not until the fol-
| lowing day that l awoke from the coma
tose state into which L had fallen while
attempting to save the wretched girl.
whose efforts TO destroy herself had ulti-
| mately been but too successful Even then
! little save ask my whereabouts. 1t was
not until Sunday that appeared on deck.
but in the meantime | had seen Miss Van
hOof.
/ do not recollect that there was any
Iove-making between us. l only remem-
Der that as she sat by my cot took her
hand. and that it seemed to me to be the
most natural thing In the world that [
should ask her to be my wife, aud that she
should say. Yes. THE love-making came
afterwsrd; so. at least. / judge from a
remark of the genial skipper. who, as we
were coming up channel, found us one
evening behind the wheelhouse and said !:
"Wa'aIi OF all the spooney, mooney,
self satisfied. EXCLUSIVE pairs as ever /
clapped eyes on you air bv some chalks
the very wustest couple. No! Don't you
Inconvenience yourselves. Miss Vanhoof
and Mr.. Hsrrick. Bless you! I've been
through the mill myself. But" with a
wink at me. "see here. Miss Vanhoof,
don't you give your affections to no reb
Mr.. Herrick is reb. and fo't along with
General Lee. That's So" with another
wink, "eh. Mr.. Herrick?" But 1t was too
late. Celia Vanhoof had made up her
mind.-Romance.