The Democratic advocate., 1894-06-30


subvert itself. At times the floor was
almost perpendicular. Now | was lying
fiat upon the outer wall of my cabin; the
next instant | was hanging from the rail
that ran round it, as if | were trapeze
performer All about there was pande-
monium of tumbling things. The sea
thundered against the vessel fearfully, and
again and again there was that horrible
shudder of the screw
Near me clung an old gentleman in night
attire. "a nice thing this !" he beloved
in my ear. To save discussion, agreed
with him that it was very nice indeed.
Across the saloon was the cabin dedicat-
ed to Miss Bradley I detected ghostly
figure there, and made my way over, hold.
ing fast to the chairs and the table. Yes,
it was she, white as the dressing gown that
swathed her graceful figure. She grasp
ed my hand. Her dark eyes gazed into
my face with terrible expression.
"Thank God, you have come to me !"
she cried with passionate earnestness.
We had grown very good friends during
those few blissful days of her convalescence,
but only by maintaining a rigid barrier of
the most respectful ceremony. How |
blessed the accommodating tempest which
made her now speak to me like that
l kept her hand in mine and brought my
face close to hers-I had to do this to make
my consolation intelligible, there was such
a racket "It's all right" L shouted.
"0nly gale of wind. Bit Of sea on.
You're quite right to turn out if you feel
nervous"
She shook her head. "0h, the storm is
nothingI" she replied.
"Nothing at all r' assented scofingly,
as if l had been used to "high seas and
bowling winds" from infancy. But in my
heart l did not agree with her. She must
surely be distinguishing light of it in
panic-stricken bravado, else why was she
so unmistakably over-mastered by fear?
Her face was set like marble; her eyes
glared to right and left; her beautifully
chiselled nostrills shifted the down-draught
from the engine room.
As we stood there in duskiness, clinging
to the side of the cabin and to each other,
she asked, care you sure there is nothing
wrong with the ship-nothing?"
Her tone was so changed that stared
at her for moment through the smother
before asking the counter question: "What
should there be?''
"What is this smoker" she whispered
hoarsely in my ear Before | could an
swer, there was concussion above as if the
very heavens had fallen upon the ship, and
We were both dashed off our feet. fell
with my hand upon some metal-work which
the carpet did not cover 1t was SO hot it
almost blistered me. | quickly scrambled
up, and lifting the almost fainting girl in
both my arr:s, staggered with her to
cushioned nook close by. As | did so,
there came rush of water into the saloon,
sweeping over the floor in waves as the os-
cillation of the vessel flung it from one side
to the other And as the food receded to
mass itself in another quarter, cloud of
steam arose, adding to the denseness of the
prevailing gloom.
The last shock had evoked wall of alarm
from the surrounding cabins, and the saloon
became crowded with people rushing out
of their doors. But when they found the
floor surging with water and that white
vapor floating upward, there was a perfect
shrek of dismay: "The boilers have burst
the boilers !"
Supposing the water to be scalding, [
instinctively placed Millicent Bradley at
full length upon the couch. There was no
time to save myself; and let out an un-
manly yell as the wave tapped me right up
to the knee. 1t seemed to bite the flesh
from my bones. | can stand pain-I used
to play football in England. But you just
put your stockinged feet into boiling water
and try that In a jify / was perched
upon the top of small table, and clapped
my hand to my injured extremities; but,
strange to say, l was not scalded at all.
The water was cold, Others found this
out simultaneously. And yet the steam
was rising.
The meaning of in flashed upon Milli-
cent first of all-or perhaps this phenmenou
only confirmed fear "God help us |" she
cried. 'The vessel is on fire r'
The word flew like lightning. Allrush-
ed pell-mell out of the saloon and up the
stairs to the deck.
"Save me, Horace p gasped Millicent-
in that moment she called me by that name
me, Horace, for the love of Hea-
ven!"
I caught her to my breast like child
she was a very full ll-grown woman, and must
have weighed eleven stone-I. kissed her
cheek, her eyes, her lips, and she never
murmured. Istrode with unswerving steps
to the companionway with that lovely bur-
den soft and supple in my arms. | sprang
up the stairs with confidence l had not
possessed in the calmest of weather, and
presently stood with her on deck, the wind
tearing at us ike legion of devils, and
the rushing masses Of water dashing over
us from head to foot. 1t would have been
too much for me exposed to the full force
of it, had not sailor coiled rope about us
and hitched us up securely. He bound us
heart to heart, and stood with her so
through the flying hours that dragged so
tediously with most people. There and
then and thus told my love to her-and
she listened to me. She made me swear
that IL the ships company had to take to
the boats, would go with her If that
could not be, she begged me to let her stay
and drown with me.
Oh, what glorious time that was; with
the storm beating me almost senseless, the
ship furnace beneath my feet, the utter
hopelessness of boats living in such sea,
should the fire break through the battened-
down matches and drive US from the YES
sci Il
Never shall forget the dawn of that
day; the clouds glaring spitefully as they
fed away before the sun; the waves COVER
ing into sullenness; the storm-wind screech-
ing in bafiied passion--and my deck chair
gone
They had found the fire, and extinguised
it; and with the morning light came the
cry of "Land ahead y from the lookout.
We shonld get through il all safely