The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-01

The tender hands were cut and torn, the
nails broken and bleeding, and still the
door remained fast. not an lncn could she
move II. The cabin was IN the stern OF
the vessel. and the only windows were
round portfolios, which were screwed fast,
and could De opened at the best Of times
only by an effort of strength OF which she
was incapable. But desperation neryed
her to renewed efforts, and she stroye with
all her might to turn the iron handle
which locked the covers, bat in vain.
1t seemed to her that hours bad passed
since she closed that door behind her. the
door which had proved deathtrap to her.
The vessel was now rolling each moment
more heav Willy. the water had risen so high
IN the hold that the deck as but little
above the surface. only few moments
more remained and she would be carried
down. down into the depths, drowned IN
the little room IN which he had passed so
many happy hours.
She gave up the struggle. Death was
coming fast. Nothing she could do would
retard his march by even one moment.
For long hours lit seemed to herr she sat
while the roll OF the vessei became more
and more sluggish. the water rose higher
aud higher across me windows. 1t began
to tricsle in through he closed port. She
wondered stupidity whether il would reach
the cabin iD suficien. quantity TO drown
her atonce or whether she would 1--we Tor
hours while the water came IN slowly but
surely through the ciose.shut door and the
locked porthUe.
Then the present faded away and she
was again the merry schoolgirl playing
about with the boy who had even at that
early day been more TO her than any other
of Der rlaymates. Little they thought in
those early days of this terrible thing
which had come upon her.
Then she remembered the happy days
ryb an hn IF
that sooner or later she and he
might be together at sea far
away from the rest of the world.
but not once had they thought OF being
separated in the hour of death. Death !
Could 1t be that death stood. cold and
dread. by her side? that she was here.
shut in to drown, while he, her lover. her
husband, was in safety without?
Again she sprang up and strove with all
herpuny might TO tear open the cruel
dOor, but it moved not
She threw herself face downward upon
the floor and in dumb despair waited for
the end. She thought that night must be
at hand. for surely it had been many hours
since she had entered the little cabin.
3 Suddenly she heard strange sound
above the rush and rustic of the entering
water. Was the end at hand? That
crash on deck must be the fall Of a mast
or the SQUAD of a disastrous accident
which would end all in a short moment
more.
But life and strength came back to her
with rush, for abnve the rattle and crash
she heard her usband's voice calling her
name in accents of terror.
Shrek after shrek broke from her stiff
fened lips and then came rush of feet to
the door. Blow alter blow fell upon its
strong surface, and as it fell in she was
caught in her husbands arms and borne
falnting 10 he deck. where she found
several OF the crew.
Quickly she was lowered into the boat
waiting by the side of the ship, and
stsong arms pulled franlicaliy at the oars
to force the boat beyond the reach of the
suction which must come with irresistible
power when the snip, now trembling for
its last plunge, should be drawn down into
tile blue depths. Before the. boat had
crossed half the short distance bew cen
the laundering snip and the waiting
steamer there came low cry from the
sailors, anesleoking tack she saw the-erafi,
which had been her home, sink slowly
down, down beneath the waves.
That was the last she knew for days.
When reason returned she found that she
had been taken 10 hotel, and had been
lying in stuDor for days. It was more
than week since the wreck of the Fox.
When able to talk and to listen she
learned that when she left the side
of the mate he had supposed she
had decided to wait for the captain ana
had therefore left the ship with his boat.
The ca plain supposed that she was safe In
the first boat and had not learned his mis-
take until both men had stood upon the
deck of the steamer. Then a rush had
been made for the sinking ship aud she
had been rescued just in time. Five min
utes more and not Only she but those who
had buried 10 her aid would have been
carried down with the doomed ship.
At longest she had been alone no more
than half an hour. and probably not tina,
length of time. She could scarcely be-
lieve 1t when she remembered the weary
hours she had passed alone there, but a
last they convinced her of the truth
When she left her cabin on that fate
full morning her hair was dark glossy