Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-07-09

rushed up and down the deck until ob- served that everybody was bursting with laughter. Suddenly under the lee of the captains cabin I came upon Millicont Bradley. Her proud gray eyes were dim and lusterless, the full, firm contour of the face was gone, and her rich complexion had changed to putty color. The self re- liant mouth sank at the corners and was partly open, as if she lacked the vital energy to press her pallid lips together.
 As stopped before her and stared with astonishment and distress she opened her eyclids just another sixteenth of an inch and murmured in the most die away tone: "Oh, Mir. Franklin, I'm afraid I've got your chair. Do tako itl Please take it!'
 Of course I was instantly at her side, imploring her to keep the blessed chair for ever, to wear it for my sake-not that she showed the slightest disposition to give it up.
 For three days I waited upon her hand and foot, helped her up and down tho companion stairs, tempted her with del icacies told her funny stories-nOt about seasickness-recited poetry to her-my own, unpublished, and-yes, flirted with her.
 And she! Oh, it did her goodNbright- ened her up amazingly. She talked better than n phonograph, and we were all in all to each other. The doctor was a bit of a nuisance, presuming upon his medical privileges, you understand. And the cap tain pcstercd us, but got my grip, as We used to say when I rowed in the college eight, and I pulled right through, giving them my wash all the time.
 And so we drew nearer to Sandy Hook. And although I had to sit upon n camp stool while I watched over her in my law full capacity of landlord of the deck chair I never enjoyed crossing so much in my life, and I've been over the Atlantic about 20 times on business.
 But M!thin days sail of New York n disaster fell upon the ship, so terrifying, so lurid, so indcscribably horrible, that you will think me inconsistent in declaring that it incrcased my happiness a hundred fold and gave me in one hideous moment all the concentrated joy of a lifetime.
 It had come on to blow again. \ great bank of huhbling purple clouds had arisen in the northwest as the night closed in, and while I was helping Miss Bradley down the companiOnway, driven from the deck by the ugly, threatening aspect of the sky, blast of wind struck the vessel, keeling her over with a suddenncss that forced me to cling with all my might to the banister, and Miss Bradley with all hers to my neck. For nearly q minute my chin rcposed against the top of her head, but that ecstasy was vouchsafed to me no longer. As the ship righted, Milliccnt parted from me, sprang down the few rC- maining stairs, grabbed at a hand rail and whisked away to her cabin sans adicuX.
 struggled back to the deck for the rugs and cushions and found the vessel cnvcl- oped in n furious storm. Already it was dark, and the Atalanta was plunging like a restivc horse, the sea coming in floods | pyar b0 IilyynrES and tho XEinl ~ and shrieking among the cordaGc and | clustering against the big roaring funnel. | The rain came down in slanting sheets of water, and the sailors were shouting to | each other and warning the passengers who had delayed getting below. l lust one | of my rugs, and how l saved my life I can hardly tell. My deck chair left strapped ] to its moorings and took refuge in the smokeroom with half n dozen other white faced fellows
 | With the greatest difficulty we got to our staterooms, and I clambcrCd into my berth, simply shedding my tOpcoat on the | floor and kicking off my sopping shoes. | lay on my back with my elbows wedgcdl against the sides of the bunk, to prevent myself being pitched out by the violent rolling of the ship, and listened to the | smashing of glass and CrOckCry, the crash of hat boxes, bags and other unsecured 1 lElIltS WHICH McEt aLpuI llhC pll- | in dice box, and to the shuddcring whirl | of the scrcw as the water dropped away | from our stern and left the great 1langCs | to beat the air. The steward came auG. ] put the lights out, Il rcd tape prOCCeding which added to the awfulnCsS of things in | general. Then 1 began to get inSuffcrably | warm. It was summer time, and with | pOrtholcs closed the atmosphere below | decks was always stuify; but never bcfurJ ' .NW Ill ] that we had got into the gulf strcam, oI
 something of that sort, and they had closed ! all the vcntilatOrs for the sake of keeping
 the ship water tight.
 had to lie there in a bath of perspira
 tion, for could not get relief by taking
 of my clothes. To unwCdgc myself in ortlcl
 to make the attempt would have resulted
 in my rolling out on to tho floor, whCr,
 my shoes and a water bottle, and n care
 less companion's razor case were having {
 perfect frolic together.
 grew parched with thirst.
 Every moment the air became morc un
 breathablc. Ten minutes morc, and I gaspC~ | aloud, "I must get out of this or dici"
 flung myself down, taking my chance O
 the razOrs, and grOped out of the door
 A stifling fog hung in tho saloon. Tn
 dim light of q swinging lantern showed 1
 mo. PcCring about mo with almost blind
 ed eyes, 1 perceived that from every state
 room abutting on the saloon one or nlor
 passengers had crcpt out like myself anC
 were standing at each opening like spec tcrs, holding on desperately to anything
 The saloon seemed to he doing its hast [, subvCrt itself At times the floor was al most pcrpcndicular Now l was lying IA upon tho outer wall of my cabin; the mex instant I was hanging from the rail thI
 ran round 1t, as if l wcrc a t-apczc pc , former. All about there was n panCcn, , nium of tumhling things. The sea thur , 1 dered against the vessel fearfully, an . , again and again there was that horrib
 shudder of the scrcw.
 . Near me chung an old gentleman
 night attire. A nice thing this!'' he bC , lowed in my ear. To save discussion ; agreed with him that it was very nice il = decd.
 Across the saloon was tho cabin dctl
 catcd to Miss Bradley. detected n ghOs
 ly figure there and made my way owe
 holding fast to the chairs and tho tabl , Yes, it was she, white as the drcssir : gown that swathcd her graceful flgur 7 She grasped my hand. Her dark cy gazed into my face with q terrible expre . sion.
 Thank God, you have come to mo she cried, with passionate earnestness. We had grown very good friends duriI those few blissful days of her convalC n cence, but only by maintaining a rig
 barrier of the most respectful ceremon . How blessed tho accommodating tempe which made her now speak to me like thG kept her hand in mine and brought II . face close to hcrs-I had to do this to ma my consolation intclligible, there was SUI . racket Its all right!' I shoutc
 ''Only u gale of wind. Bit of a seq O 1, 1 You're quite right to turn out if you f, nervous.''
 !" She shock her head. "Oh, tho storm le nothing'' shc replied.
 .. ssNOthinp at allI' nsSpnted scoffip Ol