Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-03


CHAPTER TX.
Most Of the passengers awoke next morning
with a bewllderng feeling OF vague apprehen-
sion. The absence of all motion in the snip,
the unusual and intense silence, had de-
pressing effect. The engines had not yet
started that at least was evident. kenyon
was one Of the first on deck. He noticed that
the pumps were stil working at their tulI
speed and that the steamer had still the
ominous list to port Happily, the weather
continued good, so far as the quietness OF the
sea was concerned. a slight driz2le of rain
hsd set in, and the horizon was not many
miles from the ship. There would not De
much chance Of sighting another liner while
such weather continued.
Before Kenyon had been many minutes on
dock Edith LOngwOrth came up the COM
panion-way. She approached him with
smile on her face.
We'll" he said. you at least, do not seem
TO be suffering any anxiety because OF our
situation"
"Really." she replied. 81 was not thinking
of that at all. but about something else. Can
you not guess what it is?' ,,,,,.o.
mo" he answered hesitatingly. what
is it?" ,...
Have you forgotten that this is Sunday
rs ii? OF course it is SO far as am
concerned time seemed to stop when the
engines broke down. But / do not under
stand why Sunday means anything in parti-
cular.'
Don't YOU? Well. for a person who has
been thinking for the last two or three days
very earnestly on one particular subject, am
astonlshcd at you. Sunday morning, and no
lend in sight! Reflect for a moment"
Kenyon's face frightened
"Ah" he cried II Sc what you mean now.
Miss Brewstcr's cable message will not ap-
pear in this mornings New York Argus
"Of course it will not; and don't you see,
also. that when we do arrive you Will nave
an equal chorc. IN the race. Il We get in
before next Sunday your telegram to the Lon
den people will go as quickly as, her cable
dispatch to New York; thus you will be saved
the humiliation Of seeing the substance OF
your report in the London papers before the
ditcc. ors see The r5pot Itself |, Is rot much,
to be sure. but still it will put YOU on equal
terms, white IT, we had got into Queenstown
last night that would have been impossible" "
Kenyon laughed
'Wen." he said "for such result the
cause is rather tremendous, isn't it? 1t Is
something like burning down the house to
roast the pig!
shortly after 10 o'clock the atmosphere
cleared and showed in the distance steamer.
westward bound. 1t evidently belonged to
ons cf the great OCEAN lines. The moment
il was sighted there huttered up to the mast
,head number of signal flags, and people
crowded to the side Of the ship to watch the
effect on the outgoing vessel. Minute after
mirute passed, but there was no response
from the other liner. People watched her
with breathess anxiety, as though their fate
depended on her noticing their signals. OF
course, everybody thought she must see them,
but still she steamed westward. 4 cloud of
black smoke came out Of her funnel, and
then long, dark trail, like the tail OF q
comet aoated out behind, but no notice was
taken of the fluttorng lags at the masthead
For more than an hour the steamer was in
sight then she gradually faded away in the
west and finally disappeared
This incident had very depressing efGec
on the passengers of the disabled ship. Al
though every officer had maintained there
was no danger, yet the floating away Of thai
steamer seemed somehow to leave then
alone and people, after gazing toward the
west until not a Vesttge of her remained
In the horizon, went back to their decl
chairs, feeling more despOndent than ever.
Fleming, however, claimed that if people
werc to drown it was just as well to drowr
jolly as mournful, and so he invited eVerybod!
10 take a drink at his expense; a generou!
offer, which all the hahitues OF the smoking
room took advantage of.
My idea is this said Fleming, as ht
sipped the cocktail which was brought to him
IF anything happens, let it happen; If moth
ing happens, why then let nothing happen
There is no use worrying about anything es
pecially something we cannot help. Here W.
good; we cannot do anything about it, and
so long as the bar remains open, gentlemen
here's to you!'
And with this cheerful philosophy the New
York politician swallowed down the liquoI
he had paid for.
Still the swish OF water from the pumps
could be heard, but the metallic canliini
OF steel on steel no longer came up from
the engine room. This in itself was Cmnou'
to those VINO knew. 1t showed that the en-
gneer had given mp all hope Of repairing
tho damage, whatever ii was and the rea
cause of the disaster was as much a mystery
as ever. Shortly before lunch IL became ev
ident to the people on board the ship tha
something was about to be do.a. The sailor
undid the fastenings of one of the larg,
boats and swung 1t out on the davts until i
hung over the sea.
Gradually rumor took form. and ii becam
known that one Of the officers and some of III
crew were about 10 make an att mpt to reacl
the coast of Ireland and telegraph to Queens
town for tugs to bring the steamer in. Th
captain still maintained that there was n
danger whatever, and it was only to praven
delay that this eXpedent vas about to b.
tried.
do you know what they are going to do?'