The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-11-06
CHAPTER TX.

Most of the passengers awoke next
morning with a bewil;iering feeling of
vague apprehension. The absence of all
motion in the ship. the unusual ard in
tense silence, had depressing 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 still working at their full
speed, and that the steamer had still the
ominoUs list to port. Happily the
weather continued good. 50 far as the
quietness of the sea was concerned. A
slight drizzle of rain had set in, and
the horizon was not many miles from
the ship. There would not be much
chance of sighting another liner while
such weather continued.
Before Kenyon had been many min
utes on deck Edith Longworth came up
the companionway. She approached
him with smile on her face.
'Well." he said, you. at least. do not
seem to be suffering any anxiety be-
cause of our situation"
Really" she replied. 81 was not
thinking of that at all, but about some
thing else. Can you not guess what
it is?''
NO" he answered. hesitatingly.
''What is it?'
Have you forgotten that this is Sun
day morning."
as it? Of course it is. So far as
am concerned. time seemed to stop when
the engines broke down. But do not
understand why Sunday means any
thing in particular"
Don't you? Well, for a person who
has been thinking for the last two or
three days very earnestly on one partic-
ular subject, / am astonished at you.
Sunday morning. and no land in sight!
Reflect for moment"
Kenyon's face frightened.
All" he cried. Il see what YOU mean
now. Miss Brewster's cable message
will not appear in this mornings New
York Argus
''Of course it will not; and don't you
see, also, that when we do arrive you
will have an equal chance in the race.
If we get in before next Sunday, your
telegram to the London people will 60
as quickly as her cable dispatches to
New York; thus you will be saved the
humiliation of seeing the substance of
your report in the London papers be-
fore the directors see the report itself.
It is not much, to be sure, but still it
puts you on equal terms, while if we
had got into Queenstown last night that
would have been impossible"
Kenyon laughed.
"Well," he said, "for such a result the
cause is rather tremendous, isn'titP 1t
is something like burning down the
house to roaSt the pig!"
Shortly after ten o'clock the atmos-
phere cleared and showed in the dis
lance a steamer, westward bound. 1t
evidently belonged to one of the great
ocean lines. The moment it was sight
ed there fiuttered up in the masthead
number of signal flags. and people
crowded 10 the side of the ship to watch
the effect on the outgoing vessel. Min
ute after minute passed, but there was
no response from the other liner. Peo-
pie watched her with breathless anX-
6 NAAOur Al lAieAA - * NdO BN4lGtu On
their noticing their signals. OF course,
everybody thought that she must see
them, but still she steamed westward.
A cloud Of black smoke came out of her
funnel and then long, dark trail, like
the tail OF q comet, fioated out behind
her, but no notice was taken of the flut-
tering flags at the masthead. For more
+haY, N
then she gradually faded away into the
west, and finally disappeared.
This incident had very depressing
effect on the passengers OF the disabled
ship. Although every officer had main
tanned there was no danger, yet the |
floating away of that steamer seemed |
somehow to leave them alone, and peo- |
pie, after gazing toward the west, until |
not vestige of her remained in the hor- |
lion, went hack to their deck chairs, |
feeling more respondent than ever.
Fleming. however, claimed that if |
people were to drown, it was Just as |
well 10 drown jolly as mournful, and |
so he invited everybody to take drink
at his expense; generous offer, which /
all the habitues of the smoking-room
took advantage Of.
My idea is this" said Fleming, as he
slipped the cocktail which was brought
to him; If anything happens let it
happen; if nothing happens, why then
let nothing happen. There is no use
worrying about anything. especially
something we cannot help. Here we
are on the ocean in disabled vessel;
very 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 liquor he had paid for.
Still the swish of water from the
pumps could be heard. but the metallic
clanking Of steel on steel no longer
came up from the engine room. This
IN itself was ominous TO those who
knew. 1t showed that the engineer had
given up all hope of repairing the dam
age, whatever it was. and the real cause
OF the disaster was as much a mystery