Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-07

the value OF the life of that poor black
+. man against mine?"
F. lyon dreadful mani cried Miss
: Poulter. "There, ] don't believe word
| you say. think you are lion, there"
| and she laughed out such q pretty rip
| pie of silver toned laughter and showed
at the same time such a pretty little
mouth and such dazzling teeth that
Winscombe felt t .oroughly reused from
his lazy lethargy. in which he had given
way TO his intense desire TO tease.
81 fear," he replied, lit is a case of
| lamb in q lions skin, then. only. You
mot have put it on. I've q great
| idea of number enc, Miss Poulter, and
Of the advantage Of whole skin. Ii
would take q great deal to induce me
to attempt practical illustration Of
courage
81 think" remarked Captain Grant,
by way Of filling up n pause that now
| ensued, that / heard remark about
the sea being monotonous. Well, it is
here, as a rule. Perhaps Miss Poulter
will do me the honor to look through
my glass; it's one of extra power. Well
see If you find anything fresh for Us.
It's rare to pass anything just here
abouts. Let me hold the glass for you
Miss Pointer laughed again.
| TO prove my contention that the sea
Is monotonous l ought to shut both
eyes, and. screwing up her pretty face,
She looked more charming and mis-
chievCus than ever, Wiuscombe thought
as he stepped forward and aided the
| G.tn fair in hIi nd obi, tn
long telescope.
Miss Poulter urscrewed her pretty
face. She locked, one Of her attendants
thought, positively radiant, and Wins
combe fels Il thrill as his hand now
touched hers as the telescope was di-
rected toward :;ic distant horizon.
81 sec nothing. | see nothing at all, 3"
she cried. II WIS right; the sea is moro
nonotorous than tic land, ten thou
sand times over, " and she stamped her
little feet on the deck with all the vivac-
ity Of playful, spirited child.
stay" said Winscombc, 1--WE will
shift it little. Now lock again. Is it
all emptiness and heath
Eyes, no. All, VIVA: that: Oh, what
a funny little ship"' The captain was
immediately Interested. Funny little
ship" he repeated. What did the las
sic mean?''
"You lock, captain" she said. offer
ing him the telescope. He adjusted and
looked. Ee locked so long and such a
strange expression came over his face
that both Miss Pointer and Winscombe
grew serious They knew not WHY and
waited, feeling = sort of strange sus-
pense as the captain still kept his glass
steadily directed toward the horizon, on
which il the north they might. if I'M
usually sharp and long sighted. have
seen a curious, minute, dark, triangular
patch against the pearl gray of tie far
distance.
| The captain tucked his tei6 scope un-
der his arm and Gave a meaning glance
at WiuGcombc. t:Cn merely remarking
to Miss Poulter, Yes, it Is funny liz
tie ship" walked away, and presently
they saw him and the mate comforting
together i'll low tones, ne occasionally
indicating by jerk OF his head that
point III the northern horizon where the
dark, triangular spcck could lie Just dis
cerned without tie use of the glass
Miss Poulter ard Winscombe locked
ut each other inGuiringly.
You appear TO have very effectual-
~ reiCted your own argument" Inc
said, smiling. You have found some
thing to break the monotony Of the sea,
after all.
"What are they wetting the sails for,
WONDER" asked Mrs. Pollter
The Hon. Edward Poultor locked with
his respectable Indifference in the di-
rection his wife indicated and saw the
men busily throwing buckets of wafer
on some CT the sails. Il really don't
KNOW" he replied. ITS not our bust.
ness. you know, what the sailors do, -
and he addressed himself to big blue
book which he had conveniently placed
on reading stand by his low deck
chair and was now marking in the mar
gin with "a gold pencil in a manner that
, he deemed cminently official and even
statesmanlike. Winscombe started,
however, at the question of Mrs. Poul:
ter and looked round. Yes, the sailors
were certainly busy pouring water on
!, the sails, and fresh sails were being set.
In a moment the whole truth flashed
across Harry Winscombe's brain, and Us
, he glanced at tho two women before
him ard at the pompous mass of respect.
ability, the Hon. Edward Poulter, a cold
thrill shot to his very heart. Evidently
Captain Grant was Cracking on' all
the canvas lie could and making every
effort TO increase the speed of the Kist.
ma There was but one rational cxplana.
ton, he knew. They were either being
chased or expecting to be chased, and il
really chased it could only be by q pi.
r rate.
'Wetting the sails, Mrs. Poulter, !"
he explained, sis to increase the speed
, of the ship. We have been lying by toe
much today, and 1 suppose the captain
wants to make up for lost time
Mrs. Poulter said languidly she should
go into her cabin and lie down, while
sic felt SO fatigued, looking toward he,
husband for some expression Of sympa.
thy, which he never vouchsafed her on
these occasions, and 10 wonder, as she