Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-12-24
CHAPTER X.

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 Lougworth came up
the companionway. She approached
him with a smile on her face.
"Weu,' 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
4. It is?"
"No," he answered, hesitatingly.
"What is it?"
'Have YOU forgotten that this is Sun
day morning."
rs 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.
"Ab," he cried, 81 see what you mean
now Miss Brewster's cable message
viii not appear in this mornings New
York Argus"
"Of course it will not; and don't you
oil hot Il 4,
will have an equal chance in the race.
| If we get in before next Sunday, your
telegram to the London people will go
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.
1t 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'tit? 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
tance a steamer, westward bound. 1t
evidently belonged to one of the great
ocean lines. The moment it was sight
ed there fluttered up in the masthead a
number of signal flags, and people
, crowded to 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 veTryuvuT Irrr urrdJrIIt-55
iety, as though their fate depended 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 comet, foated out behind
her, but no notice was taken of the hut-
tering flags at the masthead. For more
than an hour the steamer was in sight;
then she gradually faded away into the
west, and finally disappeared.
This incident had Il very depressing
effect on the passengers Of the disabled
ship. Although every officer had main
tanned there was no danger, yet the
IAOaAAAAE away VI Alitib Ht-tiAbtA ahNllitb
somehow 10 leave them alone, and peo-
pie after gazing toward the west, until
not yestigc Of her remained in the hor-
izon, went back to their deck chairs,
feeling more despondent than ever.
Fleming, however, claimed that if
people were to drown, it was just as
well 20 drown jolly as mournful, and
so he invited everybody to take a drink
at his expense; generous offer, which
all the habitues OF the smolting-room
took advantage Of.
"Aly idea is this" said Fleming, as he
, slipped the cocktail which was brought
! to him; 'if anything happens let it
happenS 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 a disabled vessel; [;
very good; we cannot do anything
about it, and, so long as the bar remains
open, gentlemen, here's TO you'll"
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
clanlting 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 Il mystery
as ever. Shortly before lunch it be-
came evident to the people on board the
ship that something was about to be
done. The sailors undid the fasten-
ings of one of the large boats, and
swung it out on the davits until it hung
over the sea.
Gradually rumor took form, and it
became known that one of the officers
| and some of the crew were about to
make an attempt to reach the coast of
Ireland and telegraph TO Queenstown
for tugs to bring the steamer in. The
captain still maintained that there was
| no danger whatever, and it was only to
prevent delay that this expedient was
about to be tried
''Do you know what they are going
TO do?" cried Edith Longworth, in a
| state OF great excitement, to John Ken
con.
Kenyon had been walking the decr,
with Wentworth, who now had gone
| below.
81 have heard" said Kenyon" that
they intend trying to reach the coast"
Exactly. Now, why should you not
send telegram 20 your people in Lon
| don, and have the reports forwarded
at once? The chances are that Miss
| Brewster win never think of sending
| her cablegram with the officer who is
going to make the trip: then you will
be clear day or two ahead Of her, and
everything will be all right. In fact,
| when she understands what has been
done, she probably viii not send her
message at all"
"By Goorgei" cried Kenyon. that is
a good idea. I will see the mate at
| once and find out whether he viii take
| the telegram"
He went accordingly and spoie to
| the mate about sending message with
/ him. The officer said that any passen-
| ger who wished 10 send tclcgraphic
! message would be at liberty TO do so.
lie would take charge OF the telegrams