The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-03-03

dashed off, as quickly as she could, s
brief and very graphic account of the
disaster which had overtaken the
Caloric. If this account was slightly
exaggerated, Miss Brewster had no
time to tone it down. Picturesque and
dramatic description was what she
aimed at. Her pen flew over the paper
with great rapidity, and she looked up
every now and then, through her state
room window, to see dangling from the
ropes the boat that was to make the at
tempt to reach the Irish coast. AS she
could thus see how the preparations for
the departure were going forward, she
fingered longer than she might other
wise have done, and added line after line
to the dispatch which told of the dis
aster. At last she saw the men take
their places in the long boat. She
hurriedly counted the words in the new
dispatch she had written, and quickly
frcm her purse piled the gold that was
necessary to pay for their transmission.
Then she sealed the two dispatches in
an envelope, put the two piles of gold
into one, after rapidly counting them
again, cast a quick look up at the still
motionless boat, grasped the gold in one
hand, the envelope in the other, AMI
sprang to her feet, but as she did so she
gave a shrek and took step back
ward.
Standing with her back to the door
was Edith Longworth. When she
had entered the stateroom Miss Brews-
ter did not know, but her heart beat
wildly as she saw the girl standing
silently there, as if she had risen up
through the floor.
"What are you doing here?" she de-
manded.
Il am here" said Miss Longworth,
"because wish TO talk with you"
"Stand aside; have no time to talk
with you just now. told you I didn't
want to see you again. Stand aside, l
tell you"
81 shall not stand aside"
"What do you mean?"
81 mean that shall not standSaside ;"
"Then l shall ring the bell and have
you thrust out of here for your impu-
dence."
"You shall not ring the bell," said
Edith calmly, putting her hand over the
white china arrangement that held in
it's center the black electric button.
do you mean to tell me that you in
tend to keep me from leaving my own
stateroom?"
II mean to tell you exactly that"
"Do you know that you can be i'm
prisoned for attempting such thing?"
81 don't care"
"Stand aside, you vixen, or will
strike you"
"Do it,"
For a moment the two girls stood
there, the one flushed and excited, the
other apparently calm, with her back
against the door and her hand over the
electric button. A glance through the
window showed Miss Brewster that the
mate had got into the boat, and that
they were steadily lowering away.
Let me pass, you-you wretch!"
"All in good time" replied Edith
Longworth, whose gaze was also upon
the boat swinging in midair. Jenny
Brewster saw at once that if it came
to hand-to-hand encounter she would
have no chance whatever against the
English girl, who was in every way her
physical superior. She had her en-.
velope in one hand and the gold in the
other. She thrust both of them into
her pocket, which, after some fumbling,
she found. Then she raised her voice
in one Of the most appalling screams
Edith Longworth had ever heard. AS
if in answer to thatear-piercing scream,
there arose from the steamer a loud
and ringing cheer. Both glanced up
to gee where the boat was, but it was
not in sight. Several ropes were dang
ling down past the portfolios. Miss
Brewster sprang up on the sofa, and
with her small hands turned round
the screw which held the headlight
closed.
Edith Longworth looked at her with
out making any attempt to prevent the
unfastening Of the window.
Jennie Brewster flung open the heavy
brass circle which held the thick green
glass, and again she screamed at the top
of her voice, crying "Help!" and "Mur-
der!"
The other did not move from her po-
sition. IN the silence that followed
the steady splash of oars could be
heard, and again a rousing cheer rang
out from those who were left upon the
motionless steamer. Edith Longworth
raised herself on tiptoe and looked out
of the open window On the crest of
a wave, 500 yards away from the vessel,
she saw the boat for moment appear,
showing the white glitter of her six
dripping oars; then it vanished down
the other side of the wave into the
trough of the sea.
"Now, Miss Brewster, you are at lib
erty to CO."