The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-02
The Voyage.

1
and said in an anxious but business-like
tone:
you got my telegram-Miss Percy
| Bartwell of Denver"
Yes" he replied
Then, you have stateroom for me?''
YES" he answered again, 'but YOU
| know this ship is making a round trip TO
| Honolulu and does not go 10 Japan?"
That will be all right" she said, as
| she paid her fare. BY the time the gang
plank was hauled in and the ship had
| cast off she was safely quartered in her
| stateroom.
The understandable journey through the
Golden Gate, with all the glorious play of
| color and contrast and scene, seemed to
have no attraction for her Not until
! the ship with the happy crowd of trav-
Pliers was well out to sea did she make
her appearance on deck. She was of me-
| dunn height, well built and perfectly
! dressed. Even the dust and WEAKNESS of
a long railroad ride had not dulled the
beauty of her blue eyes, nor paled the
glow of her fine complexion.
| It takes several days to find out that
| the Captain of ship is not an Informal
| ton bureau and after that sensible peo-
| pie leave him to his uncommunicative
| ways.
| Miss Percy Hartwell began where the
| Others left off She did not ask Captain
| Wheelton questions. In some way which
made the others jealous she compelled
| him to seek her. In sunshine and in
| storm she was equally in evidence, and
after a while the grizzled old Captain
| began to admire her seaworthy qualities.
| She was cheerful, she was interesting,
and she was full of yigor and common
| sense. Like every good diplomatist she
| Il H. cI,a cd
| ct, and then with a smile which would
have won the confidence of any man who
had spark of feeling left, she said in
a calm voice that had in it an undertone
| of pleading which even steamship cap
! tain could feel:
| Captain, 1 want to be prefectly frank
| with you. 1 understand, of course. that
| this is an excursion to Hawaii and re-
! turn. Now l do not like excursions at
all. and a few DAYS ago 1 had no idea of
| coming on this trip than OF going up in
a. balloon. My reason in coming was the
! hope that you might overtake the trans
! port David, which sailed twenty-four
hours ahead of you. There is some one
on that ship that must see. and
| thought there was a possibility of over
! taking the vessel before we reached Hon
| oIulu. Now, I want to ask you frankly
! if you think it can be done? She Is
| slower than you are.'
The Captain looked al her with his
| weather eye opened wider than usual,
and she continued:
do not give me one of your excursion
replies, but think over it and figure it
| OUT
| Wei, well, well!" he exclaimed, but
| before he could answer a call itook him
away.
Miss Percy Hartwell's next efforts were
exerted upon the chief engineer, whom
she managed to meet, and whose engine
room she visited, distributing weIl-bal-
anced praise that pleased the old Scots
man nightly. The result was that in
the course of forty-eight hours she had
these two worthless of the ship calculating
| for her benefit, and when she finally drew
from them the points that they might
overtake the David some hours before
they reached Honolulu, she expressed
satisfaction, and then the captain let
her into an official confidence.
You must not mention it," he said,
but we have important dispatches from
the government which we must deliver
to the David if possible
The voyage went on pleasantly and
swiftly, and Miss HartwelI laughed and
joked with the captain and the chief en-
gineer urging them to push the ship
little faster.
Finally there came a fine gray morn
ing when there was a blur on the hori4
zon in front, and Miss HartweH cared
for neither breakfast nor luncheon. While
the chase was going on the blur was
growing into the distinctness of a great
steel hull freighted with human beings.
1t was afternoon when the ships came
rHitN h1fl Il ItfCf hGff -ser
mailing the captain approached Miss It5rt-
we'll and asked:
What is his name and what do you
want me to do?'
Lieut.. Edward Ledman," she replied,
land 1 want 70 either bring him over to
me or to me over to him." and the
signaling
Govern dispatches for the David,
| and, if you please, send Lieut.. Edward
Lehman"
Soon a boat put out from the other ship
and the passengers crowded over to
watch it's coming The sailors pulled with
| steady stroke and the little craft rose
and fell with the pillows, while the hands
of Miss Percy Hartwell clutched the
railing as if human Hfe were at stake
There, upon the broad wastes of the
Pacifs, the great mass of machinery
paused. The boat cireled like a fright
ened bird, but finally the rope was caught
and one of the sailors ran up the ladder
as easily as if everything were smooth
and quiet The tall young man in the
Hieutenant's uniform did not do as well
but his nerves were steady even if his
legs wabbled. The passengers were in
kined to laugh at his lack Of skill, but
that did not deter him He reached the
deck and asked the captain quickly why
he was summoned.
In the meanwhile Miss Percy Hartwell
had retired to the further side Of the
ship. The captain directed one of the
stewards TO conduct the officer to Miss
| Hartweil
You have only FIVE minutes, sir" was
his warning and l advise you to be as
expeditions as possible
There were three minutes of grace but
at the end of that time the Lieutenant
returned radiant.
Il happen to know" said the captain.
that the dispatches are for your ship to
proceed with all haste to Manila and II
the weather had been stormy I should
have signaIled TO that effect, 50 now II Is
not right for me to detain you even for
"a minute; and 1 wish you good-0y and
Cod-speed.'
Lieut.. Ledman thanked him and there
was a sudden rush in which the arms OF
the officer were around Miss Hartwell
followed by rapid kisses. Which the crowd
would have applauded Il they dared.
Down the ladder again he went. and once
more the little boat see-sawed through
the waves. There we're many kisses
thrown and the soldiers cap was raised
until his arm must have approached par
alvsis
Then, after the fareweIls had been
blown By the sirens OF the SHIPS Hiss
Percy Hartweu for the first time showed
indications Of weakness. THE dear old