The Princeton union., 1900-01-04
Copyright. 1895. by
Robert Barr.

Scnce Oh our TcpOTtS-Oi DOth our re-
ports.'' 49,. ..
"Hcavens! This is fearful Is there
no way you would try to prevent her
sending it?" -- ri. -
IF you think you can prevent her
l wish you would try it,
"How did you find it out? Did she
tell you?"
"Oh, it doesn't matter how I found
it out. did find it out. A man told
me who she was; then asked her, and
she was perfectly frank about it. She
read me the report even."
'Read it to you?"
{ Yes, read it to me, and punctuated
it in my presence-put in some words
that I suggested as being better than
those she had used. Oh, it was the
coolest piece of work you ever saw
"But there must be some way of pre-
venting her getting that account to
New York in time. You see, all we
have to do is to wire your people to
hand in our report to the directors,
and then her report is forcstalled. She
has to telegraph from q British office,
and it seems to me that we could stop
her in some way"
"As for instance, how?"
"Oh, l don't know Just how at the
moment, but we ought to be able to
! do it. If it was a man VIC could have
| him arrested as dynamiter or some-
thing; but woman, of course, is more
difficult to deal with. George, I would
appeal to her better nature if + were
you."
Wentworth laughed sneeringly.
"Better nature % he said. ''She hasn't
any; and that is not the worst of it..
She has 'calculated,' as she calls it.,
all the possibilities in the affair; she
calculates that we will reach Queens
town about Saturday night. If we do,
she will get her report Through in time
to be published on Sunday in the New
York Argus. If that is the case, then
see where our telegram will be. We
telegraph our people to send in the re-
port. 1t reaches the Office Saturday
night, and is not read. The office closes
at two O'Clock; but even if they got it,
and understood the urgency of the mat
ter, they could not place the papers
before the directors until Monday
morning, and by Monday morning it
Will be III the London financial Sheets"
George, that woman is fiend."
NO, she isn't, John, She is mer civ
a clever American journalist, who
thinks she has done a very clever good
piece of work indeed, and who, through
the stupidity of one man, has succeed
ed, that's ALL"
Have you made any appeal to her
at all? ?"
"Oh, haven't l? Of course I have.
What good did it do? She merely
laughed at me. Don't you understand !?
That is what she is here for. Her
whole voyage is for that cne purpose:
and it's not likely the woman is going
to forego her triumph after having
succeeded-more especially as some
body else in the same office has failed.
that's what gives additional zest to
what she has DONE The fact that Riy-
ers has failed and she has succeeded.
seems to be the great feather in her
| cap"
''rhen,' said kenyon, Il am going
to appeal to Miss Brewster myself
Very well. I wish you Joy of your
job. Do what you can, John, there's
good fellow. Meanwhile 7 want to be
alone somewhere"
Wentworth went down the stairway
that led to the steerage department,
and for few moments sat among the
steerage passengers. Then he climbed
up another ladder, and got to the very
front of the ship. Here he sat down on
a coil of rope and thought over the
situation. Thinking, however, did him
very little good. He realized that even
it he got hold of the paper Miss Brews-
ter had, she could easily write out an
other. She had the facts in her head,
and all she needed to do was to get to
telegraph Office, and there write out
her message.
Meanwhile Kenyon took a few turns
up and down the deck thinking deeply
On the same subject. He passed over to
the side where Miss Brewster sat, but
on coming opposite her had not the
courage to take his place beside her.
She was calmly reading her book.
Ihree times he came opposite her,
paused for a moment, and then contin-
ued his hopeless march. He saw that
his courage was not going to be suffi-
cient for the task, and yet felt the task
must be accomplished. He didn't know
how to begin. He didn't know what
inducement to offer the young woman
for foregoing the fruits of her inge-
nuity. He felt that this was the weak
point in his armor The third time he
paused in front of Miss Brewster, she
looked up and motioned him to the
chair beside her, saying:
II don't know you very we'll, Mr..
Aenyon, but I know who you are.
Won't you sit down beside mo for q
few moments?'' The bewildered man
sat down on the chair she indicated.
"Now, Mr.. Kenyon, I know just what
is troubling you. You have passed
three or four times wishing to sitdown
beside me and yet afraid to venture.
Is that not true?"
"Quite true" ..a i I. s