The Washington weekly post., 1900-06-05

ing the timid women and children whom
Mr.. Mast went and marshalsd
The captain did heroic work until he feIl
and broke his arm, but it was Boriand
who seemed Ia control. his name on the
lips ot them all. II was Dan, Danr' all
the time.
The story of the burning Of the Tecum-
sch ard the saving Of every soul on board
but one Is newspaper history. The story
Of man and woman there Is not.
Helena fsinting, wss carried across the
deck by her lover.
"Lookr said Miss Martha 10 the man
reside her Take her.
Rorland caught the sir, in his arms. A
word more would tell him ali that he
wished to know, all that he huEgered
for. Miss Martha spoke the word. in the
smoke and confusion. while Maxwell look
ed for rope which should bear him and
Helena to the boat below, she said, kiss
her" BOrlaHd's face went down 10 that
OF the unconscious girls. IL was but for
second. and then he was lowering her
into the boat, look OF exultation la his
eyes
Now, brave woman" said the minister.
taking Miss Martha by the arm.
The deck was smoking, and shower OF
sparks was round them. But Miss Mar
tia repulsed him and turned TO Borland.
You 60" she said. You told me yes
terday you could not swim"
"Dan!' saio the captain.
Boriand lifted her In his arms and car
ried her To the side of the boat
Dan" she cried, you thought of me
first Of all to-day! / never forgot you in
all nv lifer"
'Hrsh!' he said. II understand, dear
girl, and thank you"
And, Dan" she hurried on, you
guessed the truth. Helena is your daugh-
ter, born six months after her mother
separated from you. Helena does not
know, and l promised Marcy you should
never know. / have broken my Irom-Se
to her But / was revengeful yesterday,
knew What you wanted me 10 tell you.
/ never forgot you-"
He placed his face to hers as he had
done to his daughters
Helena shall never know" he said,
"and am so slad-you don't know how
glad, Marcy will forgive you = poor
Margy!' And then Mr.. Mast had come w
and taken her from him and slid with her
down the rope TO the crowded shell below,
which with his massive strength he push
ed away from the larger craft
with all your might! he yelled to the
men about him. Pull. or We shall be
swamped when she goes down. Pullr'
Helena shall never knOwr What voice
whispered those words? Miss Martha had
fallen exhausted across the lap of a wo-
man.
Helena shall never knGwr
She sprang to her feet. On the deck of
the huge vessel IN the intense light she
saw two men.
THE captain is always the last to leave
boat some one said, but our captain
+ lamed. Dan is putting a rope around
him.
The small boat was making good head
way, and was some distance off
Look"
Dan, the boat hand, had run a rope un-
der the shoulders of the crippled captain
and had swung him over the rail in the
wake of the boat that afterward pulled
him in
Look"
Dan, the boat hand, had spied the dove
IN the case.He had IL down a the rail. He
looked over the water. There was a brok-
en- sea, the force OF the waves the back
ward sweep was tremendous even for an
expert swimmer to fight against, and one
OF the watchers in the small boat knew
that Borland could not swim
rms watcher was strangely calm. Her
eyes We're hxed on man who had done
bfaVely, a man who, a little while back,
amid the horror and confusion, had said,
Ihank you" 10 woman who told him
she had never forgotten him, like gem
tlemah refusing TO acknowledge that she
told him how dear he had always been
TO her who failed of a response from him
Ihe minister was speaking: Miss Mar
ina, brave woman, ] will not take the an
sWer you gave me to-day
but her eyes were set on the burning
boat. 1t rose magnificently OIL the crest
Of a huge swell. Then. seeing the man
so plainly, so far above her, Miss Mar
tha.s voice rang out like a trumpet:
"Dani Helena shall know, Dam
He surely heard her, for he turned his
head in her direction. There was a flash
in the light. He had opened the cage
door and set the dove free. Was that his
answer to her? Then he called. No one
else seemed to hear, but she was certain
that he called. She would always be GER
tain of it-"Helena" and last of all her
own name, Mar" And then the fire
crin.soned over him, the boat diyed down.
ward, the flame went out, and the water
Kissed over the place where the boat had
been.
Copyright, 1900 by Robert C. v. Msyers)