Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-17

acterized this days funeral, but the
ceremony that had just taken place not
only deprived the girl of her chief 1rlend
and protector on board, that Is, the cap
tain of the steamer, but it left her and her.
companion, the quartermaster, the only oc-
Cupants of the vessel.
We'll" said the man at last hes gone.
i sorry"
Yes" replied the girl. hes gone.
81 suppose TIL be the next. he said
"Oh, please, please - don [. She Sam
YEARLY into steamer chalr nearby anu
covered her face with her hands She was
not deeply interested in him, but the pros
pect of being left alone appalled, her-ap-
palIed her more than the knowledge tnat
she was even then alone on the ocean Win
q man whom she had never met before set
ting foot on the vessel. She shlVefed
slightly. although the pitch between the
deck blanks bubbled in the heat OF the
morning sun but the man gazing moodlly
at the water did not notice it. He was Ie-
capitulating events as they had lately oc-
Cured on board
The steamer was a sngle-screw tramp,
the kind that plies from ocean TO ocean
satisfied with any paying cargo and any
destination. Her last port OF call mad been
Ria de Janeiro and she had gone there
from Calcutta by way or Good hope.
While off the Andaman Islands IN the IL
dian ocean she had picked up Wretched
Puniabi adrift in a small boat. He said
he was all that was left of ship load of
Mecca pilgrims. wrecked on the way from
Iei63h Madras.
DAYS later he confessed that In reallty ne
had escaped from a plague-infested ship
bound for the mouth of the Ganges- There
was CONSERVATION on the tramp for many
days after the Punjabf died. yet disease
did not Immediately manifest its presence.
Perhaps the cooler latitude held 1t in check.
They got a clean bill of health at lsio
where the girl took passage for New YORK.
and congratulated themselves on their es-
cane. But when the steamer got into the
warm belt of the Atlantic the scourge sud-
denly broke out on board. killing the crew
one after another with awful rapidity. AT
first they tried to continue on their course
since one port under the circumstances
was as good as another, but at last they
were unable to make any port at all, be-
cause they died fast that panic laid
hold of them and no one was in condition
to work the ship. They banked the fires
and let her float and occupied themselves
chiefly in watching each other die. And
so IT came at last to the day of the cap
tain's funeral when no one was left alive
but the girl passenger and the quartermas-
ter.
She had been a ministering angel to the
sick, and diminishing numbers had forced
him at last to become sculhon in general
to the living and the dead But their in
timacy had been occasioned by too much
horror TO permit condolences. Now. how
ever. they were alone. with nothing to do
or 10 think of that was not equally the
concern of both. She found him young and
good to look at and the latent possibilities
of the situation made her nervous. Once
or twice the crew died off by one
this very situation had occurred to her
she had even wondered who might be left
alone with her. but she had put the
thought aside as one puts away the MEM
DRY Of a bad dream. He, gazing at her
covertly. half OWNED her thoughts and
pitied her heartily. for the refinement of
her upbringing was apparent. He sudden
iy resolved to set her at ease. That she
needed reassuring was evident from her
startled manner when she saw him walk
toward her.
=" ell, he began, seating himself on the
rail in front of her and plunging into his
subject, the situation looks somewhat
lurid, L suppose. butt might be worse,
you know"
She did not answer.
Il mean" he continued, that we are
somewhat out of the track OF vessels, but
We are drifting westward toward the
"indward Islands 1t will only be a mat
ter of time until sight one OF them.
Luckily. We have good boat under us and
provisions enough to last months. IL neces-
sary.''
Months" she gasped. Mortified at the
prospect But-can We not do something
can We not-go somewhere?''
I'm afraid not. The crew numbered
nineteen. and you know they banked the
hres when they got down to eight, and
that fire hole-wen. l wasn't brought I'D to
live In such climate. However we may
be sighted by some other vessel In which
case I will ask the captain to take you
on"
And you-?'
"Oh, IT, He smiled curiously ct have
not been off this boat for a long long time.
Besides, there are reasons why l would
rather take my chances aboard her.
But you cannot
Float forever in the doldrums? Well,