The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-02-01
The Lost Twenty Minutes.
A Thrilling Story of Love
and Shipwreck.
By ADELINE SERGEANT.


81 should say that she won't last more
than 20 minutes"
And as the man spoke he cast a calcu-
n lating glance at the ships deck, which
lay tilted on one side in a curousy slant
ing position. The boat had struck upon
one of the dangerous groups of sunken
rocks in the English channel, and there
seemed no likelihood that the vessel,
stately and strong as it had been so short
+ time before, could be saved from de-
struction.
Roger Winford turned away from the
man whom he had questioned with a
sharp gesture which he would not have
liked any one else to see so expressive
was it of great despair. He was a man
in middle life, with dark hair slightly
grizzled and Il grave, impaSsive counte-
nance, which did not often betray his
emotions.
WAS it for this" he said to himself as
4 he moved away from the sailor, that |
hay@ toled for SO many years and heaped
\ up wealth and denied myself almost ev-
cry enjoyment that might perish miscr-
ably within sight of home? Is it for this
that have kept silent all this time and
X IL
things that danglcd within my reach? |
have wasted my days; have been fool;
/ have thrown the best part of my life
away, and the last 20 minutes of ones
life is not time in which anything can
be put right"
AS he said the words to himself he
came upon Il group of women and chill
dren, who had been placed in the most
advantageous position as regarded safety,
and his eye sought instantly for the one
fac, the one figure, in which he felt pc
culiar interest. y girl of some 10 years
lifted pale brave countenancc to his for
a moment and read in his eyes the CON
.frmation Of the fears which had already
occurred to her.
@"ls there no hope then?" she said to
hin in an undcrtone.
"No," said the man, there is no hope"
h"Iou don't think that we shall be seen
from distance and that the lfeboat will
be sent out to our hclpE"
#"No don't" said Wnford and it
could scarcely get here in time
slow much longcr:" she asked, and
he felt her hand cling to him a little
Fighter.
I'll think-about 20 minutes. That is
what thn ouortnrr,a.tor t,1l mo II,
- Mn"t 'mt ne 9u".'erH,1SIer % Iin yer .olu me lie
tbnt .',"G ti,,m" ',G '0"' "''' '''"N up III "oou'
-..fr a,,I,. . .ai, a.. -, al -,
ovor to tho othor s;Io - +b', Jall. 49,
Manu- ,,,or Ntr. cm,,I;rro iittr,.r,
7"Y,,, ammo. " s,;I ~, ,,',,, ;,,,..,.
abl, ..Ynn ,,,st sta,. ,,.hara ,.',, ,,'''aY a,.a
Va c,rrot viii. r.lnr tt'a 1.,i. ~
tbis on,ln and v.oyo u,.,. hraol, o,.or -
Of on,. ,,,o,nnnt and oorr, ,,,,, a,,.a,.,,
IIn had nroyionsIv dnno his I,t,a1.. for
her sorotr fo. no had InsLnl hor 10 ,,,a
Of tho hulworLs which v.as vod,od IN a
lcleft of tho rock ana tharo v,as avon -
nossibilitv tbot she migbt ha Inft tbaro
.wben thc shin wont to nieces ,nd be
Ithougbt Ultimately rescuod
sNhcrn's Vivian >" no said obruntIv
''He was here inst nov" saia Molly
issbut went to thn Other sidn-to 500 If he
could find n lifeboat. helieye."
|sl E''For vou?"
"No," said Molly. with some little hes
& itation .for himself"
"As should have imagined" said
& Roger in harder voice.
'l[e is Young" said Molly softly. "and
his life is dear TO him"
ford
st&FI suppose it is to most of us" she an
y swered.
e. never thought so. for nv own part"
said her companion, but in these last
\ few moments | have discovered certain
value in life which never suspected.
could wish almost to live it over again.
IN fact. if one could only profit by ones
owl mistakes, would do so very gladly"
rOh, yes." said Molly. with a sigh;
'but one can never 90 back"
Shc was always a pretty girl. but as
Winford looked at her he thought the
gravity of her exnrossion tho wistfulnass
Of her blue eyes, made her positively
beautiful. She was little woman, whom
people always wanted to caress, for
there was something peculiarly soft and
4 adeeier intoIl;ro ~ - ~ nn;,ii,,nt "'"'
sense, had come to her and her face was
transhgurcd into beauty beyond itself
There was no fear in IL no sadness. but
a brave, calm acceptance of the fact that
she was face to COCO ,r;tb onotho,. ,,o,rd
Wnford almost felt as though they had
already passed beyond the regions of this
fac, but soul TO soul
There was n percentihIe cbonco in bis