The Washington times., 1901-09-15
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substantially py the coSe "i ~
messages.
First. for the name of the ship. muir
INJURED Fades, and he scribbled teie-
gram to the Lloyd's station at Niton,
neat St. GATHERINGS Point: Please wire
name and owners of passenger vessel
which passed about an hour and half
ago
Soon the answer was ticked back. kor-
dofan: COCO tons, South Africa Steam
Transport Company. Cape to London.
Good" said Fades; now let us fill up
the gaps Then turning to the telegraph
clerks who watched him with eager re-
spect: Wire this to the South African
Steam Transport Company, London, ana
mark 1t for special delivery: kordofah
lost Deliver at once list of passengers
and crew at offices of all the morning pa
pers. Papers will pay messenger lhere
is sure to be a caretaker at the company
headquarters.' Eades now addressed him
! self to his principal message and describ-
ed how he. perhaps the one living eye
witness, had seen the Kordofan run
ashore and sink. 'I have obtained the
name of the. Ship from Lloyd's." he ex-
planned in Separate private telegrans'
.'and have wired to the steamship conpa-
ny to deliver to you lists of passengers
! and crew. Please pay the messenger.
| AS he wrote he cast the slips to the
| clerks, and all the available machines
rapidIy began to spell out the story.
| When Fades had done his part he turned
to the postmaster.
Kindly keep the Office open for another
hour. 1 must see if there are any surviv-
ors. After an hour, shut up and 60 res
| olutely to bed. don't want any other
reporter to get wire through tonight.
The postmaster laughted. and Fades
| hurried to cab
81 am SPENDING money like water"
| thought he but stand to get 1t all back,
| and to clear G29 out of tonights job
Even the rneanest papers will credit me
for my telegrams."
He was eagerly vigilant until midnight,
and satisfied himself that up to that hour
no living person had been brought to
shore Then he struck work and trium-
phantly took to his bed.
The next morning found him compare
lively listless. His human interest in the
wreck remained. but the professional fire
! had burned out. "All the local corre-
! spondents will be on the ground today"
said Fades. "and 1 shall be once more a
mere outside cleaner, picker up of their
majesties' leavings. No, Tam hanged If
| / wilt 1 am determined to enjoy my
| holiday in idleness-"
| Firmly set upon professional neutrality.
Fades strolled out after breakfast toward
| the beach near his cottage, and sat down
| to smoke and 10 watch =the-fock of boats
| which in the distance hovered over the
| sunlxen steamer The tide had risen to its
| height and ebbed again since the previous
| . fnyy a
Fades could see the masts of the vessel
| and the rocks on which she had splintered
| her iron bones.
He was placidly enjoying the warm Oc-
tober morning. without a thought of busl-
ness, when his eye fell upon a strange,
shapeless heap which lay on one of the
many groyres which there ran out sea-
wards.
Upon my word" murmured he, that
looks uncommonly like body"
| Though, as he put it in his coarse YER
nacular, dead matchmaking fatal ac-
| cidents and inquests-"formed the staple
of his business" Fades had never over
come his constitutional horror of the
form OF death. He now rose and walked
toward the heap, with his skin twitchins
/ in revolt against the tyranny of his mind
1t was a woman. and she lay face down
ward, her forehead resting on her folded
arms. She was dressed in rough blue
serge, and over her chest and back were
strapped a large ccrk jacket. Fades stood
over her for while. then he set hi.
teeth, and STOPPING turned the body on it:
back. The arms and the long wet hail
dropped aside, and Fades looked upon th'
white cold face of a comely young wo
man. He had seen many dead girls
faces but never such one as this.
Poor thingr' he murmured sadly, "sh'
might be asleep
She lay upon her back with the sur
pouring on her closed eyes, and lighting
up the brown tresses of her shining
hair The girl was wholesale and capa
BILE in face, rather than beautiful
yet Fades, doubtless deeply moved b,
pity, felt that he had never gazed upol
so sweet and fair maid.
The glory of the sunlight shone upo
Ter pale checks and seemed to tinge ther
!. into life. Her white teeth glistened be
tween the slightly parted lips which
though sadly faded. had nothing of tn
grey repulsive hue of death
Il don't believe she's dead at. all" erie
; Fades.
: Even as bespoke the girls eyes opened
! She blinked as the sunlight blinded hel
i and feebly turned her face from the glare
, Fades instantly formed aashade wit
( his body and Tell on his knees beside hel
! In his pocket was a small flask contain
, ing some whisky. Quickly twisting oi
f the top, he deliberately poured the ray
spirit down the girls throat.
E She gasped. choked, coughed, and the
| to Fades amazement sat up. A pair {
l calm brown eyes close to his own, searcl
= ed his plain honest face, and a clear-tone
o voice asked imperiously. What are yo
g doing in my cabin, sir?"
( Fades a modest man, gave ground b'
fore the girls assault.
!, You are not in your cabin said h
T with the ar of a convicted rake. fo
are cast ashoreson the Isle of Wight.
: Who are you? have never seen yo
T among the passengers
e II am Richard Fades, and no passenge
| found you by chance"
q ''Oh,' returned she indirerentiy. The
o she lay back and closed her eyes.
h Fades was not a knight errant He ha
l. little experience of damsels in distres
= yet he strongly felt that the specimen b
e | fore him was needlessly curt and unr
8 sponsive. He did not ask for gratitud
e but he laid some claim to civilty. 1t ";
c | therefore in rather a testy voice that
t plucked the young woman back from Il
i | threshold of slumber.
d Madam" said he. ''if. as / suppose, yC
o were wrecked in the Kordofan, you ha'
been in the sea for several hours. Is
d wise TO go on lying here and catch yor
o death of cold?'
She sat up once more.
l. 'The Kordofan Why, so was. / hi
= forgotten all about it. Perhaps ! had be
l. ter get under some cover and go to sleep
II s.p.,bana vo,, had said Fades drily -