The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-02-27

knees, and seemed to lift the boat out
of the water. Flinging out his hands
SO save himself, he clutched a soft
leathern object, and still grasping it,
lurched to his feet as a white-faced
deckhand ran through the cabin cry
ing, There's been a collision! The
boats sinking!"
Instantly the widest panic prevail
ed. The veneer Of civilization, more
or less thin, cracked: cowardice,
brutality and weakness appeared.
Struggling men blocked the entranc-
es; they gashed their hands on the
windows; they even piled up against
the partitions like trapped and saw
age animals. %Shrieking women and
children ran from side to side of the
cabin. An immense negro, damned
half in. half out, a shattered window,
contributed the element of grotesque-
ness, as he gesticulated frantically,
filling the air with alternate prayers
and curses.
With death at hand, Norwood
ceased to desire it. Springing toward
an exit, he remembered the two wo-
men and returned. The girl, who was
trying to raise the elderly woman to
her feet. looked at him appealingly.
my mothers heart is weak she said
hurriedly. sThc shock has brought
on an attack can't move her."
''Just a moment" cried Norwood.
Don't stir from here, and I'll see
what can be done"
When he gained the slippery deck
he found order coming out of chaos,
through the nerve of the officers and
the calmness of some of the passen-
gers. Boats were lowered, but only
to pick up a few progressive spirits
who in the first panic had seized life
~preseryers and thrown themselves in
to the water. Lines had been cast
from one steamer to another, LASH
ing them together; and men, working
like madmen-or ~heroes-were quick
" passing the women and children to
safety over the rail.
Norwood ran back. AS the girl
turned her white face mutely toward
him he felt a glow of admiration for
her self-control.
"All right" he said, encouragingly.
There's no danger. Are you strong
enough to help me lift her??.
She nodded, and together they
raised the almost unconscious woman.
She was no light weight. and Norwood
still weak, but they succeeded in
half-leading, half-carrying her on
deck. The doomed steamer was rapid
" settling, and the water was running
into the cabin when they left it. Nor.
wood shouted to the deckhands who
We're beginning to cast ofsthe lines.
and a dozen brawny arms lifted the
women to the opposite deck.
The men followed, aud almost inn
mediately the boat they had left
plunged, bow first, and, with a rush
through the blackness, disappeared.
As the girl had been drawn over
the rail after her mother, there was
a cry of why, Dorothy! Dorothy
Moore!" Instantly the two were the
center of an excited and solicitous
and Norwood went below.
He was among the first to land
when the boat entered the Slip, but (
he fingered o the outskirts of the f.
until the face he looked for
appeared. Although occupied with
her mother, the girls eyes more than
roved eagerly over the crowd,
and, with a quickened beating of his
heart, Norwood felt instinctively that |
she searched for him. The idea
cheered him-he felt less friendless;
yet he kept out of sight until they en-
tered q carriage and were driven
away.
The events of the past few hours
had added no brilliancy to Norwood's |
prospects; nevertheless, as he turned |
Market street, he no longer
felt life toSbesan Improbable episode |
the blessed calm of nom
He exulted in the mere
fact that his will controlled his move
ments-that he was not a thing for
the sport of the waves; and ssquaring
shoulders to the wind, he thrust
his hands deeply into his shabby
pockets. With an astonished start he |
drew them out again. Dangling to
one finger by a %glittering chain was
a little purse Of gray suede-the kind
women affect. For a moment he
looked at it in bewildcrment-then
memory stung him. He mad twice
it.up, once to restorerit to its
rightful owner-the second time to
it himself. In. the excitement
he had forgotten it. Opened, it re-
vea1ed the unaccustomed glitter of
gold and silver, and at the sight Nor
wood realized how famished he was.
He transferred some of the silver to
q breast-pocket, replaced the purse,
boarded IN uptown car.
Some hours later, warmed, fed, and
comforted, he sat down in a decent
and made an inventory. The
purse contained $40 in gold, some sill
yer, and, attached to a bit Of ribbon,
little silver Filipino coin. N card in
scribed with Miss Moore's name in
full and q number on California street
offered every facility for the return
of his treasure-trove.
That night the young man was too