The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-02-05

or victory as cc.,.:.,i.y IS any human
event still In the future can be as
sured. But 1t will cost great deal"
Never mind the cost. 1 have the
nerve. believe. and have The money
that is. 1 have anything within rea-
SON."
"Ah! But perhaps you'll think that
this isn't in reason. Willard can
you risk ST,0O0,000 on the race with the
certainty of winning unless something
altogether unforeseen should occur?"
"Sevcn millions! Great Caesar! How
can you possibly spend seven mil
lions?'
81 said risk, not spend. And the
risk will be very small. Nearly all of
the money will be restored safe and
sound-less the cost of the yacht, crew
and so forth, say half million. But
the seven millions l must have in coin,
or, better still, in bars of solid gold.
Will you risk it?'
Drops of sweat stood on Sta1shope's
forehead. "Mr. Burke" lie said, 81
am reputcd to be rich. and 1 am. l
suppose the market value of my prop
erty is about ten millions. But in
actual cash | am poor. l shall have
to sell everything to get this gold. To
sell in haste may cost me one-third of
my fortune-ccrtainly onc-uuarter of
it. Suppose | should not be able to
raise seven millions, what then?'
ooh. SG.O00,O00 or even S5,OO0,O00
would do at pinch" returned Mr..
Burke nonchalantly. "Seven millions
is best. but less amount would almost
certainly do as WELL
How soon DO you want the money!"
Eight or nine months from now will
do
Every we'll, YOU shall have it. Now
explain Your plans to me- And Unde!
his breath StanhOpc murmurcd. Il won,
der whether this sort of thing is roman.
tic enough to suit herr"
Two years passed away, and the date
Of the great international races was
fast approaching. Marvellous tales had
como from abroad regarding tho per.
formanccS of the Erin. The British
had gone fairly wild over her. and their
supreme confidence had had depress.
ing effect on this side of the water.
where the new defender, the Virginia.
had done nothing to SHOW that she was
greatly superior to the Columbia.
Stanhopc had been readily admitted
to the yacht club, and his boat, con.
structCd hy the famous old designer
had been accepted as the defender of
the cup. Extraordinary pains had been
taken TO keep her lines secret. The
ShinVo ri W. ~ l>,il
guarded day and night by armed men.
and she had been launched Sin petit
coats" which concealed her hull
1t was not until the day before that
set for the first series of races that one
of the sensational New York newspa-
pcrs announced under scare heads that
the Virginia, despite her enormous sail
area, drew only fifteen feet of water;
hence the paper dcduced the alleged
fact that IL the wind reached n velocity
| OF even twelve miles an hour the Amer
| lean boat would inevitably capsiZe.
The first two races went off splendid
! ly for the Americans, the Virginia COM
ing in a good five miles ahead of her
rival in spite of the fact that the latter
also showed phenomenal speed. BY the
morning Of the third race the yachting
world had settled down to the convic-
ton that Mr.. Burke had discovered
some new principle of hull building.
The result of the third race seemed so
absolutely certain that Stanhope invited
| Miss Wentworth and her chaperon to
| be on board during it. 1t was not in
! accordance with racing customs to have
any one besides the officers and crew
aboard ut such n time, but the superior
lty OF the Virginia was so evident that
1t seemed impossible for harm to result.
,, And none did result until after the
race was won. AS the Virginia glided
smoothly across the line four miles
ahead of her outclassed rival STAN
hope turned to Miss Wentworth. care
you carried away, Virginia?" he ask
ed. The girl turned to him, Joy in his
triumph flushing in her face, but be-
fore she could answer cry of terror
arose. The excursion feet, wild with
excitement over the unprecedented tri-
umph of the American, had broken
through the guard lines. The next
instant came grinding crash, and the
paddle wheel of Il gigantic ferryboat
went tearing across the yacht. rip
ping her stern to pieces and pushing