Milford chronicle., 1905-03-03
Moran Of the
Lady Lefty
By FRANK NORRIS.
Author Of The Octopus" The
Pit" Etc.
Copyright. 1898, by s. s. Mcclure Company
CHAPTER VIII.

her" she cried. land were |
six miles outl Up y'r jib, mate" The
two set the jlb, flying jib and stay
sails.
The fore and main sails were already /
drawing, and under all the spread Of |
her canvas the Bertha raced back to- /
ward the shore.
But by the time she was within the !
head Of the bay her stern had settled
TO such an extent that the forefoot was
clear Of the water, the bowsprit point
ing high into the heavens Moran was
at the wheel, her seOwl thicker than
ever, her eyes measuring the strength
Of water that lay between the schooner
and the shore.
"Shel never make it in the world"
she muttered as she listened to the
wash of the water in the cabin I'M
der her feet. In the hold empty bar
rels were afioat. knocking hOllowly
against each other. Were in a bad
way. mate"
IF it comes to that" returned Will
bur. surprised to see her thus easily
downcast who was usually so indomi-
table-''if it comes to that, we can
swim for tia couple Of planks"-
"swimY she echoed. "Pm not think
ing of that OF course we could
swim"
''What then?"
s'The sharksr'
Wilbur's teeth clicked sharply togeth-
er. He could think Of nothing to say
As the water gained between decks
the schooners speed dwindled, and at
the same time as she approached the
shore the wind, shut off by the land,
felI away. By this time the ocean was
NOT four inches below the stern rail.
Two miles away was the nearest sand
spit. Wilbur broke out a distress sig
nal on the foremast in the hope that
Charlie and the deserters might send
off the dory to their assistance, but the
deserters were nowhere in sight.
sWbat became Of the junk?" he de-
manded suddenly Of Moran. She mo-
toned to the westward with her head.
|Still lying outside"
Twenty minutes passed. Once only
Moran spoke.
"When she begins to 60" she said,
.'she'u 20 with a rush. Jump pretty
wide, or you'll get caught in the sue
ton"
The two had given up all hope. Mo
ran held grimly to the wheel as mere
matter of form. Wilbur stood at her
side. his clinched fists thrust into his
DocIxets. The eyes Of both were fixed
on the yellow line of the distant beach.
By and by Moran turned to him with
an odd smile.
"We're a strange pair to die togeth-
er." she said. Wilbur met her eyes an
instant but, finding no reply, put his
chin in the air as though he would
have told her she might well say that
"a strange pair to die together" Mo
ran repeated, "but we can do that bet
ter than we could have"-she looked
away from him-"could have lived to
gether," she finished and smiled again
"And vet" said Wilbur, these last
few weeks here on board the schooner
we have been through good deal-to
gether. 1 don't know" he went OF
clumsily-'I don't know when Iy'
been-when I've had-Ive been nap
pier than these last weeks. 1t is queer
isn't it? know, of course, what you'll
saw I'VE said it to myself often o
Iafe Belong to the city and to m.
RE there. and you-yOu belong to tn
ocaan I never knew girl like you
mover knew a girl could be like you
You don't know how extraordinary ]
oil seems to me. You swear IKE
man and you dress like man, and
don't suppose you've ever been asse
ciated with other women, ana you
strong-I know you are as strong as
am You have no idea how different 70
ore from the kind Of girl I've know
Imagine nv kind of girl standing u
before Hoang and those cutthroi
boochcombers with their knives an
botchets. Maybe it's because you al
so unlike my kind of girl that-th'
things are as they are with me.
don't know It's a queer situauon'
month or so ago was at tea ii %
Francisco. and now I'm aboard shal
fishing schooner sinking in Magdaiel
bav. and I'm with a girl that-that
that I-wen. I'm with you, and we
you know how it isl might as W.
say it l.s,s,zgc., 5os, more than imagi
81 -. - Wiin4--eoO, to h
foreheai ,,oC to say abOuf
81 dob IKE that haming sllk," s
said. 'I am not used to it, aH d dol
know how to take it. Believe me" $
said, with half laugh, '1ts all wa
ed. I never could love a majl. I'm
made for men,"
mo" said Wilbur, "nnr for otl
women efraer"
pa, fNor for other women ether."
wilbur fell silent IN fh instant
distinct vision of oran's
Tn character, stunning men a
s us1 Of women, a noe lon
looked ~ selltary as as tne.ge sp Awhers
pies to p.....'''t -..s''lul ~. 49, gumm
IN another f.. so,,ae,a ave nc
an offer tina tblng untopcls SprNaxi,
1afoa f,,...t-. 77-- u -.