The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-01-20
CHAPTER I.

she was. known as the "Mandarin."
Her powers of merciless inqulsltion
suggested torments long drawn out.
The commander of the Sirdar. home
ward bound from Shanghai, knew that
he was about to be stretched on the
rack when he took his seat at the
saloon table. =
"ls.it true, captain, that we are run
ming into q typhoony demanded her
ladyship.,
From whom did you learn that. La
dy Tozer:" Captain Ross was wary.
though somewhat surprised.
Prom Miss Deane. l understood
her moment ago to say that you had
told her.
'I?"
Didn't you? Some one told me this
morning. l couldn't have guessed it..
could ~ Miss Iris Deane's large blue
eyes surveyed, him with innocent in.
difference to strict accuracy. Incl.
dentally she had obtained the informa-
ton from her maid, nose tilted CO.
quette, who extracted ships secrets
from a youthful quartermaster.
'Well-er-I had forgotten" explain.
ed the tactful sailor.
rs it true?"
Lady Tozer was unusualy abrupt
today. But she was annoyed by the
assumption that the captain took q
mere girl into his confidence and passed
over the wife Of the ex-chief justice of
Hohgkong.
Eyes, it is" said Captain Ross, equal
ly curt, and silently thanking the fates
that her. ladyship was going home fol-
the last. time.
'"Do tell u.s." chimed in Iris. did
you find out when you squinted"at the
SUM-?
The captain smiled. "You are nearer
the mark than possibly you imagine
Miss 'Deane," he said. when we took
= our observations yesterday there was
a very weird looking halo around the
SUM-. This morning you may have no.
. tieed several light squalls and a smooth
sea, marked occasionally by strong
ripples. The barometer is falling rap
idly, and / expect that as the day
wears we will encounter a heavy swell.
If the sky looks wild tonight, and es-
pecially if we observe a heavy bank of
cloud approaching from the northwest,
you will see the crockery dancing
about the table at dinner. l am afraid
you are not a good sailor, Lady Tozer.
Are you, Miss Deane?"
Capital, L should just love to see
real storm. Now promise me solemnly
that you will take me up into the chart
house when this typhoon is simply
tearing things to pieces"
"Oh dear! 1 hope it will not be very
bad. Is there no way in which you
can avoid it, captain? Will it last
long?'
The polite skipper for once preferred
to answer Lady ToZer. There is no
cause for uneasiness," he said. "Of
course typhoons in the China sea are
nasty things while they last, but a
ship like the Sirdar is not troubled by
them. She will drive through the
worst gale she is likely to meet here
in less than twelve hours. Besides,
alter the course somewhat as soon as
discover our position with regard to
its center"
Then the commander hurriedly eX-
cused himself, and the passengers saw
no more Of him that day.
Her ladyship dismissed the topic as
of no present interest and focused Miss
Deane through her eyeglasses.
"Sir Arthur proposes to come home
in June, l understand she inquired.
Iris was q remarkably healthy young
woman. A large banana momentarily
engaged her attention She nodded
affably.
you will stay with relatives until
he arrives?" pursued Lady Tozer.
Relatives! We have Monochrome
whom we specially. cultivate-that is.
I will stop in town day or two to
interview my dressmaker and then go
straight to Helmdale, our place in
Yorkshire"
Surely you have chaperon"
"a chaperon! My dear Lady Tozer,
did my father impress you as one who
would permit a fussy and stout old
person to make my life miserable"
The acidity Of the retort lay in the
word "stout" But Iris was not ac-
customed to cross examination. Dur
ing three months residence on the
island she had learned how to avoid
Lady Tozer. Here 1t was impossible,
and the older woman fastened upon her
asp-like. Miss Iris Deane was tooth
some morsel for gossip. Not yet twen-
ity-one, the only daughter Of wealthy
baronet who owned fleet Of stately
ships--the Sirdar among them-a girl
who had been mistress Of her fathers
house since her return from Dresden
three years ago-young, beautiful, rich
here was q combination for which
men thanked judicious heaven, while
women shifted enviously.
Business detained Sir Arthur. A war
cloud overshadowed the two great d.
visions of the yellow race. He must
wait to see how matters developed, but
he would not expose Iris to the In
sidious treachery of Chinese spring
She WINS confded to the personal
charge of Captain Ross. At each point