Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-04-29


deck forward. ventilator cowls twisted
to new angles and matches clamped
down over the wooden gratings that
covered TIE holds. Officers. spotless in
white linen. fitted quietly TO and fro
When the watch was changed Iris
noted that the ''chief'' appeared In an
Old blue suit and carried oilskins over
bis arm as he climbed TO the bridge.
Nature looked disturbed and ftful
and the ship responded TO her mood
There was sense of preparation in
the air. OF coming ordeal. OF restless
foreb0ding. Chains clanked with
noise the girl never noticed before; the
tramp of hurrying men on the hurri-
cane deck overhead sounded heavy and
hollow. There was a squeaking OF
| chairs that was abominable when peo-
pie gathered up books and wraps and
staggered ungracefuliy toward the
companionway. Altogether Miss Deane
was not wholly pleased with the pre-
liminaries Of a typhoOn, whatever the
realities might be
Why did that silly old woman allude
TO her contemplated marriage TO Lord
Ventnor, retailing the gossip of Hong
| kong with such malicious emphasis?
For an instant Iris tried TO shake the
railing in comic anger She hated Lord
Fentnor She did not want TO marry
him or anybody else just yet or course
her father had limited approval OF his
iordship's obvious intentions. Countess
Of NentnOrl Yes. it was nice title
| Still she wanted another couple Of
years OF careless freedom. In any
event why should Lady Tozer pry and
probe?
And finally. why did the steward
oh. poor old Sir John. What would
have happened II the ice had slid down
bis neck Thoroughly comforted by
| this gleeful hypothesis. Hiss Deaue
seized favorable opportunity to dart
across the starboard side and see if
Captain Ross heavy bank Of cloud
in the northwest" had put in an ap
pearancc.
| Fla, There it was. black. ominous.
| gigantic, rolling up over the horizon
| like some monstrous football Around
it the sky deepened into purple. fringed
| with wide belt Of brick red. She had
never seen such a beginning OF a gale.
| From what she had read i'm books she
| imagined that only in great deserts
| We're clouds OF dust generated. There
could not be dust I'm the dense pail now
| rushing with giant strides across the
! trembling sea. Then what was it,
Why was il so dark and menacing?
And where was desert Of stone and
sand 90 compare with this awful ex-
4 Va.,r
was this great ship on the visible sur
| face. But the ocean itself extended
away beyond there. reaching out to the
infinite The dot became mere speck.
undistincuishahle beneath celestial
microscope such as the gods might
| condesccnd To use
Iris shivered and aroused herself
with startled laugh.
| The lively fanfare OF the dinner
trumpet failed TO I'll the saloon. BY
this time the Sirdar was lighting resO-
( lutely against stiff gale But tire
stress or actual combat was better than
the eerie sensation OF impending dan
ger during the earlier hours The
strong. hearty pulsations OF the en-
| gineS. the regular thrashing OF the
1
OF the good ship through racing seas
and flying Scud. We're CHEEKY. confident
and Inspiring
Miss Deane justified her boast that
she was an excellent sailor. She
smiled delightedly az the ships sur
geon when he caught her eve through
the many gaps in the tables. She was
alone. 50 lac Joined her
| you are e credit 10 the company
quite n sea kings daughter" he said.
/ Doctor. do you talk 10 all your lady
passengers In that way"
ALAS. no. Too often I can only be
/ truthful when I am dumb"
Iris laughed III / remain long on
this ship viii certainly have my head
turned" she cried. Il receive nothing
but compliments from the captain
down toto
'The doctor"
"No. You come good second on the
list"
In very truth she was thinking OF the
Ice carrying steward and his anae-
start Of surprise AT the announcement
OF her rumored engagement. The man
1 AAN'AfNA'N nv lAt loOktu ike a broken
| down gentleman. Her quick eyes trav-
eled around the saloon 10 discover his
! whereabouts. She could not see him
| The chief steward stood near. balanc-
Ing himself in apparent defiance OF the
laws Of gravitation. for the chip was
now pitching and rolling with n mad
zeal. For an instant she meant 20 in
1 Quire what had become OF the trans
gressor. bur she dismissed the thought
at its Inception The matter was too
| trivial
/ With a wild swoOp all the plates,
glasses and cutlery a. the saloon Ia
bles crashed TO ST. y rd. Were il not
for the restraint OF the hddles every
thing must have been swept TO the
floor. There We're one or two minor ac-
| cidents. \ steward. taken unawares.
was thrown headlong on top Of his
/ laden tray. Others were compelled To
! clutch the backs OF chairs and cling to
\ pillars. One man incOluntarilv seized
the hair OF lady who devoted an hour
Il before each meal Tn her coiTura V,ha