Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-06-10
STATEROOM THIRTY.FIVE.

| \ cold, sudden, gray-Whlte 10y was
whirling and writhing over the sullen
waters as the steamship Pernambuco
cautiously edged up the fairway OF the
London river, pausing now and again to
grunt forth surly questions on her siren
in long drawn, hoarse, vibrating tones
All around lay the dense wheeling mist
banks, and when she spoke, which was
about once every two minutes, from out
the white raIl beyond invisible and i'm
pertinent small fry chartered back peev-
! ishly at her. or a shrll-voiced tug came
slithering by and hoOted indecently.
On the bridge overhead the skipper
stumped anxiously up and down, tugging
at his -bespangled moustache, and
glaring alternately at the blank white
wall which reared itself up a short TWEEN
| ty feet in front of his nose and at the
mud pilot beside him, regarding both
with equal dislike and distrust.
Right away forward two shivering
decllhands in glistening oilskins crouched
down, peering steadfastly in all directions
and thinking regretfully of the sunlit
seats they had left behind them.
| In the smokeroom, however, the cleo
trc lights were burning gayly enough,
and half Il dozen men were lounging
about drinking cocktails, reading or play
ing cards, as the spirit moved them.
Presently one of them arose from his
chair with a yawn and poked his head
out of the door.
"Cgh!" said he, slamming it to again;
what Il bcastly evening. Talk of the
beauties of home Five years ago | left
this ditch in just such fog, and now |
come back after all that time, I'm blest
! if it's cleared up yet. shall get n dose
Of ague out of this, as sure as fate"
''How long before we are due in?"
asked another man.
Three or four hours, at least. | reck-
on wen be in by food time with luck.
That is, unless we fall foul of anything
on the way-trip over a barge or some
thing
A nervous, fussy looking little man,
with a ragged beard, who had been the
butt of the whole ship throughout the
voyage, glanced up hurriedly.
II wish, Mr.. Armstrong" said he, you
would not Jest about such things. An
accident at sea is always a terrible al
fair, and | confess, for my own part, this
fog makes me feel very apprehensive."
That's all right old man; don't you
worry" said Armstrong, with a laugh.
'rll lay you 20 to l You'll live to die in
your bed yet. What do you say, Mr..
Orland ~ he added turning to a man who
was sitting apart reading, and taking no
share in the general conversation.
Being so directly appealed to, however,
he looked up and eyed his questioner
coldly. Il rarely bet" said he, and sub
sided into his book again.
Armstrong turned away with a shrug
of his shoulders, and muttered something
breath. In fact, Mr. Orland, or DIR. Or
land. as he was indiscriminately called,
had been a source of much speculation
among his fellow passengers. He scarce
~ ever spoke. nor did he seem to take
the faintest interest in what went on
around him. On the few occasions on
which he had been induced to express an
opinion, his remarks had been so caustic
and SO frankly cynical that the other
men had withdrawn from the discussion
in haste and very much discounted.
For the rest, he sat quietly in his own
particular corner of the smoking room,
reading and consuming endless cigar
cites.
The nervous little man, Johnstone by
name, called the steward and ordered
himself dry Manhattan" after which,
in accordance WITH his nature, having Il
good two hours to spare, he went below
to worry his small soul with straps.
buckles and labels.
On the lower deck everything was
gloomy and indistinct the long passage
way between the staterooms being but
dimly illuminated here and there by a
few incandescent lamps.
Mr.. tombstone battered along aft. The
dismal, intermittent sound of the siren il
his ears. and the screw shaft quiverins
, and vibrating uneasily mderfoot One,
in his own cabin his first care was t,
lock the door. On the sofa under tn
portfolio lay neat array of handbags
rugs and bundle of umbrellas. Thes
he rearranged and counted several times
extreme method being one of the chic
= crosses of his existence This done. afte
u a final apprehensive glance around, h
e unbuttoned his waistcoat and pluoe,
his hand into the breast of his flame
shirt, bringing out n small wash-leath
: bag, susI ended from his neck by a string
is Apparently the sight of it afforded hin
III letlei; ANl iic P"'N'N IL ANA lett 1t care
le fully before consigning it again to it
IN hiding place. Then, changing his cal
* for bowler, he stuffed the former il
40 the pocket OF his ulster and switched ot
- the light.
~ The corridor was gloomy and forbid
y ding looking as he stepped into II onc
~ more The iron beams overhead oils
" tened with moisture, for the dense 9is
nc had found its way even here. and ~,
o. uncertain shadows thrown bv the few
US lamps We're blurred in outline.
m Mr.. lohn~toue shuddered involuntaril,
". and qulykencl his steps. A SLIGHT NOS
rs behind mm caused HIM To Turn with
he start, \ >hrin cry OF terror rose ~ To- n;
ar. liPS and irazc there. \ hand rrinneJ h;
'at throat tightly and he felt himself Violent
AS = hoF'e0 INTO The darkness of an emnt,
NA''e1."W, seemingly irrcsistihle 60