The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-02-02
NJ O r q n
Of the
Lady Lefty
By
FRANK
NORRIS,
Author Of 1.-THE Oc-
topus,'' THE
Pit" Etc.
Copyright. 1898. by
S. S. Mcclure Company

custom Of people speaking in the dark.
'"There, what's that?" exclaimed Will
bur under his breath. A gentle
vibration, barely perceptible, thrilled
through the schooner Under his hand
that was clasped upon the rail Wilbur
could feel a faint trembling in her
frame. 1t stopped, began again and
died slowly away.
'Well, what the deuce is it?' he NUT
tered impatiently, trying to master the
returning creep of dread
Moran shook her head biting her
lip.
Its beyond me-" she said, frown-
ing. "Can you see anything?' The
sky. sea and land were unbroken
reaches Of solitude. There was no
breath Of wind.
Listen" said Moran. Far off to
landward came the faint. sleepy cluck-
ing of quail and the stimulating of I'M
numbered crickets. A long ripple lick
ed the slope Of the beach and slid back
into the ocean. Wilbur shook his head.
Don't hear anything" he whispered
Once more a prolonged but faint
quivering ran through the Bertha Mill
ner from stem to stern and from keel
to masthead There was a barely au-
dible creaking Of joints and panels.
The oil in the deck tubs trembled The
vibration was so fine and rapid that it
tickled the soles of Wilbur's feet as he
stood on the deck.
"Pd give two fingers to know what
1t all MEANS" murmured Moran in a
low voice. 1--WE been to sea for
Then suddenly she cried aloud:
STEADY, all! She's lifting again.
The schooner heaved slowly under
them, this time by the stern. Up she
went, up and up, while Wilbur gripped
at stay to keep his place and tried to
choke down his heart, that seemed to
beat against his palate.
"Heavens!" calculated Moran, her
eyes blazing. This thing is The
Bertha came suddenly down to an
easy keel, rocking in that CLASSY sea
as if in a tide rip. The deck was awash
with oil. Far out in the bay the rip
pies widening from the schooner blur
red the reflections Of the stars. The
Cinnamon sWarmed up the hatchway,
voluble and shrill. Again the Bertha
Millner lifted and sank, the tubs slid
ing on the deck, the masts uuiverinS
like reeds, the timbers grooming aloud
with the strain. In. the stern some
thing cracked and smashed. Then the
trouble died away, the ripplcs faded
into the ocean and the schooner set
tied to her keel, quite motionless.
"Look,' said Moran, her face toward
the Bertha's stern. "The rudder is out
of the gudgeons." 1t was true-the
Bertha Millners helm was unshipped.
There was no more sleep for any one
on board that night. Wilbur trampcd
the quarter deck, sick with 4 feeling
he dared not put a name to. Moran
sat by the wrecked rudder head, Il use
less pistol in her hand, swearing under
her breath from time to time. Charlie
appeared Oh the quarter deck at inter-
walls, looked at Wilbur and Moran with
away. On the forward deck the coolies
pasted strips of red paper inscribed
with notices upon the mast and filled
the air with the reek of their joss
sticks.
eff one could only see what it was"
growled Moran between her clinched
teeth. But this-this heaving and
trembling, tits queer
''That's it, that's it, said Wilbur
quickly, facing her. "What are we 60
ing to do, Moran?''
"Stick it outv' she exclaimed, strik-
ing her knee with her fist. 1--WE can't
leave the schooner.I won't leave her.
I'll stay by this dough dish as long as
two planks in her hold together. Were
you thinking Of cutting away?' She
fixed him with her frown.
Wilbur looked at her, sitting erect
by the disabled rudder, her head bare,
her braids of yellow hair hanging over
her breast, sitting there in mans
| clothes and mans boots, the pistol at
her side. He shook his head.
I'm not leaving the Bertha till you
do" he answered, adding, "Tll stand
by you, mate, until we"-
| "feel that?' said Moran, holding up
hand.
| A fine, quivering tremble was thrill
ing through every beam of the schoon-
er, vibrating each rope like harp
string. 1t passed away, but before Ell
Their Wilbur or Moran could comment
upon it recommended, this time much
more perceptibly. Charlie dashed aft,
his cue flying.
swat makum heap shaker" he
shouted. "W'at for him shake? No
savvy, no likee, pretty much heap flaid.
A1e-yah, aie-yah!'
Slowly the schooner heaved up as
though upon the crest of some huge
wave, slowly it settled and again
gradually lifted, till Wilbur had to
catch at the rail to steady his footing.
The quivering sensation increased so
that their very teeth chartered with it.
Below in the cabin they could hear
small OhiectS falling from tho cho1voe