Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-08-14

rare accl0ent, DuI no worse Iare can
befan us"
A heavy thud was followed by a
deluge without They heard the water
pouring off the gallery.
Constance leaned forward, with
hands on knees. Her large eyes looked
into his.
.'Fhis time. cad. you are not choosing
your words she said.
ST ah, sorry yo-, should thirs that"
was the reply. Il selected each phrase
with singular care Never be misied
by the apparent ease Of a speaker. The
best impronptu is prepared before
hand
'you dear old hunbug," she cried.
Now TIE nuiet dcadiiness of the scene
which followed the temperance of
Enid and herself from their bedroom
was manifest to her. Enid. too, was
looking from one to the other in eager
striving to grasp the essentials of an
episode rapidly grouping its details into
sequence Brand knew that if he par
ried his daughters questioning they
would be on their knees by his side
forthwith, and he wished to avoid any
further excitement.
please attend, both of you," he
growled, with mock severity. 81 am
going to tell you something that will
console YOU"
His voice was drowned by some part
of the Atlantic viii ling over the Ian
tern.
'This kind of thing does not go on
Ill A. }, I,
wise we should have five hours of spas
modic conversation. AS soon as the
tide rises sufficiently to gain an unin-
terrupted run across the reef we will
have at least two hours of comparative
quiet About 4 o'clock there will be
second edition for an hour or so. sup
pose that any suggestion of bed'-
"Will be secuted" exclaimed Enid.
ga nice pair of beauties you will be
In the morning." he grumbled artfully.
Not even Constance was proof
against this new burden of woe. She
glanced around.
"You say that" she cried, knowing
that the nearest looking glass is yards
away"
He pointed with his pipe.
''In the second drawer of the desk
you will find heliograph. It is only
a toy, but will Justify me-"
They ran together and found the lit
tie circular mirror. The next wave
passed unheeded. Smiling, he went up
to the lamp. Even yet there was hope
they might go to bed when the respite
came.
After much talk of disordered hair,
wan cheeks, rings round the eyes,
cracked lips and other outrageous de-
fects which a pretty woman mourns
when divorced from her dressing table,
Constance called him.
"Here is a queer thing" she said.
'Have you heard any steamer boot
ingT'
"No," he answered. Bending between
the two of them, he saw that the point
er of the auriscope bore due southwest.
though the last siren of which they had
any knowledge sounded from the op-
posite direction.
He picked up a little trumpet re-
sembling the horn of a motor car.
81 use this for tests" he explained.
Its tiny vibrator quickly brought the
needle round toward his hand.
"It is improbable in the highest de-
gree that any steamer is near enough
to affect the auriscope." he said. "On
a night like this they give the coast
wide BERTH"
He quilted them again. The girls,
having nothing better to do, watched
the dial to see If any change occurred.
II h. y, ,ot
three times. Then Enid sang out:
"Oh. do come, dad! 1t goes back to
the southwest regularly!'
He Joined in the watch. The needle
was pointing north in obedience to the
sound waves created in the room.
Suddenly it swung round nearly half
the circumference of the dial
''Hushv' he said. They listened in
tently, but the roar of wind and water
was too deafening. They could hear
naught else. He went to the south
west point of the glass dome, but the
lantern was so blurred with rivulets of
water that he could see nothing save a
tawny vastness where the light fell on
the flying spindrift
To make sure he tested the auriscope
again and with the same result.
"a vessel is approaching from the
southwest" he announced gravely.
''Evidently she is whistling for help.
hope she will not attempt to approach
too near the reef. I must have look
out"
He put on an oilskin coat and tied
the strings of a sou'wester firmly be-
meath his chin.
The small door of the lantern opened
toward the bay, so he had no difficulty
in gaining the gallery. The girls
watched him forcing his way against
the wind until he was facing it and
gazing in the direction of the Scilly
isles.
Perhaps some poor ship is in dan
ger, Connie" whispered Enid. "It
f1a