The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-12-07

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women.
Though her teeth chartered with the
cold, Mrs. Vansittart could not bring
herself to leave the vaultlike stairway.
Once more the hymn singers cheered
their hearts with words of praise. Evil
IDENTIFY there was one among them who
not only knew the words, but could
lead them nightly in the tunes of
many old favorites.
The opening of door-caused by the
| passing to and fro of some of the ships
officers-brought to her distracted ears
the concluding bars of verse. When
the voices swelled forth again she
caught the full refrain:
| "Raise thine eyes to heaven
| When thy spirits quail,
| When, by tempests driven,
| Heart and courage fail"
| Such a message might well carry
good cheer to all who heard, yet Mrs.
Vansittart listened as ore in a trance
| to whom the divinest SSomise was a
thing unasked for and unrecognized.
| After passing through the greater peril
| of the reef in q, state of supine con-
seriousness, she was now moved to ex-
IRENE activity by more personal and
selfish danger. There was she, hui
man atom, to be destroyed or saved at
the idle within of circumstance; here,
with life and many things worth living
for restored to her safe keeping, she
saw imminent risk Of a collapse with
which the nebulous dangers Of the
wreck were in no way comparable. 1t
would have been well for her could she
only realize the promise of the hymn,
"Our light afiliction, which is but for
moment, worketh for us far more eX-
ceeding and eternal weight of glory"
Not so ran Mrs. Vansittart's tumble
Of thoughts. The plans, the schemes,
the builded edifice of many years,
threatened to fall in ruin about her.
In such bitter mood there was no con-
ISOLATION. She sought not to find spir-
itual succor, but bewailed the catas-
trophe which had befallen her.
1t assuredly contributed to that "af-
Fiction which is but for moment
that Constance should happen just
then to run up the stairs toward the
hospital. Each fight was so contrived
that 1t curved across two-thirds of the
superficial area allotted to the stair
way. Any one ascending made COM
plete turn to the right about to reach
the door Of the room on any given
landing and the foot Of the ladder to
the next.
Hence the girl came Unexpectedly
face to face with Mrs. Vansittart. The
meeting startled her. This pale wom-
an, so thinly clad in the demitoilet of
evening wear on shipboard. should not
be standing there.
us anything wrong?" she cried, rails
ing her lantern just as Enid did when
she encountered the sailors.
"No, no." said the other, passing q
nervous hand over her face. Con-
stance, with alert intelligence. fancied
she dreaded recognition.
"Then why are you standing here?
1t is so cold. You will surely make
yourself ill.,"
81 was wondering If l might see Mr..
Brand" came the desperate answer,
the words bubbling forth with unre-
strained vehemence.
"See my fatherY repeated the girl.
She took thought for an instant. The
lighthouse keeper would not be able
to leave the lamp for nearly three
hours. When dawn came she knew he
would have many things to attend to-
signals to the Lands End the arrange
mcnt Of supplies, which he had al
ready mentioned to her, and host of
other matters. Four o'clock in the
morning was an unconventional hour
for an interview but time itself was |
topsy turvy under the conditions prev
alent on the Gulf Rock.
II will ask him." she went on hur- |
riedly, with an uncomfortable feeling
that Mrs. Vansittart resented her ju- |
dicial pause.
THANK you"
To the girls ears the courteous ac-
acknowledgement conveyed an odd note |
Of menace. If the eyes are the win !
dows of the soul surely the voice is its |
subtle gauge. The more transparency |
simple, clean minded the nearer, the |
more accurate is the resonant impress |
sion Constance found herself vaguely |
by two jostling distractions.
If they took shape it was in mute ques-
tioning. Why was Mrs. Vansittart so |
anxious to revive or, ii might be, probe |
long buried memories, and why did her
mobile smile seem to vein q hostile in
tent?
But the fresh, gracious maidenhood
In her cast aside these unwonted
studies in mind reading.
"He has so much to do" she eX-
planned. although there are many of
us on the rock tonight he has never
been so utterly alone. Won't you wait
inside until / return?"
mot unless l am in the way" plead
I'd the other. II was choking In there.
The air here, the space, are so CRATE
rul."
So Constance passed her. Mrs. Van
,ittart noted the dainty manner in
which she picked up her skirts to
mount the stairs. She caught glimpse
Of the tailor made gown, striped silk
well fitting, low heeled
wide welted expensive boots. Trust
to see all these things at
glance, with even the shifting gllmmer
IF storm proof lantern to aid the
quick appraisement.
AS the girl went out of her sight q
n int 10 har L