Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-09-07

Hope all is well?"
What was he to say? Was it not
best to speak boldly and let men know
the truth, not alone as to their present
desperate plight, but revealing the
measures he had devised for the pro-
lection of the light? He could not
make up his mind to launch out into a
full explanation that instant
So he signaled:
every one alive, but many cases Of
grave collapse"
Stanhope was again the signaler-
evidently he had arranged matters with
the admiral at Portsmouth-so Brand
expected the prompt reply:
"How are Constance and Enid p
''Quite we'll and cheerful
The tall man near Stanhope bent
closer.
"Are Mrs. vansittart and Pyne all
right?"
Brand assumed that the lady was in
no worse condition than others. Con-
stance, telling him the state of the sick
during hasty visit, had not mentioned
her name.
So he sent the needed assurance and
went on forlornly: 5ss-
Suppose no effort can be made to
open communication? ~
To his great surprise the answer
came:
eve are constructing raft. When
the tide falls this afternoon we will try
what can be DONE" Is
All, how glad he was that he had not
hi nd
fed the anxious rescuers by a prophe-
cy Of lingering death for many, with
the prelude perchance, Of murderous
excesses committed by men on the
verge Of madness If that story had
to be told he would not finch, but it
was a grateful thing that the hour of
it's telling might at least be deferred.
| A long message followed, string Of
loving words from relatives ashore to
those known to be imprisoned on the
rock. During the merely perfunctory
reading off of the signals his active
mind was canvassing the proba bilities
| of success or failure for the venture of
the afternoon. 1t was high water about
3 o'clock, and, in his judgment, with
the wind in its present quarter, about
northwest by west, the cross seas
| which would sweep the reef and engulf
the lighthouse at half tide would rem
der it wildly impossible for any raft
| ever built by mans hands to live In the
| immediate vicinity Of the rock.
However, the issue lay with others
now. He knew that they would do all
| that brave men would dare. He was
| tempted to make known the inspiring g
| news to all hands, but refrained, be-
| cause he feared ultimate failure. Be
meath his feet was a human volcano.
Stirred too deeply, it might become ac-
tive and dangerous. -
| So the apathetic multitude in his
charge, hungrily awaiting a scanty
morsel of food which only provoked
| what it failed to crafty, must rest
| content with the long statement writ
| ten out by the purser and read by him
at the door of each room.
| Pyne took to Mrs. Vansittart the
news of his uncle's presence on the
steamer.
eff you would like to see him." he
| said, Il have no doubt Mr.. Brand will
let you stand on the gallery for lit
| tie whiIe.''
She declined, excusing herself on tie
ground of weakness.
I'm this high wind,'' she said, ''it will
be very cold out there, and any further
| exposure would make me very ILL.,"
| "Thats true enough" he agreed,
though he wondered why she raised no
question concerning the message she
| wished him to convey to Mr.. Traill.
Had she forgotten the urgency of her
| words overnight? He had carried her
| instructions quite faithfully to Brand
and the latter smiled at the fantasy.
"Time enough to think of such things
| when we are assured of the lady's de-
parture," he said, and they left it at
| that
Thinking to interest her, Pyne told
,, her of the crowd on the Falcon.
Mostly reporters, Brand thinks" he
said. What story they will build
up in the New York papers! 1t will
be more fun than a box of monkeys to
get hold of this weeks news and read
all the fapdoodle they are printing"
But Mrs. Vansittart was not to be
rOuSGu 1TOul u6T u0lduCuOly. Su0
| dreaded the least physical suffering.
Privation was new thing in her life.
Today she was inert, timid, woman
who covered away from the door and
was obviously anxious that he should
leave her to the quiet misery Of the
packed bedroom.
AS the day passed, a wearisome iter-
alton of all that had gone before, q
new feature in the relations Of the
crowded community made itself disa-
greeably apparent. Men drew apart
from each other singly or in small
groups. An inconsolable gloom settled
on the women. By some means the
knowledge spread that they might all
starre to death IN the heart Of this cold
dungeon. They began TO loathe II. to
upbgaid its skeadfaseneeo With spoken
curses Or unreetrained tears. TdeeeD
snaey .pf .eae dAZ. He oscsutn3 M