The Red Cloud chief., 1906-08-03

49, ~ w iAli''''b N'dlS VII llt
Odd of next June since you found me
floating serenely toward the Gulf Rock
In n deserted boat?"
Eyes, If you insist on accuracy as to
the date. l might cavll at your Sc
renity."
and l was estimated as a year old
then? Isn't ii Il weird thing that Il
year old baby should be sem adrift on
the Atlantic i'm an open boat and never
a word of inquiry made subsequently
as TO her fate? | fear I could not have
been of much account in those days"
my dear child. | have always told
you that the boat had been in collision
during the fog which had prevailed TOR
several days previously. Those who
were caring for you were probably
Knocked overheard ana drowned"
But alone, utterly alone. That is
the ~strangeness of 1t. / must be an
American. Americans start out to hus-
tie for themselves early in life, don't
they?"
Certainly in that respect you might
claim the record"
. Brand had not told her all the facts
of that memorable June morning. Why
should he? They were not pleasant
memories to him. Why cumber her
also with them? For the rest he had
drawn up and read to her long ago a
carefully compiled account Of her res
cue and the steps taken to discover her
identity.
~ entered on an active and useful
career with no such halo of glory
broke in Constance. II nm just plain
English, born in Brighton. of parents
not poor. but respectable. Mother died
a year after my birth. didn't she. dad?'
You were thirteen months old when
we lost her. he answered, bending
over the clockwork attachment of the
fog bell to wipe off an invisible speck
of dust. Since his first term of service
on the rock the light had changed from
an occulting to Il fixed one
"Shc is buried there, isn't she?" the
girl went on. 'IIow strange that mid
our %iourneying we have never visited
Brighton
eff | were able to take you to her
gravoSide. / would not do It," said
Brand. II do not encourage morbid
sentiments even Of that perfectly nat
ural kind. Your mother to YOU, Con-
stance, is like Ends to her-a dear but
' visionary legend. In a degree it Is al
ways so between loved ones lost and
those who are left. Truth, honor, work
these are the highest ideals for the
individual. They satisfy increasingly.
Happy as l am in your cOmpanionship,
you must not be veXed when l tell you
that the most truly joyful moment Of
my life was conferred when my little
friend here first responded accurately
to external influences"
He laid his hand on an object resting
on a table by itself. 1t looked like an
aneroid barometer. but the others Knew
IT was the marine auriscOpe to which
he had devoted so many patient hours.
SIS it in working order nowY' asked
Constance instantly, and Enid came
nearer. Together they examined the
small dial. 1t was equipped with an
arrow headed pointer and marked with
the divisions Of the compass, but with
out the distinguishing letters.
These three understood each other
exactly. BY inadvertence the CONVEX
sation had touched on a topic concern
ing which Brand was always either
vague or silent. Both girls were quick
witted enough to know that Con-
stances mother was never willingly
alluded to either by the lighthouse
keeper or by the elderly Mrs. Shep-
pard, who looked after them in In
fancy and was now the housekeeper
of Laburnum cottage.
Constance was annoyed. How could
she have been so thoughtless as to
cause her father a moments suffering
by bringing up painful "reminiscences
Put he helped her, being master of
himself.
He adjusted a switch in the instru-
mcnt.
II had no difficulty in constructing a
diaphragm which would intercept all
sounds" he said. 'The struggle came
when | wanted an agent which would
distinguish and register Il particular
set Of sounds, no matter what add
tional din might be prevalent at the
same time. My hopes were wrecked SO
often that / began to despair, until !
CHANGED to read one day how the high
tension induction coil could be tuned
to disregard electrical influences other
than those issued at the same pitch,
NV anxiety. until I had procured and
experimental with a properly con
structed coil, was very trying, l assure
you"