The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-11-16

1 ivy hiShe 30 W ucu WHICH 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'
mo" he answered. Bending between
| the two of them, he saw that the point
err 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 little trumpet re-
sembling the horn Of a motor car
81 use this for tests" he explained.
It's tiny vibrator quickly brought the
needle round toward his hand.
at is improbable in the highest de-
gree that any steamer is near enough
to affect the auriscope," he said. son
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.
He heard them use the small trumpet
three times. Then Enid sang out:
'Oh do come, dad! 1t goes back to
the southwest regularity
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.
"Hush!' 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
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. / must have q look
out"
He put on an oilskin coat and tied
the strings of q 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 Sicily
isles.
perhaps some poor ship is in dan
ger. Connie" whispered Enid. ut
makes me feel quite selfish. Here was
!, thinking of nothing but my own
peril, yet that little machine there was
faithfully doing it's duty"
1T was not alone in it's self aban-
donment. We shall never know, dear
est, how much father suffered when he
sent us off with jest on his lips. ]
am sure he thought the lantern would
be blown away"
"And he with 1t! Oh, Conniew
"Yes. He believed If that awful
thing took place while we were below
we might escape. can see it all now.
l had the vaguest sort of suspicion,
but he hoodwinked me-"
Had we known we would not have
left himw cried Enid passionately.
'Yes. we would. Think Of him.
sticking to his post. Was it for us to
disobey?"
Overcome by their feelings, they
stood In silence for little while.
Through the thick glass they could
dimly distinguish Brands figure. A
great wave assailed the lantern, and
Enid screamed loudly.
Don't. dearv' cried Constance shrilly.
"Father would not remain there If it
were dangerous"
Nevertheless they both-breathed more
freely when they saw him again. an
indeterminate shape against the lumi-
nous gloom.
Constance felt that she must speak.
The sound Of her own voice begat con-
Hdence
81 have never really understood dad
Until tonight" she said. "What an en-
aobling thing Is a sense Of duty. He
would have died here quite calmly.
Enid, yet he would avoid the least risk
out there. That would be endangering
his trust. oh, am glad we are here
have never lived before this hour"
Enid stole wondering glance at her
sister. The girl seemed to be gazing
into depths Unreasonable. Afterward
the words came back to her mind
"That would be endangering his trust"
Brand faced the gale full five miu-
utes. He returned hastily.
(Continued next week.