Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-08-21

house The worst accident was a bro
ken arm, the most alarming a case of
cerebral conclusion. Other injuries
bruises.
Unfortunately. when the ship struck,
the surgeon had gone aft to attend to
an engineer whose hand was crushed
as the result of some frantic lurch
caused by the hurricane. Hence the
doctor was lost with the first batch of
victims. Enid discovered that among
the few steerage passengers saved was
q man who had gained some expert
ence in field hospital during the cam
paign in Cuba. Aided by the plain di-
rections supplied with the mecicine
chest of the lighthouse. the ex-hospital
orderly had done wonders already.
'.All l want. miss he explained in
answer to Constance's question, ''is
some water ana some linen for band
ages. TIE lint outfit in the chest is not
half sufficient
She vanished. to return quickly with
a sheet and pair of scissors.
''Now," she said to Mr.. Pyne. ''if you
come with me l will send you back
with pail of water"
She took him to the kitchen, where
Enid, aided by a sailor, pressed into
service, was dispensing cocoa and bis
cults. Pyne, who remained in the
stairway, went off with the water and
Constance's lantern. The interior of
the lighthouse was utterly dark. To
move without a light and with no prior
knowledge of it's internal arrangements
was positively dangerous. All told,
there were seven lamps of various
sizes available Brand had one, four
were distributed throughout the apart
ments tenanted by the survivors of the
wreck, two were retained for transit
purposes, and the men shivering in the
entrance passage had no light at all.
Constance took Enid's lantern in or
der to discover the whereabouts of Mr..
Emmett, the first officer, the tray car
rying sailor offering to guide her to
him.
When Pyne came back he found
Enid in the dark and mistook her for
Constance.
'They want some more" he cried at
the door.
"Some more what?' she demanded
1t was no time for elegant diction.
Her heart jumped each time the sea
sprang at the rock. 1t seemed to be
so much worse in the dark.
water" said he.
"Dear me! I should have thought
everybody would be fully satisfied in
that respect"
He held up the lantern. -
''Well, that's curious" he cried. 'T
imagined you were the other young
lady. The water is needed in the hos
pital."
''Why didn't you say so?' she snap
ped, being in reality very angry with
herself for her fippancy. She gave
him a full pail, and he quilted her.
Constance, having delivered her ia
ther's message to Mr.. Emmett, was
greeted with tart question when she
re-entered the kitchen.
'Why on earth didn't you tell me
that young man was attending to the
injured people? Is he doctor?"
81 think not. What happened"
"He came for second supply Of wa
ter and nearly bit my head OFF,"
ooh. Enid! am sure he did not
mean anything. Didn't you recognize
him? 1t was he who climbed the mast
and flung the rope to u.s."
'There." said Enid, ''I've gone and
done it! Honestly, you know, it was
l who was rude. He will think me q
perfect cat.''
"That isn't what people are saying"
explained Mr.. Pyne. whose approach
was deadened by the outer noise
There's kind of general idea floating
round that this locality is an annex Of
heaven. with ministering angels in at
tendance"
In the half light of the tiny lamps he
could not see Enid's scarlet face. There
was a moments silence, and this very
self possessed youth spoke again.
''The nice things we all have to tell
you will keep" he said. would you
mind letting me know in which rooms
you have located the ladies?''
Constance. as major dOmo, gave the
information asked for:
'"They are in the two bedrooms over
head. Poor things! I am at my wits
dried. You see, Mr.. Pyne, my sister
and have no spare clothes here. We
only came to the rock this afternoon
by the merest chance.
''That is just what was troubling
me- he answered. Il am sort Of in
terested in one of them
''Oh." .A;d Constance, 81 do wish
could help: but, indeed, my own skirts
are wringing wet.'
"From what 1 can make out, then,
my prospective step-aunt will catch a
very bad cold"
The queer phrase puzzled the girls,
but Constance, rarely for her, jumped
at a conclusion.
"Your prospective step-aunt. You
mean, perhaps, your fancee's aunt?"
she suggested.
81 don't know the lady. No, ma'am.
1 was right first time. Mrs. Vansittart
is going to marry my uncle, SO I keep
an eve on her stock to that extent"