Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-08-18
IN THE SERPENT"S COIL.



his temper, he did not hate me as
loathed him, for he was Jealous. and
where there is jealousy there must be
some kind of love I suppose. am hand
some, good.looking, and l suppose it
was that"
A smile stole round the corners of her
mouth, and a flicker of brighter light
came into her blue-gray eyes.
If l only had the chance that Ella
has" she murmured. THE old lady
would love me like daughter in six
months. l should have a comfortable
home as long as she lived, and when she
died, should be independent. l wonder
what | should do when had an income
of my own"
The minutes passed, but she paid no
heed to how time slipped away or to the
fact that the deck was becoming grad
ually deserted. 1t was not till two of
the passengers stopped close to her that
she started on hearing their voices.
Il don't half like it," one was saying;
the captain is bent on beating the rec
| ord, but he has no right to hold on as he
is doing during this fog. It's a sheer
providence if he does not run into some
thing"
"Or get on the rocks" the other re-
| Joined. I'VE ought to be about opening
| the channel now, and there are some
pretty strong currents running along the
coast. have made this trip a score of
times"
But Cora Tariton did not want to hear
more. She had awakened from her
dreams, and now, feeling the raw keen
| ness of the air, went below. She made
at once tor the little cabin which she
| and Ella shared. The latter was in her
bunk, the uppermost one, and Cora could
tell by her regular breathing that she
slept.
She switched on the light and pre-
pared herself to undress, but at the mo-
ment she saw that Ella had been making
preparations for landing. y little, cheap
travelling bag stood on projecting slab
1t was full of odds and ends. and glance
showed Cora neatly tied-up packet of
| letters on the top.
With quick look at the sleeping girl,
she took them, and stool for a moment,
hesitating. Then she drew out the top,
most enc, and read it hastily.
It proved to be the last one from Lady
Hammersly, and had enclosed a draft
to pay Elias passage to England
1t was kindly worded though short,
and finished with the direction, "Send
me telegram when you land at South
ampton. Come on straight to Quinton,
and carriage will await you at the sta
ton
Cora put back the letter. and was in
the act of drawing out a second, when
she was thrown against the berths with
a shock which took her breath away.
There was tearing rending sound, and
the great steamer lurched on one side.
her deck all aslope.
The shouts of men, the shrieks of wom-
en- filled the air, and, mad with fear, Cora
rushed where she guessed the door to be,
for every light was extinguished. She
stumbled over something, which gave
vent to a groan. Doubtless it was Ella.
thrown from her berth; but she never
waited to see.
In another instant she was swallowed
up in a crowd of but half dressed men
and women, who were fighting their way
towards the companionway.
She had no choice but to 60 on, and
at length, one of a seething mass, she
found herself upon the slanting upper
deck. The ship was on her side, wedged
in the rocks, and against the weather
side the great waves Numbered, deluging
the decks with their spray.
To the girl all seemed to pass as in a
dream. More lucky than most, she was
clothed. and yet she was shivering with
cold, and when at length she found her
self in one of the boats, she was numbed
to the point of being nearly inscnsible.
In the dark it was impossible to land
on that efstudded coast, but fortune
favored the boat in which she was.
At daybreak it was picked up by a
homeward bound steamer, and a little
after noon Cora found herself in South.
amptOn.
There everything was done for her and
the others, but it was three days before
she regained thorough Consciousness, and
then it was TO find a kindly faced. mid
dle-aged woman leaning over her bed,
who addressed her as Miss Ella, and told
her that Lady Hammersly had sent her
to Southampton as soon as she heard
that she had been saved from the wreck.
Too weak 70 argue, Cora turned her face
to the wall and fell asleep again: but
when she awoke ner brain was clearer.
and she remembered what had passed.
How was it that she was supposed to
be Ella Tremainy And how did Lady
Hammersly know that she was saved and
at Southampton?
She soon learned, however, that the
woman who nursed her was the house
keeper at Quinton, and it was from some
letters which had been found upon her
that her name was known and Lady
Hammersly's address ascertained A
telegram had done the rest.
For twenty four hours Cora pondered
over her position. What would happen
when the real Ella Tremain turned up?
She-Cora--knew enough of her past his
tory to act her part, and, armed with the
letters, which she must have unconscious
ly thrust into the bosom of her dress,
might she not hold her own, declaring
Ella to be an impostor1 1t was a great