The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-16
cS.Ees3s<3.fe.<es<e.S}.ccecsCsces.s>. A Story of a Girl, a Motor {
 Boat and a LightShip

I glanced more kindly at her silent cava- l Tier.
 "They are wonderful machines, are they
 not?" she exclaimed to Carling who with one elbow resting on the rail was looking | listlessly across the stretch of open wa ter.
 "Oh, yes,' he drawled, but like auto mobiles and race horses and stag dinners and other fast things, not quite reliable. Suppose your twelve horse power engine gets balky-then where are yod? 1 think l they're downright dangeroua' he added | langudly.
 "l am sorry to be the cause of exposing 1 you to so many dangers" replied Miss | Chester coldly. "l am afraid that with 1 the early rising, the possibility of a snow l storm, the presence of a flrearm ln the
 boat, and, above all. the prospect of the l dangers of a breakdown, you will be quite prostrated after your Christmas l holiday. l am sorry that l omitted to bring my salts; also that none of the
 men understand this engine so that you l could have gone on the steam launch with papa and the girls
 , "I am much happier with you,' he re- l piled with unruffled calm. even despite the perils and privatons of this sea-going l automobile If l was aboard the Silver l King l would probably become unpop-
 ular by begging the girls not to eat so i many bonbons or to stand too near the i rail. You see I am cursed with spirit i of caution and an inclination to follow the i line of least resistance, and, by the way, you had better not sit quite near the i nYWheel as your skirt might get caught i and throw you into the machinery l once 1 heard of a girl who---"
 Spare mel" cried Miss chester, throw
 ing out both hands imploringly. 1 Before long they were half-way across ! of Ina m Tho fi1n pbh- | ing like a mill race and Carling found it 1 necessary to head well above their desti-
 nation to avoid being carried out to sea. 1 Far in the offing they could see the Shark l Shoal lightship-the only break in the | bleak horizon.
 1 Think of the poor fellows spending i their Christmas out on that desoate Wa l teri" exclaimed Miss Chester. How for l lorn and sad it seems-and how selfish 1 it makes one feel I wish that we could l go out there and take them some of the l good things which we expect to bring
 back with us-don't you?' "I should like to send them something, !" 1 agreed MT Carling, conditonally, but
 he glanced at the sky to windward. "I 1 think l could forego the pleasure of talk 1 ing them in person this afternoon. 1 few minutes later they reached the | landing and with the expenditure of lit- 1 tie time and some northern gold sue | CeeUeu m lnuutlIlS tue tNplfSN dStitl to
 send the supplies down to the launch. As they started back MT Carling observed | that the breeze had freshened and that
 there was a. suspicious rawness in the 1 air. l They were crossing the mouth of the ln- ! let. when suddenly Miss Chester. whose 1 eyes had been resting on the eXpanse l of cold gray water. sprang to her feet. | "There goes flock of geese'' she cried. ! eXcitedly. "see-straisht out-close to the
 water-there they have lit Let us run down and get a shot at themH J Carlng turned the wheel and headed the 1 launch seaward.
 ] Look at her go,' he cried with a cer- 1 tain awe in his voice as they shot past I 6. black and white mid-chanuel buoy. l '-'rhe tide must run four knots! Do yoV l thnk it well to start on this wild-goose chase with this tide to buck on the way l back?'
 I'm going to get a shot if | have to chase them outside the capes," she an- 1 swered stubhornly They dashed on until almost abreast of the outer entrance and 1 could soon distinguish the big birds quite | plainly.
 "Now stop and let her drift,' whispered l Miss Chester. Carling obediently turned the switch and the drive in the cylinders | ceased.
 All at once Miss Chester raised her
 weapon, but before she had time to aim