Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-08-01

Wa' Il mi>imail : :l..cacc. anu this very
self possessed youth spoke again.
1.-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. rs major domo. gave the
Information asked for:
"Thcy arc in the two bedrooms over
head. Poor things! l am at my wits
end to know how to get their clothing
dried. You sec, Mr. pyne, my sister
and | have no spare clothes here. We
only came to the rock this afternoon
by the merest chance"
THAT rs just what was troubling
me-" lie answered. 81 am sort of in
terested III one of tllcm.'
oh" said Constance, 81 do wish
could help; but, indeed. my own skirts
are wringing wet"
"From what l 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 conclusion.
"Your prospective step-aunt. You
mean, perhaps, your fiancee's aunt?"
she suggested.
II don't know the lady. No, ma'am.
was right first time. Mrs. Vansittart
is going to marry my uncle, so keep
an eye on her stock to that extent"
GLOW stupid of mel" she explained,
while a delighted giggle from Enid did
stance became very stately.
81 will ask Mrs. vansittart to come
out and speak to you she began.
NO, no! don't wish that. You
might tell her am all right. That is
the limit. And-may 1 make a sug-
sestion?'
pray do"
at will help considerably If the Won
en- folk take it in turn to get into the
beds or hunks. Then some of thei1
linen could be dried at. the stove.
| will take charge of that part of the
business if l may; otherwise some OF
them will die"
The girls agreed that this was n cap
! ital idea. Constance went upstairs
In the first room she inquired:
SIS Mrs. Vansittart here".
"Yes," said q sweet but rather queru
lous voice.
A lady who had already appropriated
| the lower bunk raised herself OH an ell
bow.
The little apartment, like every par
of the building save the rooms reserved
| by Brands directions, was packed al
most to suffocation. This, if harmful
in one respect, was beneficial in an
other. The mere animal warmth of sc
many human beings was grateful aft
err the freezing effect of the gale OF
people literally soaked to the skin.
The girl, not unmoved by curiosity
held the light so that it illumined Mrs
yansittart Awoman of forty, no mat
ter how good looking and well pre-
served she may be, is in sorry plight
under such conditions. Constance saw
a beautiful face, deathly white ant
haggard, vet animated and clcarl!
chiseled. The eyes were large and lus
trous, the mouth firm. the nose ant
chin those of a Greek statue Jus
now there were deep lines across tho
base of the high forehead. The thir
| lips, allied to transient hawklikt
| CLEAN in the prominent eyes, gave {
momentary glimpse of harsh, per
haps cruel disposition. = charming
smile promptly dispelled this tleetinl
impression. Instantly Constance wa!
aware of having seen Mrs. Nansittar
before. So vivid was the fanciful ide:
that she became tongue tied.
do you want me?" asked the stran
ger, with a new interest and still smil
ing. Constance found herself wonder
ing If the smile were not cultivated t,
hide that family caught suggestion O
the bird OF prey. But the question re
stored her mental poise.
"Only to say that Mr.. Pyne''- sh'
began
| "Charlie-is he suved?"
Mrs Nansittart certainly had TIL
faculty of betraying intense interest
The girl attributed the nervous start
the quick color which tingcd the whit,
checks, to the natural anxiety Of n wo
man who stood in such approximate,
degree of kin to the young American.
"Oh. yes" said the girl, with read,
sympathy. Don't you know that al
Of you owe your lives TO his daring
He asked me toto say lie was al
right and-that he hoped you were no
utterly collapsed"
The adt!cn;lum WAS kindly one
No doubt Mr. Pyne had meant her tt
convey such q message. Mrs. Nansit
tart. it WIS evident. had received ;
shock. Perhaps she was a timorous
shrinking woman. avcrse to the suddel
stare Of others.
Il know nothing" she murmurcd
at was all so horrible. o God shal
| ever forget that scene In the saloon
How the people fought. They were
not human. They We're tigers. fierce
tigers, with the bowls and the balefu
eyes of wild beasts
This outburst was as unexpected a:
her stnccato question. Constance ben
over her and placed gentle hand OF
her forehead.
you must try to forget all that" SHIT
said soothingly. Indeed, 1t must have
been very terrible. 1t was dreadful
enough for us, looking down at thing:
through mist Of foam. For YOU
But tilerel You are one of the few
who escaped. That is everything. Coo
has been very good to your
She was STOPPING low and holding tho
lantern in her left hand.
Suddenly Mrs. Nansittart's eye.
cleaned again With that lambert ligh
SO oddly at variance with her smile
The slight flush of excitement yielded
to ghostly pallor. With surprlstn.
energy she caught the girls arm.
.Who are your she whispered. Tel
me. child, who are your"
my father is the lighthouse keeper,
said Constance. II am here quite by
chance. p
but your name! What is you
namc?"