The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-01-31
WHEN H o
SHUT DOW N

IL WdS uOI uuLu the I6uu0f began
to bob about In lively fashion that Nc.
Cusker would admit to himself the
truth of the suspicion which for the
past half hour had been -momentarily
growing upon him. Yet he dared not
stop rowing lest the girl should sus-
pect the truth. He shut his teeth hard
as he benz over the oars.
The gray, dreary mist which had
shut down like a pail seemed growing
more dense, and by this he knew that
darkness was coming on. Somehow in
the fog he had missed the yachts at
the m~oorings, Inc now the motion of
the tender as she slid over the long in
coming swells told him they were well
put in the bay.
1t was a serious predicament. The
fog gave no sign of lifting, and, with
darkness coming on. the chances of
spending a night in the open BOAT were
somewhat more than McCusker cared
to contemplate.
"Sorry. Miss Carey. but we've over
shot the mark and pulled past the
yachts in the fog. Hard a port, please.
Wen make them in a trice.'
The girl smiled as she brought the
boat about.
81 wonder you can get your bearings
at all in this wretched fog" she said.
Something in her tone made McCus-
ker look up quickly.
"And l nave my own suspicious as
to our present plight. Honestly. now.
do you know where we are?"
"Oh. there's not the slightest Ian
ger" McCusker began reassuringly.
$50 we are not lost, then" she said
lightly. This is great fun"
McCusker looked at her with undis-
guised admiration.
YES" said he; we're really lost.
And, by George. it makes it a lot cas-
Ter to have some one along you can
tell the truth to without sending her
into Mysteries"
1.-The worst-tell it air. the girl de
manded.
"Well." said he. we're out in the
bay somewhere, that's evident. and
heaven only knows where we can find
the yachts. We may drift round all
night. but not if l can help it." he end
ed. with determination.
He put his hands to his mouth and
shouted again and again at the top Of
his voice, but got no answer.
@ I1tIiDI. liz C0lu1lcIIled- JUSL dS
I thought. Nothing to do but pull for
1t. It's rather uncertain, but it's better
than drifting anyway"
He took up the oars. and the tender
hot ahead under his powerful strokes.
There was no sound save the creaking
If the oars in their oarlocks and the
wash of the boat as she rode over the
swells.
Darkness was fast coming on. The
mist walls which hemmed them in
changed from CHASTITY white to dull
gray. McCusker could scarcely make
out the face of the girl in the stern
sheets. Then slowly the gray deep
ened into black. and night was upon
them. Every few minutes the man
ceased rowing and shouted through
the mist. but the sound of his voice
seemed to die out in hollow emptiness.
Here's a fix" he said at length.
w don't seem to be getting any
where. Are you cold?"
Not a bit" she said cheerfully.
you'd best stop rowing and trust to
the tide. It must be making in now.
You're firing yourself out and all to no
purpose"
LOOK here" said he, 1--WE simply
must find the yachts"
"Impossibilities admit of no 'musts,'''
she observed philosophically.
81 know" he said, "but the whole
future hangs ON it. If we drift round
all night-you see-that is
"Oh," she said quickly, you'd better
row. 1 think"
There was a hint of GOODNESS in her
voice. McCusker dug the Ours savage
ly into the water.
I'm afraid you don't understand"
he said finally.
The girl said nothing.
Its this way he said desperately,
diff we drift round all night you'll
think when 1 ask you to marry me, as
I've been trying to get up the courage
to do for weeks. that I'm prompted to
do so by a sense of obligation. It will
be no such thing, but youth think SO.
just the same. Therefore / want to
make the yachts and prove to you l
would have asked you anyway"
The girl was silent. McCusker fan
cied he heard a low chuckIe from the
vicinity of the stern Sheets, but pro-
tracted listening on his part failed to
verify this.
He pulled away with all his might
Presently he noticed that the tender
no longer rose and fell. They were in
the quiet waters of the harbor. He
could have shouted for joy. He bent
owe b oars with a ley energy born
Of hope.
Out of he fog there suddenly APP
peared a light. There was a shock of
collision thar nearly threw them from