The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-01-19

modore. Samson took the paper and
read:
''Have you forgotten the birthday of
the twins? They send their love, and
wish you were with them, even though
they were obliged to embrace your
French fellow voyagers. y
"From your wife,
Constance"
The brOnZed face Of Commodore
Samson flushed. He ran his fingers
through his hair.
"You had forgotten?" laughed tho
lieutenant. ,>
IL had, indeed I had, indeed"
stammered the commodore II should
have remembered, but, but
All! Madam did net forget
with your permission, will think
over the wording of my reply to hide
the stupidity of forgetting"
The lieutenant bowed, and having
accepted a protfered cigar. departed,
The commodore sat staring at the
message. Nov, what the devil does
it mean?" he muttered Then he sent
discreet messenger for Commander
Frazer
Frazer folded the message carefully,
and, placing it, on the table, pressed it
fiat with the palm of his hand as he
said in low voice:
You have neither wife nor twins?"
The commodore shook his head.
"This is from the admiralty. Has
it anything to do with The Twins
rocks off d'Ouessent?'
by heaven, you're right" said the
commodore, his eyes blazing like fire.
He snatched up "a pen and wrote:
beloved, will think Of you and the
twins all the rest of: the night
He personally gave this message to
Lieut.. Langlois, saying that he
thought he had successfully evaded
answering the question put to him in
the message. Then he stealthily sent
for Lieut.. larry.
Commodore Samson sat back in his
chair and allowed Commodore Frazer
to do the talking.
Lieut.. larry, you know The Twins
off d'Ouessent?"
II have passed them scores of times,
sir, running from Southampton to
Bordeaux
"You are certain Of their position?"
II think I could clear them on a
dark night with my eyes shut, SIR
This time we want you not to clear
them; we want you to put us right
over them"
''Wreck the ship, STRIP
mo, not if the trick can be done
without. What we hope you can do is
to put the Frenchman on the rocks,
but we want you to know that, if in
trying to wreck him, you lose this
ship, nothing in the way of reprimand
will be said to you, and nothing held
against you. The F'renchn1an has all
along allowed US the navigation, him.
self content to stand off at two cables
distance. At our present rate we pass
those rocks at. between three and four
o'clock tomorrow morning. Borrow
clothes from bluejacket, and be
ready to take the wheel when I call
YOU"
At three o'clock tho next morning.
the Emilia and Serpent were shaping
! through the waters at 20 knots an
| hour. Commodore Samson paced the
| bridge. The French Lieutenant, one
hand in his pocket to make sure of
his telegraph key, stood in an angle
of the bridge, laughing at the tales
Lieut.. harrington, especially selected
! for the duty, was telling. Alongside
to starboard was the Serpent, the
sleepless Odette on the bridge.
Half-past three. Samson turned and
scanned the waters ahead Yes,
patch laid on the face Of the water
like a great globule of grease, as if
some marine monster lolled under
meath. The commodore snatched up d
megaphone and bawleG out to the Ser
pent. Anything to distract attention
! from what was ahead.
Il. do not think, sir" he said to
Lieut.. Odette, that you have the right
to take me into Brest with the flags
flying as they are
Odette came to the end of the bridge
nearest the Emilia.
What are the grounds Of your OBJ
lection, sir? will give them consid-
Grafton" answered Odette.
''They are these, sir, loosely stated;
if you wish it will put them in writ
ing. am not prize in the ordinary
sense, you know. 1t is only because of
my passengers that you can coerce me
to follog YOU
Close behind him a hoarse, loud cry
sounded.> !: Langlois had suddenly
stepped to the bridge and beheld the
awful ''Twins.' ...
whats amiss?" bawled Odette, in
stantly sounding an alarm aboard his
destroyer. w.
"Nothing's amiss here, but if you'll
glance" began the commodore, all
excitement, but before he could finish
the sentence the cry of the man at
the. destroyer's helm rivettedx the lieu-
tenants attention., Odette flung him
self toward the wheel. but before the
Serpent even commenced to obey her