Evening star., 1907-11-11
CHAPTER VI-Continued.

Really he said. II find you wonder
full"
"Why?' Certainly she might he par
doned for seeking an explanation Of any
compliment just then
why? Por Dios. Excuse me. but that
slipped out sideways Just imagine any
woman being able to attend to dog and
pick up bundle of letters at the very in
stant the ship appeared to be slipping off
into deep water.''
us not that the best thing that can
happen?"
instantly
How do you know
"Well-er-I don't exactly know, but 1
assume that the hull was broken long
since"
II don't see why you should take that
for granted. These very movements seem
to me to argue bUoyancy. Somehow. !
feel far safer here than if 1 were-''
She was Interrupted by the opening of
the door and the consequent roar of the
gale. 1t was Walker the engineer. a
lank, swarthy man. with long black mus
taches, which dropped forlornly down the
sides Of his mouth. He shouted, with the
inimitabe accent Of Tyneside:
1
captain thinks Mr.. Boyle is bettaw.'
May | come, too?" asked Elsie.
"No. missile. You bide he-aw.'
Please tell me before you go-is the
ship full of water?'
She's dwy as bone" said Walker A
sea splashed over him and sent shower
into the cabin. "A vewy wet bone,' he.
added. with a broad grin. for the North
umbrian had ready wit though he had
such a solemn 1owl. and he could not
pronounce an "r' to save his life.
Between you and the captain. I am be-
ginning to be infected by belief" said
Christobal to Elsie. Let me recommend
you to close the door behind US"
And she was left with the dog for com
pany once more. A chronometer showed
that the hour was past midnight. She
knew sufficient of the sea to understand
that the clock was probably accurate, as
the course had practically followed the
same meridian since the Kansas quilted
board had entered on another day! How
little she had thought that to be possible
when the awful knowledge first came to
her that the Kansas was ashore. How
long ago was that? Then she remembered
that when Courtenay placed her in his
cabin with the promise to bring Isobel to
her. she had noticed the time-11 o'clock.
Was it conceivable that only one hour had
elapsed since She and her four-footed
friend were flung all of heap into a
corner by the impact of the vessel against
the sand bank? One hour! Surely there
was some mistake: she puzzled over the
problem recounting each event since the
conclusion of dinner, and finally convinced
herself that her recollection was not at
fault. An hour-one of eternity's hours!
a verse OF the S0th Psalm came to her
mind:
For a thousand years In Thy sight are
but as yesterday when it is past, and as
a watch In the night
The words had new and solemn mean
ing to her. Yesterday was her thousand
years-this was her watch in the night
and 1t would pass as tale that is told
1nvoluntarily she turned to the bookcase
behind her. and took the Bible from the
little library of books which she had
laughingly described as "a curious assort-
ment." 1t was her intent to find the
psalm containing that awe-inspirng verse
and read the whole of it, but, in turning
over the leaves. she came upon a scrap
of paper with notes on it. The handwrit-
Ing was scholarly and legible She
thought that Capt. Courtenay would prob
ably write just such hand. Though her
cheeks tingled a little at the memory of
the words in his sisters letter, there was
no harm in reading memorandum evil
IDENTIFY intended to mark passage in the
book. The items were sufficiently strik-
Ing: "Meribah-a place of strife: Selah-
repetition, or sort of musical de capO."
This stirred her to ssek an explanation.
She searched the two pages which opened
at the marker, ana. IN the seventh verse
of the S1st Psalm she found the key:
Thou calledst in trouble, and l deliv-
cred thee; answered thee in the secret
place of thunder: / proved thee al the
waters of Meribah- Salah." ID,
The phrases were strangely appropriate
to her present environment. They were
almost prophetic, and there was even a
sinister sound in the concluding instruc-
ton to the chief musician upon Gittith,"
In this psalm OF Asaph. That was the
terrible feature of her vigil. There was
no knowing when or how 1t would end.
She closed the book in state more close
ly approximating to hyster1cal fright than
she had been at any previous time during
that most trying night. The truth was,
though she could not realize it, that her
senses were far too alert. her brain too
preoccupied. to permit of such an ordered
task as reading In her minds eye she
saw the boats, with their covering occu-
pants. plunging and tossing in that fren-
zied sea. BY contrast she was far better
of on the ship. Yet, were it not for the
action of some COwar rdly Chilean she