The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-08-23
Good Ship
Roosevelt.
By RITA KELLEY.

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Betsy. let's run out into the Hudson
and see peary's ship"
Betsy Cobb jumped at her brothers
words and gaZed with sudden intent
ness out the window. She had come
| up to his Office for a few moments
| chat. and, as she felt the blood pound
| ing into her cheeks and up to her hair,
| she wished poignantly that she had
stayed away. To the Roosevelt, IN
| deed!
It's too cold" she objected, sinulat-
ing Il Shiver. We'll freeze getting out
| there
"Bosh! Get on your gloves. 1t isn't
every day that one has chance to
| climb over vessel that's been within
hailing distance of the north pole. I'll
just cut my appointments. What's the
trouble:"
She had baked fatty at the gentle
urgency of her brothers hand on her
arm.
Il won't go" she declared.
The doctor laughed good humoredly.
"What'S up: Is some tickle admirer
who forgot for the first time to send
you Al box of candy for your birthday
due out there this afternoon? Come
on. 1t isn't every day l can run off,
and It's no pleasure to go alone"
Betsy'S head swan with pcrSpec-
tive OF chain of horrors opening up
by her acQuieScencc; but, on the other
hand, her brothers curiosity was not
to be aroused too much. He had a
most uncomfortable habit of going to
the bottom of things.
We'll" she said reluctantly, I'll
GO" She laughed bit Historically.
hut I'd rather be hanged"
Her brother remembered with some
uneaSineSs that Betsy had not been
herself of late. She was not 50 gay
and fun loving as usual, and he often
caught her incoming. That was what
she was doing back at the office just
now, and it decided him to run away
with her for awhile.
Betsy, don't you feel wcll?" he
asked as they scrambled off a cross
town car at the ferry slip.
"Rotheration, yes! What a silly
question" But, though her words
We're careless, she avoided his eyes and
looked off down the Hudson. You
can't get across this day" she an
nOunced, with perceptible relief. The
Ice Is all cakcd up here on the New
York side, so that a launch couldn't
possibly get through"
hn,
brother chcerfully. One thing was GER
tain-the Roosevelt had something VI
tai t. do with her state Of sulks. Good,
He would probe further.
rs there any way Of getting. out to
the Peary ship" he inquired Of
policeman.
''Ice Is pretty bad. No boats going
out of here. but maybe if you walk
up to Forty-fourth street you cun get
on a bigger boat They been out once
today. Guess you'd better go across
to Jersey, though. No Ice over there,
and you can hire some one to take you
out to mldStream. The Peary boat Is
nearer the Jersey shore anyhow" he
called after the determined looking
physician, who had seized his sisters
arm as the ferry gong sounded and
was hustlfng her on board.
Betsy looked furtively at the vessel,
lying low and gray, with her nose up
stream, as the ferry passed. There
was much deep interest amounting
even to fascination In her glance, but
she feigned extreme Indifference. Sew
eral other people were evidently on
the same quest, and rs the ferry near
ed the Jersey shore cry Of disappoint-
ment went up. Not launch or row
boat in sight. 1t looked very much as
though those who were not good swim
mers would have to content themselves
with ferry glimpses of the famed ship,
and cameras began swapping industri-
ously.
Again Betsy's manner became more
spontaneous.
You will get out to the Roosevelt,
will youE she twittcd her brother Joy
ously. We'll, I don't envy you the
swim in this temperature. Fortunate
ly I'm a girl and so exempt"
"IIo, l don't know. Plenty of row
boats around here somewhere. You'll
handle the oars all right. You are the
most interchangeable croaker | ever saw"
Following the directions of u long
shoreman, he guided Betsy's tagging
footsteps for five minutes across the
bridge down interminable flights of
stairs, across the road TO the wood
pile" and brought up before a rotten
log enmeShed in Ice cakes that led out
to row of dccrepit old canalboats
lying out of commission along the
shore y man appeared around the
corner of the little turrct on top of
one Of the boats and asked If they
could row.
well, 1 should say" the doctor
shouted.
And Betsy was forced to scramble
up the perpendicular old ladder on to
the boat, thence across and down a
ladder into fiat bottomcd old fishing
boat at the other end. Her brother
took off his ovcrcoat and wrapped 1t
about her carefully before he seized
the oars and fell in with the stroke Of
the old river man.
The doctor was studying Betsy
closely. 1t looked to him very much
like case of the heart. he specialized
as they drew near the ship. When she
weakly made excuse to remain In the
rowboat while her brother clambered
over the ship, he was certain that the
masculine reason lurked on shipboard.
So Betsy, pcrforce, boarded the Roose-
welt
The ship was in gala dress, with
many sightsecrs aboard. AS Betsy and
her brother stood on the deck clutch
Ing their hats in the stiff breeze,
young, brown, weather beaten man
stepped up and rather shyly held out
his hand to Betsy.
Instantly the doctor looked at his
sister. She was flushed, painfully en-
baTaSSed and was stammering like
mn awkward schoolgirl. He was seized
with remorse, and Dr. Cobb came to
her rescue, chastising himself mentally.
Haven't I seen you beforeT he
aHknd anaaGinGlV 04tendin1 his hand