Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-02-04

II
the officers clawed the compass an,
shricked; of burnings and piracies, o
pest ships lind slave ships and ship
mad for want OF water, Of wliemin.
earthquake waves and mysterious sue
lions, drawing irresistibly agalns
wind and steam power upon unknow,
currents; Of stout liulks deserted II
panic, although sound and seiwortliy
and Of others SO swiftly dragged dowl
| that there was no time for any to say,
himself, and Of hundred othe
strange, stirring and pitiful venture.
such as make up the Inevitable peri
and incorrigtble romance Of the ocean
In a pause BILLY Edwards said muslng
~:
well, there was the Laughin;
Lass
How did you happen to hit ON herY'
asked Barnett quickly.
Why not, sir? 1t naturally came
into my head. She was last seer
somewhere about this part, Of the
world, wasn't she r. After moment.
hesitation he added. From something
l heard ashore | Judge we've a com
mission to keep watch out for he,
as well as to destroy dercllcts.."
What. about the Laughing Lass?'
asked Mcclure. the paymaster, a New
Englander, who had been In the sery,
Ice but short time.
Good Lord, don't you remember the
Laughing Lass mystery and the dis.
appearance of DR.. Schermerhorn?
"Karl Augustus Schermerhorn, the
man whose experiments to identify
telepathy with the Marconi wireless
waves made such furore in the pa
pers?"
"Oh. that was only a byproduct OF
his mind! He was an original inyes-
tigator in every line Of physics and
chemistry, besides most Of the natural
sciences" said Barnett .The govern
ment is particularly interested in hin,
because of his contributions to aerial
photography
"And he was lost with the Laughing
Lass?"
Nobody knows" said Edwards. "He
left San Francisco two years ago on a
hundred foot schooner with an assist
ant, a big brass bound chest and n
ragamuffin crew. A newspaper man
named Slade, who dropped out of the
world about the same time. is sup.
posed to have gone along too. Their
schooner was last sighted about 45O
miles northeast of Oahu in good shape
and bound westward. That's all the
record of her that there u.s."
WAS that Ralph SladeY' asked Bar
nett.
"Yes. He was free lance writer
and artist"
II knew him WELL" said Barnett.
He was in our mess in the Philippine
campaign on the North Dakota. War
correspondent then. It's strange that
never identified him before with the
Slade Of the Laughing Lass"
What was the object Of the yoy-
age" asked Ives.
They were supposed to be after
buried treasure,' said Barnett.
1--WE always thought 1t more likely
that DR.. Schermerhorn was on sci
entific expedition said Edwards. II
knew the old boy, and he wasn't the
sort to care for treasure, buried or un-
buried"
Every time ship sets out from
San Francisco without publishing to
all the world just what her business
lis all the world thinks It's one of
those wild goose hunts" observed Ives.
"Yes," agreed Barnett. Flora and
fauna of some unknown island would
be much more in the Schermerhorn
line Of traffic. Not unlikely that some
of the festive natives collected the nm
fortunate professor"
Various theories were advanced, with
drawn. refuted. defended, and the dis
cussion carried them through the swift
twilight into the darkness which had
been fastened by high spreading
canopy Of storm clouds. Abruptly
from the crows nest came startling
news for those desolate seas: Light,
no! Two points on the port bow!'
The lookout had given extra voice to
It It was plainly heard throughout
the ship.
The group of officers stared in the
direction indicated, but could see moth
Ing. Presently Ives aud Edwards,
who We're the keenest sighted. made
out a faint. suffused radiance. At the
same time came n second hail from the
crows nest.
ION deck, SIR
Hello" responded Carter, the off
Ger Of the deck.
'There's light here l can't make
anything out of, sir"
whats it like?"
"Sort Of queer general glow"
General glow, indeed!' muttered
/ Forsythe. among the group aft. THAT
fellows got an Imagination"
Cant You describe it better than
that?" called Carter.
Don't make 1t out at all, sir. faint
any regular and proper light. Looks
like lamp In a fog"
Among themselves the officers dis
cussed 1t interestedly as 1t began te
grow palmer.
Not unlike the electric glow above
a city seen from distance" said Bar
nett as 1t grew palmer.
Eyes. but the nearest electric lighted
city is some 500 miles away" objected
Ives.
Mirage. maybe" suggested Ed
wards.
Pretty hard working mirage to COY
er that distance" said Ives. "Thougl
I've seen 'em''
Great haaYnnsi Ynnlr a&.s fhaAl,