Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-19

on mattresses on the deck Most were
quite motionless. Others writhed in
agony. "She cannot comet is i'm
possible
Courtenay saw that. the girl could
do no good now in that chamber of
death. The mere memory of it would
be an abiding horror He wanted
Christobal himself to send her away,
but the doctor had taken off his coat
and barred his arms. His appearance
was grimly businesslike
will you tell her how much l am
obliged to her for her kind thought?
But, you see, it cannot be permitted.
Please say that l hope to join her in
the salon in quarter of an hour.
My work is nearly ended / am sure
you will make her understand that this
Is not a place for q woman"
Again he swept the row of silent
bodies with a comprehensive hand.
Yet the trivial thought intruded itself
on the sailor that this elegant old
| Spaniard delegated the task of ex-
PLANTATION to him solely because he did
not wish to appear before Miss Max
well in a somewhat disheveled state
He dismissed the notion at once.
How many?' he asked, gIancing at
the quiet forms which bore no band
ages.
Eleven now. By the way, just one
word. What chance have we?" Chris
tobal put the concluding sentence in
French.
Courtenay answered in the same Ian
guage: "A very poor one. But l shall
come to the salon and warn you. That
will be only fair, don't you think?"
Most certainly. Well, may as well
finish here" And the doctor signed to
his helpers to lift the next sufferer on
TO the table.
Courtenay returned to the stairway
At the top stood Elsie. looking eagerly
| for his temperance. A sense of unut-
| terable anguish shook him for second
as he saw the sweet face, instinct with
life and beauty, gazing down at him.
How monstrous it was to think of such
a fair woman being battered out of
recognition against the rocks, He bit
his lip Savagely, and it is to be feared
the words he swallowed were not those
of SupplicatiOn. But his eyes were
calm and his voice well under control
when he said:
''Dr. Christobal is captain below
there, Miss Maxwell, and he absolute
ly vetoes your presence. He was ex
ceedingly distressed at being compelled
to send you such a message. However
he will soon explain matters to you ii
person, as he is coming aft almost a
once"
Elsie was disappointed. She dreaded
the return to the salon, with its queer
ly assorted company. When she quit
ted them they were in a state of indie
Bcribable distress. Gray and the Eng
liShman were helping the chief stew
ard to adjust life belts, but Isobel wa
in frenzy of despair, her maid hat
tainted, De POincilit and the Spaniard
were muttering alternate appeals t
the saints and oaths of utter abandon
ment, and Mrs. Somerville was almos
unconscious, while her husband knel
by her side and wrung his hands il
abject misery. Anything was bette
than to go back to that woeful assem-
bly,, yet she choked down a protest an,
said quietly:
81 am ready. I am afraid 1 hav
been bother to you, Captain Courte
nay"
, Say, rather, you have given m
hope. think heaven has work TO
You to do in the world. Let me go on
! first. Never mind Joey. He can strug
gle along behind. Steady now. Hea
down and lean well against the wind.
!. Elsie found, to her amazement, tina
! there was less sense of danger in fax
ing the wind than in being drive
, along before it. Moreover, she ha
, greater confidence during this secon
, transit over the exposed portion of til
, deck. She felt Courtenay dragging he
on irresistibly until they gained the lie
of the smoking room. He let her res
. there beneath the ladder leading to tn
{ bridge. Then q strange revulsion O
t feeling came to him. He experience
, an overwhelming desire not to be par
ed from her. He had sickening fea
: that he might never see her again, S
he shouted very close to her cheek:
Would you like to sit in my cabin
little while if bring Miss Baring?"
She thought that would be splendid
t Courtenay, if any one, would succee
, in calming Isobel. In order to max
| herself heard she in turn had to pu
{ her lips quite near to Courtenay's fact
"Yes," she cried; 81 shall be only to
l pleased. But be patient with her. Sh
I is very frightened"
r There is no accounting for the worl
ings of a mans mind. Courtenay, q
/ no time a, lady's man, most certainl
, had other matters to attend to jus
4 then. Yet here he was thinking onl
: of woman's comfort. His dism;
1 forebodings were banished by rus
t of absurd delight at the thought tha
t he would have an opportunity of speal
e ing to her occasionally. What brav
girl she was! What wife for a sal
e or! In truth, these were mad notion
that jostled in his brain when his Lii
t and hers were not worth an hour
| purotaSa Ho drou har RI tha foot &