Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-11


dogs collar.
Before you leave me-" she said, 'le1
me tell you how sorry am for you"
He ran down the stairs and entered
the small salon, which had been
hastily converted into a hospital. Per.
haps it would be better described as a
mortuary, for 1t held more dead than
living. Christobal, aided by two sail.
ors, was wrapping lint around fire
mans scared arm. Happily there was
an abundance of cotton sheets avail
able, and the men tore them into strips
But the comparatively small supply OF
cotton wool carried in the ships stores
and in the doctors private medicine
chest had long since given out.
Miss Maxwell is here. She asked
might be able to render you some as
sistance," explained Courtenay.
Christobal drew himself upright
with the slowness of an elderly mar
whose joints are stiffening.
Miss Maxwell here?" he repeated
obviously surprised, If not displeased
He waved a hand toward the men laid
on mattresses on the deck. Most were
quite motionless. Others writhed IN
agony. "She cannot come-it Is i'm.
possible"
Courtenay saw that the girl could
do no good now in that chamber OF
death. The mere memory Of 1t would
be an abiding horror. He wanted
Christobal himself to send her away
but the doctor had taken OF his coat
and barred his arms. His appearance
was grimly businesslike.
"Will you tell her how much am
obliged to her for her kind thought
But, you see, 1t cannot be permitted
Please say that 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 q place for a 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 somewhat disheyeled state.
He dismissed the notion at once.
"How manyy' he asked, glancing 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 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 OH
to the table.
At the top stood Elsie, looking eagerly
for his temperance. A sense Of unut-
terable anguish shook him for a second
as he saw the sweet face, instinct with
life and beauty, gazing down at him.
How monstrous 1t was to think Of such
fair woman being battered out of
recognition against the rocks! He bit
his lip savagely, and 1t 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:
cdr. Christobal is captain below
there, Miss Maxwell, and he absolute
~ 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 In
person, as he Is coming aft almost at
once"
Elsie was disappointed. She dreaded
the return to the salon, with Its queer
~ assorted company. When she quit
ted them they were in state of indie
scribable distress. Gray and the Eng
lishman were helping the chief stew
ard to adjust life belts, but 1sobel was
in frenzy Of despair, her maid had
tainted, De Poincilit and the Spaniards
were muttering alternate appeals to
the saints and oaths Of utter abandon
ment, and Mrs. somerville was almost
unconscious, while her husband knelt
by her side and wrung his hands in
AFFECT misery. Anything was better
than to go back to that woeful assem-.
bly,, yet she choked down protest and
said quietly:
II am ready. am afraid have
been a bother to you, Captain Courte
nay"
"Say, rather, you have given me
hope. l think heaven has work fol
you to do in the world. Let me go out
first. Never mind Joey. He can strug
gle along behind. Steady now. Head
down and lean we'll against the wind
Elsie found, to her amazement, thai
there was less sense of danger in fac
ing the wind than III being driver
along before it. Moreover, she had
greater confidence during this second
transit over the exposed portion OF the
deck. She felt Courtenay dragging he1
on irresistibIy until they gained the LEI
of the smoking room. He let her res
there beneath the ladder leading to the
bridge. Then a strange reyulsion OF
feeling came to him. He experienced
an overwhelming desire not to be part
ed from her. He had sickening feal
that he might never see her again, Sc
he shouted very close to her cheek:
would You like to sit in my. cabin
little while if l bring Miss BarinsY
Che 4bo,,nh4 thaf Nhuld he Snlpu0iO