Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-04-02

was speaking to him. Without further
Rdo he picked her up in his arms and
deposited her, all flushed and breath
less, in the shelter of the fore salon
hatch. II she were SO anxious to see
her friend the doctor, he was deter
mined she should not be disappointed
mo time for explanations" he said,
while she tremblingly clutched at a
rail which gave support down the
companionway. "Dr. Christobal is be-
low, butt fear you will find shock
ing scene. Perhaps you had better let
me take you back"
"No, no; not ON my account. I think
am past feeling any sentiment. !
would far rather do something, be of
some use, however slight"
a pungent smell of iodoform came
to them up the hatchway. Joey, who
had followed brayely in their wake
and was now few steps down the
stairs, crept back, awed.
"At least let me ask DR.. Christobal
if you may come. You will be quite
safe here if you grip the rail Even If
sea breaks over the hatch it cannot
touch you. May leave you? And do
you mind holding Joey y
Elsie detected a return to his earlier
manner. and she was grateful to him
for it. She did not like him so well
when he was stern and curt.
Eyes, she said ssThat is only rea-
sonable. but please tell him | shall not
be in the way. know that there are
wounded men to be attended and dead
men down there too. | shall not
scream or faint, believe me"
81 am sure of that Not one woman
in a thousand could have played and
sung to cheer others as you did after
the accident happened"
1t might have been the reaction from
her exciting passage along the deck,
but Elsie experienced sudden warm
glow in her face Somehow it was de-
lightful to hear those words from such
a man in the hour of his supremest
trial, for she realized what it meant
to him, even though his life were
saved, if the Kansas became wreck
She stopped, ostensibly to grasp the
dogs collar
Before you leave me-" she said, 'let
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 it held more dead than
living. Christobal, aided by two sail
ors, was wrapping lint around a 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
me to bring her to you in case she
might be able to render you some as
sistance," explained Courtenay.
Christobal drew himself upright,
with The sloWness of an elderly man
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 comet is Inn
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 / am
obliged to her for her kind thought?
But, you see, it 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 place for woman"
| Again he swept the row of silent
bodies with 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 many3' 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 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
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