Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-04

GOOQ, HOTTEST COdi isu fHdSic Vi Suh-
powder. Jose or some one behind him
meant to sink the ship. and as !
might have proved awkward they were
willing that should go down with
her. ] Maybe shall meet Jose If we
get out of this rat trap. Then we shall
have a little talk
Despite the mans shrewd guess as
to the cause of the accident In the
stokehold Elsie was at loss to con-
meet the freak Of some Valparaiso loaf
er with the deep laid scheme which
contemplated the destruction Of the
Kansas. She had followed the discus
sion in the chart room with full appre-
citation of its Significance. Valuable
as the ship and cargo were, there was
far more at stake in the effect of the
loss on the copper markets of the
world The most important copper ex-
porting firm In Chile would practically
, be ruined, while. the Paris 'ring," of
which she had read in the newspapers.
would have matters Its own way.
Financial interests of such magnitude
would hardly be bound up with the
carousals and quarrels of Frascuelo
and "Jose the Winebag." Yet
Have. you ever heard of Senior Pc
dro ventana," she asked suddenly.
elias he to do with mines?" inquired
the Chilean tentatively.
| EYES,"
Il know him by sight, senorita."
would he be acquainted with this
| 40 l.
Cant say. Jose would know any
body whom he could touch for q few
pesetas."
She left him, promising to visit him
daily in the future. AS she walked
back toward the bridge companion
she met DR.. Christobal. His fit Of Ill
humor had gone. He was all smiles,
but Elsie, having extracted such in
formation as Frascuelo possessed, was
bent on adding to her store of knowl-
edge. incidentally she meant to widen
| the doctors views.
| "Why have you taken to lecturing
me?" she asked, with a simple direct
ness which Christobal was not slow
to profit by.
4 Because, though old enough to be
your father, / have not yet reached
years Of discretion"
"You mean, suppose, that If every
one attended to ones own affairs it
would be less spiteful world? | am
Inclined to agree with you. Unhappi-
ly life is largely made up of these
minor evils. Yet should have thought
that the desperate conditions under
which we exist at this hour might pro-
tect me from uncharitableness."
"You are pleased to be severe"
mo; it is the last privilege of dan
ger that shams should vanish. Yet
we plumb the depths Of absurdity
when we contest the right of any wo-
man. even a young and unmarried one,
to appreciate all that a brave man has
done and is doing to save her life.
Elsie was speaking without heat
She might have been reasoning some
disputed point in ethics. The Span.
lard was obviously thrown off his
guard.
"You seem to demand an explana
ttion." he said. with some warmth
"Well, you shall have it. | am not q
man to finch from the disagreeable.
admit sort of impression, l might al
most describe it as conviction. thai
Captain Courtenay's manner toward
you betokens growing admiration"
''This is the widest folly" criet
Elsie in bewilderment I'll canno
imagine what put such q notion int
your head"
Let me at least lay claim to a spe
cies Of altruism." he replied. Il car
see fifty excellent reasons why oul
young and good looking commando
should be drawn to you, nor can / urg,
one against it"
But he is already engaged to an
other woman, so my one reason Il
worth more than all your Atty"
"Ah. can that really be soY'
The tense eagerness In his voic,
might have warned her were it no
that she was shocked by the bitterness
which welled up in her heart. Sh
| WAS amazed by this introspectiv'
glimpse. 1t alarmed her. She mus
. convince herself at all costs that sh
. had spoken truly.
Although the evidence she tendere'
! was Of dubious value, she strove to ad
vance her argument further.
II have priced our friendship great
ly, DIR. Christobal," she said, speaking
with calm deliberateness that ran,
! hollow in her own ears, $50 great.
that am compelled to utter this pro
. test. Now, to end distasteful con
} troversy let me tell you what I know
to be true. When the ship was strand
! ed and we all thought our only chanc
| of safety was to take to the boats. b.
} a fake, the accident Of the moment,
7 was left alone in the captains cabir
{ The sea was breaking in through tn
: doorway, and it brought an odd relic
to my overburdened mind when er
deavored to rescue the contents Of
locker which for some reason ha
been scattered on the door previously
, Among them / found some letters.
. think you will believe me when / sa
j that would not consciously read an
, other persons private correspondence
Just then I was hardly responsible 70
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