Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-31

he'd drown quicker with them on. Oh.
yeS-hell do it,
The man came nearer. and In the semi
gloom he stretched out an arm. The
woman drew suddenly back. but natural
ly as If she did not see 1t. I'm going
back to Jin1-to the cabin, now" she said.
You won't see me again until tomorrow.
I'll pretend that / am asleep when you
unlock the door. and he won't awaken
me. Good night" She slipped out Of the
could move to detain her.
A few minutes after she had rejoined
her husband the cook was admitted with
their supper. Mrs. McEwen ate lightly,
and several times during the course OF the
meal she cautioned her husband to be
more sparing with the food. After they
had finished she took what remained of
bread and meat and wrapped 1t In a piece
Of cloth. The half dozen potatoes the
cook had brought she put in paper bag.
Every scrap Of food. even to bread
crumbs. she collected and hid away.
When the cook returned for the dishes an
hour later he made no attempt to conceal
his establishment. The prisoner grinned
at him goodnaturedly Mrs. McEwen
smiled at him. Il know you think were
we're pigs she laughed. But we
were so hungry. and your supper was
awfully good"
After that the hours passed slowly
Once the woman drew small file from
inside her dress and showed ii to Nc
.Iwen. and the two laughed happily.
Again and again the prisoner drew his
fingers over its rough edge. and each
time he smiled more confidently.
Il wish l might try it just little on
the under side Jim." begged his wife. but
the man shook his head and nodded sus-
piciously toward the door.
After 10 o'clock the woman at times
thought the hands OF McEwen's watch
had stopped. She laid the timepiece in
the light of the cabin lamp and until II
kept her eyes almost constantly upon It.
Then she extinguished the light, and in
the thick darkness crept up close to her
husband. The man bent to whisper to
her. but she stopped him by placing a
hand over his mouth. One by one she
counted off the seconds to herself A
hundred-two hundred-three hundred
and up to FIVE times three hundred she
measured the time. Then she quietly
slipped out from between McEwen's arms
and tiptoed to her bunk. Again she
almost gone. She strained her ears now
to catch the sounds of the ship. Once
she thought she heard footsteps. For a
few minutes after that there was abso-
lutte silence. and then there came the
fumbling of a hand at the cabin door
Trembling with excitement the woman
half raised herself until she was sure
that the man had come and gone.
Jim she whispered.
McEwen came to her. For few mo-
uGIilS lLc NOINdu 10y Win H6T n60u upon
his breast and her arms around him.
Then she pushed him gently away, and
the shackled man walked to the door
and opened it. McEwen could discern
no sign of life on deck, with the excep-
ton Of shadow at the wheel, which he
knew was the captain. So he walked
out boldly and passed into the bow where
he could conceal himself from tho eyes Of
the man aft Hardly had he disappear
ed when Mrs. A.cEwen followed him and
crept cautiously out into the deep shadow
of the cabin. There she crouched. eager
ly watching the figure at the wheel. The
knowledge that the captain had thus far
lent himself to her plot almost over
whelmed her. She could see that he
was alone and that part of the ships
lights were extinguished. Amidships the
vessel was buried in deep gloom. The
darkness hung like wall between her
and the dimly lit stern, where stood tho
man. and the woman knew that through
this the captain was watching the ex-
posed part of the forward deck. Foot
by foot she crawled aft, until from the
the blackness of the midship deck she
most hear him breathe. Once or twice
she dared to move that she might look
back into the schooner's bow. The first
time she saw her husband leaning over
the rail of the ship; the second. he had
disappeared. When she turned to the
captain again he had left the wheel and
was coming quietly up into the gloom.
With her face pressed upon the deck
and her throbbing heart almost bursting
with mingled fear and hope, McEwens
wife heard him pass within Q few feet