Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-06-04

Maxwell. You rcmcmber-commodor
Ituh.'
Courtcnoy glanced at the chronome-
ter.
IL must be of" he announced. "Tolle-
mnchc may need some help with his
bombs, and those Chieans require
looking after"
Christobal. too, quilted the chart
room to visit his patients. He had said
very little willie he sat there. and Elsie
did not know whether to laugh or cry
at the tragic comedy of her environ
ment She was only certain Of one
thihg-she would like to box Boyle's
ears. She was completely at loss to
account for his persistent efforts to
drag in references TO their prior con
yersation She dared not catechise
him. That would he riing up more
difficulties for the future. But what
possessed him 20 blurt ont such en-
barrassng details IN the presence of
the two men whom she most wished to
remain In Ignorance of them?
She pcepcd nt Boyle sideways. His
eyes were closed. the cigar was be-
tween his teeth, and he had n broad
| grin on his face. She could not guess
| that the once taciiurn chief officer Of
the Kansas was saying to himself:
"My godfather how Pills glared!
There will he trouble on this ship
about woman before long or I'm a
Dutchman An didn't tho skipper rise
at the fly too! HUH"
A little later as Elsie passed along
the promenade deck she saw Courte
nay, Tollcmache and Walker deep In
consultation. They were arranging n
percussion fuse of Illuminating mcr-
curry. While she was watching them
Walker dropped broken furnace bar
on top Of a small package placed on
an iron block. Instantly there was a
shart report. and Joey. who was an
interested observer. jumped several
feet The men laughed. and she heard
Courtenay say:
THAT is The right proportion Of full
inmate Now, Tollcmachc I'll help
you to FIX them We do not know the
moment those reptiles may choose to
attack"
So the captain did not leave the Ala
culof menace altogether out Of count.
Something rose in her throat, some
wave of emotion which threatened hor
splendid serenity She ran rather than
walked to her cabin. flung herself on
the bed and sobbed piteousy. 1t had
to come. this tempest OF tears. When
desperate odds demanded unf1inching
courage she faced them dry eyed, with
stcadfast heart. But today in the
bright sunshine and apparent security
Of the ship sinister death shadows tor
tured her into rebellion. She did not
stop to ask herself why she wept. Be
ing a woman she yielded to the gust,
and when it had ended. with the sud
dcnness OF summer shower. she smil-
ed through the vanishing tears. Her
first concern was that none should be
aware Of her weakness.
How stupid of me-" she murmured
What would the men think II they
knew broke down in this fashion,
She looked in mirror. In the clear
light without any one could see she
had been crying. and there was SO
much work to be done that she did not
wish to remain in her stateroom until
all tokens Of the storm had passed
She searched for powder puff and
was at loss to discover Its where
abouts until she recolected that the
doctor had borrowed it for the use OF
n man slightly scalded when his own
supply Of antiseptic powder was ex-
hausted. SO she went into Isobevs
room, entering it for the first time
since the Kansas struck on the shoal
The two cabins communicated, as Mr.
Barring had gone to the expense of hav'
ing door broken through the partl
ton for the girls use during the voy
age
If Elsie had not already given way
to tears she must have faltcred now a
the sight OF her friends belongings
strewed in confusion over the floor
chairs. dressing table and bed. Isobe
possessed n gold mounted dressing cast
the size of an ordinary portmnnteau
1t held an assortment Of pretty anC
mostly useless knickknacks. and they
had all been tumbled ont in a frantic
hurry. At first Elsie hinched from fur
Their scrutiny, but common sense told
her that this Respondent mood mus
be fought She dropped to her knees
found a mother -of-pearl powder boz
and picked up other scattered articles
and replaced them in the dressing
case. To accomplish this 1t was neces
sary to vcarrange various trays ant
drawers. Portraits Of girl friends, in
Guiding her own. and Of men unknown
to Ier, letters. memoranda and othe
documents were thrown about in dis
order All these she put back In tibet
receptacles, wondering the while wha
motive had led Isobel to make such
fTenZied search for some special objec
that she cared not a jot what became
of the remaining articles.
Yet who could account for the frenz.
Of that terrible hour when the captain
announced the ships danger? Ever
Courtenay himself, she remembered
had emptled locker In a rapid hun
|. Tor the dogs coat. but he had laugh
lngy explained his haste later wheI
some chance reference was made t
his soaked garments.
Anything was applicable In the llgh
Of panic. She gathered up n skirt ant
some blouses, locked the dressing case
, put the key In her purse and quilted
the room with heavy heart, for tn,
, handling of her frlend's treaSurea In,