Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-05-07

MS soaked garments.
| Anything was explicabIe in the light
Of panic, She gathered up skirt and
gome blouses, locked the dressing case.
| gut the key in her purse and quilted
the room with a heavy heart, for the
handling Of her friends treasures had
drought sad memories.
] Passing into the deck corridor, she
heard the captains voice, apparently
at a considerable distance. Two hun
bred yards away from The ship Cour-
tenay and Tollemache were anehoring
a fat framework built of spare hatch
On it stood the first of the internal ma
chimes. The raft foated level with
the water, so its only conspicuous fit
ting was small spar and block, to
/ which a line and an iron bar were at
tached. The men looked strange III
her eyes at that distance. In the mar
| yel0usly clear light she could see their
features distinctly, and when Courfe-
nay shouted to sailor to haul in the
slack of the line she caught trumpet
like ring that recalled the scene in the
salon when he held back the mob of
stewards His athletic figure, silhou-
cited against the shimmering green Of
the water, was instinct with graceful
/ strength. He looked born leader of
men, and, as though to mark his quick
ness of observation, no sooner had
Elsie glanced over the side of the ship
than he waved hand to her.
She sighed. A bitter thought peeped
up in her that he was perhaps a trifie
careless in showing her these little at
tentions She wished he would speak
to her of that other girl who awaited
him in England. A pleasant state of
/ confidence would be established then.
/ These secret witches of sentiment
were irritating.
She walked aft to obtain a nearer
view of the operations. The sailors
had already shut in large portion of
the promenade deck with canvas, and
she noticed that loopholes were pro-
vided every ten feet OF so to permit the
/ effective use of the defenders firearms.
Thus at each step she was reminded
of the precarious hold she had on life,
and she was positively frightened
when some mad impulse surged
through her whole being, bidding her
imperiously to abandon her ultra con-
! scientious loyalty to woman she had
never seen. Why struggle against cir
cumstance? If death were so near,
what did she gain by prudery?
| For an instant she stood aghast at
the revelation which had come to her.
She was In love with Courtenay She
was ready to die by his side, fearless
and joyous, if only he would put his
arms around her and tell her that she
| was dear to him. All, the fierce delight
| of that first silent surrender! Her
/ heart beat as it had never pulsed be-
| fore, even under the stress of the
storm or the sudden terror of the
night attack. Her eyes shone, and her
breath came laboriously between parted
lips. Golden dreams coursed through
her brain. She was thrilled with an
unutterable longing.
/ Then her swimming eyes rested on a
| group of men standing on the poop.
| Among them was Christobal interest
/ ed, like the rest, in the floating of the
/ mine. And forthwith Elsie fell from
the clouds and was brought back,
| shuddering, to cold reason again. She
| was sick at heart She hated herself
for her self abasement. She must grid
| her with sackcloth and mourn, and
the fight must be fought now without
parley or hesitation unless the sweet
ness were to go forth from life forever
and all things turn to ashes in her
mouth.
So, marshaling the best qualities of
her womanhood, she quelled the tur-
| MOL in her breast, forced herself te
join the men on the after deck and
said when the smiling Spaniard turned
| to receive her:
where do they mean to put the sec
ond contrivance?n
! about there he said, indicating a
point on the surface of the bay east
ward of the canoe. His right arm was
extended, and he placed his left hand
on her shoulder Courtenay, hailing
i Walker, saw the two leaning over the
| rails In that attitude Perhaps one OF
/ the two hoped that Courtenay would
see them. Elsie, as part of her pun
ishment, did not shrink away, though
the touch of Christobal's hand made
her flesh creep. But joey, whose mind
was singularly free from complexities,
leaped up at her. He wanted Elsie to
tell him what Courtenay was doing
out there, so far away from the ship.
She stopped and picked hing. up. Chris
tobal had no excuse for second ca
ress.
Bark, Joey" she whispered. bark
and call your master. If anything hap
pens to him, you and / shall never see
England again. And am longing for
home today"
CHAPTER XIII.
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