The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-05

white linen, fitted quietly TO and fro.
When the watch was changed, Iris
noted that the "chief' appeared in an
pld blue suit and carried oilskins over
his arm as he climbed to the bridge.
Nature looked disturbed and fitful,
and the ship responded to her mood.
There was a sense of preparation in
the air, of coming ordeal, of restless
forebOding- Chains clanked with q
noise the girl never noticed before; the
tramp of hurrying men on the hurri-
cane deck overhead sounded heavy and
hollow. There was a squeaking of
chairs that was abominable when peo-
pie gathered up books and wraps and
staggered ungracefully toward the
companionway. Altogether Miss Deane
was not wholly pleased with the pre-
liminaries of a typhoon, whatever the
realities might be.
And then, why did gales always
spring up at the close OF day? Could
they not start after breakfast, rage
with furious grandeur during lunch,
and die away peacefully at dinner time.
permitting one to sleep in comfort
without that straining and groaning of
the snip which seemed to imply a sharp
attack of rheumatism in every joint?
Why did that silly old woman allude
TO her contemplated marriage TO Lord
Ventnor, retailing the gossip of Hong
Kong with such malicious emphasis?
For an instant Iris tried to shake the
railing in comic anger. She hated Lord
VentnOr. She did not want to marry
him, or anybody else, Just vet. OF
course her father had limited approval
of his lordship's obvious intentions.
Countess Of Ventnor! Yes, ii was a
nice title. Still, she wanted another
couple of years of. careless freedom; in
any event, why should Lady Tozer Dry
and probe? -
And finally, why did the steward-on,
poor old Sir John, What would have
happened if the ice had slid down his
neck? Thoroughly comforted by this
sleeful hypothesis, Miss Deane seized
| a favorable opportunity to dart across
to the starboard side and see if Can
tain Ross heavy bank of cloud in the
northwest had put in an appearance.
Ha, there it was. black, gigantic
rolling up over the horizon like some
monstrous football. Around IL the sky
deepened into purple, fringed with a
wide belt of brick red. She had never
seen such a beginning of a gale. From
what she had read in books she mag
| ineG that only in great deserts were
clouds Of dust generated. There could
not be dust in the dense pail now rush
| ing with giant strides across the trem-
bling sea. Then what was it? Why
was it so dark and menacing? And
where was desert of stone and sand to
compare with this awful Sexpanse q
water2 What a small dot was this
great ship on the visible surface, But
the ocean Itself extended away beyond
there, reaching out to the infinite. The
dot became a mere speck. undistin-
guishable beneath a celestial micro
scope such as the gods might conde-
sCend to use.
Iris shivered and aroused herself will
a startled laugh.
A nice book in sheltered corner
and perhaps forty winks until tea Tins
surely a much more sensible proceed.
ing than to stand there, idly conjurins
up phantoms of alright.
The lively fanfare of the dinner
trumpet failed TO fill the saloon. b.
this time the Sirdar was fighting reso
lutely against a stiff gale. But tn,
stress OF actual combat was better thar
the eerie sensation of impending dan
ger during the earlier hours. Tn.
strong, hearty puisations of the en-
Sines, the regular thraShing of tn.
screw. the steadfast onward plungins
of the good ship through racing sea!
and flying scud, were CHEEKY, confident
and inspiring.
Miss Deane justified her boast tina
she was an excellent sailor. She smiled
delightedly at the ships surgeon whe,
he caught her eye through the man!
gaps in the tables. She was alone, 81
he joined her.
You are a credit to the company
quite a sea kings daughter" he said.
Doctor, do you talk TO all your lad!
passengers in that wav2"
ALAS. 10. Too often I can only b.
truthful when 1 am dumb"
Iris laughed. IF I remain long OF
this ship I will certainly have my heat
turned" she cried. II receive nothiu,
but compliments from the captain
down Toto"
THE doctor"
''No. You come a good second on IN
list"
In very truth she was thinking Of III
ice-carrying steward add his quee
start or surprise at the announcement
of her rumOred engagement. The mai
interested her. He looked like a bro
ken-dOwn gentleman. Her quick eye
travelled around the saloon TO discove
his wh5rea bouts She could not Sc
him. The chief steward stood near
balancing himself in apparent defanc
of the laws OF gravitation, for the shi!
Vas now pitching and rolling with
mad zeal For an instant she mean
to inquire what had become OF tn
transgressor, but she dismissed tn
thought at its inception. The matte
was too trivial.
With a wild swoop all the plates
glasses and cutlery on the saloon ia
bles crashed to starbOaTd. Were 1t no
for the restraint OF the fiddles every
thing must have been swept to tn
floor There were one or two mino
} accidents. A steward, taken unaware!
was thrown headlong on Jop of hi
laden try. Others were compelled
clutch the backs of chairs aui sling I
pillars. One man invOlutarily seize
the hair of a lady who devoted a
hour before each meal to her coiffur,
/, The Sirdar, with a frenzied bound
tried to turn a somersault.
"A change of course observed til
doctor. '"Fhey generally try to avOi
it when people are in the saloon, but
typhOnn admits of no labOred polite
ness. AS lis center is now right ahea
we are going on the starboard tack
get behind H."
Il must hurry up and go on deck,
said Miss Deane.
You will not be able to 60 or dee
until the morning"
Sine turned Oh him impetuously. I'm
deed / viii. Captain Ross promised m
that IS, / asked him"
The doctor smiled. She was S
charmingly insistent. at is simply i'm
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