Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-07

inmate. Now, Tolfamache, 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 her
splendid serenity. She ran rather than
walked to her cabin, flung herself on
the bed and sobbed piteously. 1t had
to come, this tempest of tears. When
desperate odds demanded unfiinching
courage she faced them dry eyed, with
steadfast 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 1t had ended, with the sud
denness 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 mel" she murmured.
"What would the men think IL 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 a powder puff and
was at loss to discover its where
abouts until she recollected that the
doctor had borrowed 1t for the use OF
man slightly scalded when his own
supply Of antiseptic powder was ex-
hausted So she went into lsobels
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 a door broken through the parti-
ton for the girls use during the voy-
age.
| If Elsie had not already given way
! to tears she must have faltered now at
the sight of her friends belongings
strewed in confusion over the floor,
| chairs. dressing table and bed. lsobel
possessed gold mounted dressing case
| the size of an ordinary portmanteau
1t held an assortment of pretty and
mostly useless knickknacks, and they
/ had all been tumbled out in frantic
hurry. At first Elsie fIinched from fur
| Their scrutiny, but common sense tcS,
| her that this Respondent mood must
be fought. She dropped to her knees
found mother-of-pearl powder box
and picked up other scattered articles
and replaced them in the dressing
case. To accomplish this it was neces
sary to rearrange various trays and
drawers. Portraits of girl friends. in.
Guiding her own, and of men unknown
| to her, letters, memoranda and other
documents were thrown about in dis
order. All these she put back in their
receptacles, wondering the while what
motive had led Isobel to make such q
! frenzied search for some special objec
that she cared not jot what becam
of the remaining articles.
Yet who could account for the frenz.
of that terrible hour when the captain
announced the ships danger? Evel
Courtenay himself, Fsshe remembered
had emptied locker in rapid hun
for the dogs coat. but he had laugh
ingly explained his haste later whel
some chance reference was made t
his soaked garments.
| Anything was applicable in the ligh
of panic. She gathered up a skirt. an
some blouses, locked the dressing case
put the key in her purse and quite
the room with heavy heart, for tn
handling of her friends treasures la
brought sad memories.
i. Passing into the deck corridor, sh
, heard the captains voice, apparentl
at considerable distance. Two hun
dred yards away from the ship Coul
tenay and Tollemache were anchorin
a fat framework built of spare hatcl
es and secured by wooden crosspiece:
On it stood the first of the internal ms
chimes. The raft fioated level wit
the water, so its only conspicuous Fl