Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-17

effect her words might have on the
others. Although the salon was
warm-almOst uncomfortably hot ow-
ing to the closing of the main air
pasSages-she shivered.
Mr.. Somerville drew q book from
his pocket IF that be So" he said
gently, may l suggest that we seek
aid from one who is all powerful? We
are few and of different religions, but
in this hour we can surely worship at
a common altar"
Right" said the taciturn English
man, varying his adjective for once
The missionary offered up n short but
heartfelt prayer and, finding that he
carried his congregation with him, read
the opening verse of hymn No. $40,
For Those at Sea"
The stewards, most of whom under
stood few words of English. readily
trasped the fact that the padre was
asking for help in situation which
hey well knew TO be desperate. They
irew near reverently and even joined
III the simple lines:
Oh. hear us when we cry to thee
| For those in peril on the sea,
During the brief silence which fol-
Owed the singing of the hymn it did
| indeed seem to their strained senses
that the fierce violence of the gale had
somewhat abated. 1t was not so In
reality. A steady fall in the barom-
| eter foretold even worse weather to
come. Courtenay, assured now that
! the main engines were absolutely use
less, thought it advisable to get steer
| ing way on the ship by rigging the
foresail, double reefed and trapped
! The result was quickly perceptible
! The Kansas might not be popped
again, but she would travel more rap.
idly into the unknown.
! Yet this afforded only another in
| stance of the way men reason When
they seek to explain cause from effect
The hoisting of that strip of stout can.
vas was one of the time factors in the
story of an eventful night, for it was
with gray faced despair that the cap.
! tain gave the requisite order when
the second engineer reported that his
! senior was dead, the crown of two
| furnaces destroyed and the engines
clogged If not irretrievably damaged
| by fallen debris. None realized better
than the young commander what dis
astrous fate awaited his ship in the
gloom of the flying scud ahead. There
was faint chance of encountering an
other steamship which would respond
to his signals. Then he would risk
! all by laying the Kansas broadside or
! in the effort to take tow rope aboard
Meanwhile 1t was best to bring her un
steering gear, driven by the uninjured
donkey engine, being yet available.
In the salon Elsie had shielded hel
face in her hands to hide the tears
which the entreaty of the hymn ha6
brought to her eyes. Some one whis
pered to her:
won't you sing something, Mis-:
MAXWELL"
1t was the American. He judged
that the sweet voice which uncon
sciously led the singing Of the hymn
must be skilled in other music.
She looked up at him, her eyes shin
ing.
Sing! Do you think it possible? 2
she asked.
Yes. You can do a brave thing,
guess, and that would be brave"
81 will try" she said, and she walk
ed to the piano, which was screwed
athwart the deck in front of the pol
ished mahogany sheath of the stee
mainmast. 1t was In her mind to. pla!
some lively excerpts from the light op
eras then in vogue, but the secret infiu
ences of the hour were stronger thar
her studied intent, and when her fin
gers touched the keys they wandered
almost without volition into the subtl,
harmonies of Gounod's Ave Maria.
She played the air first; then, gaininl
confidence, she sang the words, usini
Spanish version which had caugh
her fancy. 1t was good to see tn
flashing eyes and impassioned gesture
of the Chilean stewards when tho