The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1908-04-30
the accident happened"

glow in her face. Somehow it was de-
lightful to hear those words from such
man in the hour of his supremest
trial. for she realized what it meant
to him. even though his life were
saved, if the Kansas became wreck.
She stopped. ostensibly to grasp the
dogs collar.
Before you leave me-" she said. "let
me tell you how sorry l am for YOU"
He ran down the stairs and entered
the small salon, which had been
hastily converted into hospital. Per.
haps it would be better described as a
mortuary, for it held more dead than
living. ChristObal, aided by two sail
ors, was wrapping lint around a fire
mans scared arm. Happily there was
an abundance Of cotton sheets avail
able, and the men tore them into strips.
But the comparatively small supply of
and in the doctors private medicine
chest had long since given out.
Miss Maxwell is here. She asked
me to bring her to you in case she
might be able to render you some as
sistance," explained Courtenay
Christobal drew himself upright,
with the slowness of an elderly man
whose joints are stiffening.
Miss Maxwell here?' he repeated.
obviously surprised. if not displeased.
He waved hand toward the men laid
on mattresses on the deck. Most were
quite motionless. Others writhed in
agony. "She cannot come-it is i'm
possible"
Courtenay saw that the girl could
do no good now in that chamber of
death. The mere memory of it would
be an abiding horror He wanted
Christobal himself to send her away,
but the doctor had taken off his coat
and barred his arms. His appearance
was grimly businesslike.
Twill you tell her how much l am
obliged to her for her kind thought:
But, you see. it cannot be permitted
Please say that I hope to join her in
the salon in quarter of an hour
My work is nearly ended. l am sure
you will make her understand that this
Is not place for a woman"
Again he swept the row of silent
bodies with a comprehensive hand.
Yet the trivial thought intruded itself
on the sailor that this elegant old
Spaniard delegated the task of ex-
PLANTATION to him solely because he did
not wish to appear before Miss Max
we'll in somewhat disheveled state
He dismissed the notion at once.
How many?' he asked, glancing at
the quiet forms which bore no band
ages.
eleven now. By the way, just one
word. What chance have we" Chris
tobal put the concluding sentence in
French.
Courtenay answered in the same Ian
guage: "A very poor one. But l shall
come to the salon and warn you. That
will be only fair. don't you Think
Most certainly. Well, may as well
finish here" And the doctor signed to
his helpers to lift the next sufferer on
to the table
Courtenay returned to the stairway.
At the top stood Elsie, looking eagerly
for his temperance. A sense of unut-
terable anguish shook him for second
as he saw the sweet face, instinct with
life and beauty, gazing down at him.
How mOnstrOus it was to think of such
a fair woman being battered out of
recognition against the rocks! He bit
his lip savagely, and it is to be feared
the words he swallowed were not those
Of supplication. But his eyes were
calm and his voice we'll under control
when he said:
"Dr. Christobal is captain below
there, Miss Maxwell, and he absolute
ly vetoes your presence. He was ex-
ceedingly distressed at being compelled
to send you such message. However.
he will soon explain matters to you in
person, as he is coming aft almost at
once"
Elsie was disappointed. She dreaded
the return to the salon, with it's queer
~ assorted company. When she quit
ted them they were in a state of indie
scribable distress. Gray and the Eng
lishman were helping the chief stew
ard to adjust life belts, but Isobel was
In a frenzy of despair, her maid had
tainted, De Poincilit and the Spaniards
were muttering alternate appeals to
the saints and oaths of utter abandon
ment, and Mrs. Somerville was almost
unconscious, while her husband kneit
by her side and wrung his hands in
abject misery. Anything was better
than to go back to that woeful assem-
bly,, yet she choked down a protest and
said quietly:
Il am ready. l am afraid l have
been bother to you. Captain Courte-
nay"
"Say, rather, you have given me
hope. l think heaven has work for
you to do in the world. Let me go out
first Never mind Joey. He can strug.
gle along behind. Steady now. Head
down and lean well against the wind"
Elsie found, to her amazement, that
there was less sense of danger in fac
ing the wind than in being driven
along before it. Moreover, she had
greater confidence during this second
transit over the exposed portion of the
deck. She felt Courtenay dragging her
on irresistibly until they gained the lee
of the smoking room. He let her rest
there beneath the ladder leading to the
bridge. Then strange revulsion of