Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-05-07
certain that my forgiveness Is com

cutil we QuaEIct dUOut Il uSSfSe. Oi
biessedness? assure you ike you
more than ever When all is said and
done, you thought was hinging my
self at our excellent captains head, SO
you tried to spare me the pangs of I'M
rsquited LORE The words hurt, but
she did not finch. Christobal, anxious
TO deceive himself, was radiant.
"Your charity goes too far" he cried.
"That was not the exact reason. No
my dear Miss Maxwell; begin to ex-
ercise a newborn discretion. | shall
not elucidate that cryptic remark I'M
| til after New Years day. But don't
mind telling you why have hit on a
definite date. If all goes well with US
land we have had so many escapes
that Providence may we'll send us a
few more-the Kansas should steam
out Of our little bay of Good Hope
about that period. Then shall remind
you Of our discussion and keep my
promise
With that he left her. After a gasp
or two Of surprise, for Elsie could read
only one meaning into his words, she
ped hotel. Seated at the same table
rs herself was a skillful sailor, using
iogaritllms, secants and cosecants, po-
lar distances and hour angles as If he
we're in some university class room.
She stole glance at Courtenay. He
was so keenly engaged on the business
In hand, so bent on achieving Accuracy
I'm his figures, that she chided herself
| for her reverie. Then she wondered
| IL he ever gave thought to that prom
Ised wife of his, who must soon suffer
the agony of knowing that the Kansas
was overdue.
Elsie was sufficiently well acquafnt-
ed with shipping to realize the sensa-
ton that would be created by the first
cablegram from Coronel announcing
the nonappearance of the steamer in
the strait. The Valparaiso newspa-
pers would be full of surm'ses as to
the vessels fate. They would publish
full details of the valuable cargo and
would give a list of the passengers and
officers All! Ventana would learn
then. if he had not heard it earlier,
that she was on board. And he alone
would understand the true reason of
her fight from Chile. Her cheeks
flushed, and she applied herself more
closely to the chart she was copying.
She had left good deal unsaid in her
brief statement that morning. How
strange. how utterly unexpected, 1t
was that Yentana's name should fall
from Courtenay's lips-Courtenay of
all men living! And what did Isobel
mean during that last dreadful scene
ere she was carried away to the boat
by screaming in her frenzy that Ven
tana had taken IAN ample vengeaneeT'
breed dared to make the same pro-
posal to the rich and highly placed
Isobel Barring that he did not scruple
to put before the needy goyerness
Surely that was impossible. There
we're limits even to his audacity
eWell, how is my chief hydrogra-
pher progressing?"
Courtenay's CHEEKY voice banished
the unwelcome specter of Ventana.
Elsie started.
II do believe you were day dream
ing" said the captain, with surpris-
ed smile. "A penny for your thoughts. :
Il don't think yeu can pay me-" she
retorted, hoping to cover her confusion.
won't you accept Chilean curren-
cyy'
"N0t on the high seas.
"But you are on dry land. Please
make a dot on your map at 81 degrees
IA minutes o seconds south and IA de-
grees SO minutes 8 seconds west. That
is the present position Of the ship. Let
me pin this compass card on the ia
bic. Use the parallel ruler, regard
each inch as mile, and I'll do the rest
by guessworlz."
Courtenay took his binoculars and
went on to the bridge. He called out
the apparent distance of each land
mark he could distinguish, described
it and gave It's true bearing. In the
result Elsie found she had prepared a
clear and fairly accurate chart of the
bay and It's headIands, while the po-
sition of the distant range of noun
tains was marked with tolerable preci-
sion. But Courtenay was far from
being satisfied.
IF had base line or even fresh
set Of points taken higher up the inlet
could improve on my part Of the sur
yey,' he said. Yours is admirable
Miss Maxwell. Of course / know you
are an artist, but mapping is thing
apart That is first rate"
Perhaps you may be able to secure
fresh data when the Kansas puts to
sea again." said Christobal.
eff I am coming the wheel must
leave the chartmaking entirely to my
assistant" replied the captain lightly
sBut do mean to peep a little farther
into our estuary. Before the ship
sails / may have another spare hour to
! devote to it,"
"In what way?' asked Elsie.
| 4'By utilizing the canoe. A mile OF