Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-07-02
When the
Ship Went Down
+ (Copyright.)
BY Owen oliver


round the Uralian. One reef shell
tered her as she lay upon another,
straining and grooming, like beast In
pain. Her bows had climbed over the
hidden rock. pointing scornfully up.
wards till they were bent with their
own weight and sagged downward
again.
Beyond the oasis of calm, heavy
sea swept shorewards In towering
green waves, until 1t reached a comb
of jagged rocks, and poured through
the openings in sheets of foam to
long, sandy beach. Three tossing
boats were approaching the rocks as
slowly as the current would suffer
looking for a passage through. The
fourth-the last remaining-was just
leaving the ship. The men who had
lowered it, with no appliances but
bare ropes, rubbed their chafed hands
on their trousers and mopped their
foreheads, and gathered together ST.
lently-except a tall gentleman of
about 40. He left the rest and went
toward lady, who stood back little,
watching them. The rest OF the WON
en-, and all the children, were in the
boats.
She turned when he reached her.
and they walked forward together.
He patted her shoulder approvingly,
and she smiled at him. She was about
five-and-thirty; could scarcely be
called good-looking, but very likable
when she smiled
That's why she wouldn't go In the
boat!" one of the gathering observed.
"Aye!" said an old sailor. She's
the right sort"
Then they were silent again.
The man and the woman were
silent, too. When they reached the
end of the saloon promenade, beside
the wrecked music saloon, they
stopped and rested their arms on the
rail and gazed at the shore q mile
away; not as if they wished to look
at the shore, but as If they feared to
look at each other. The chief officer
came swiftly down the narrow ladder
from the navigation deck, with two
life-belts on his arm
BEST put them on" he advised;
'but | don't think they'll be much
use" He nodded toward the break
ers. She'll go in ten minutes"
The man laid one belt on the deck,
while he put the other round the
woman. She held up her arms and
smiled at him all the time. When he
finished his task, and picked up the
other belt, she took it from him.
Let me do it for you" she offered.
Il should like to II may"
His grave face lit up for a moment
j shall lie you to- he told her.
You are a brave woman"
Drawer than | thought" she as
scented. II used to think that l was
just-ordinary; that we all we're. Now
think it was life that was ordinary,
not we. What shall we do with the
rest of 1.-THE ten minutes?"
Let us open our hearts, the man
proposed. I'VE may venture now.
Dear lady, | have admired you and
liked you all the voyage. We shall go
as friends together, Think"
Il wish no better company" she
told him.
rs there no one who has a better
right?" he asked.
mo one. And your"
mo one"
"And that" she said, is why we
thought life ordinary, suppose"
He nodded and they rested their
arms on the rail again and gazed at
the boats approaching the shore.
Yes he said I'VE are Drawer
the bravest and the best. You gave
up your life when you gave up your
place in the boat. Why?"
81 stayed for friend" she ex-
planned.
"Me?" He looked at her quickly.
you. / wonder-it doesn't matter
what we say now, does It'll wonder
if we really cared for each other!"
"Ah!" said the man. II wondered,
too, but | thought women always
knew"
She shook her head.
liked you, certainly, out 4 nave
liked other men. | never liked any Of
them enough. You see, l am not a
marrying woman. l have-I had
aims in life. Marriage meant sacri-
ficing so much. And for what? To be
a toy and plaything for a year. Per-
haps not year-don't call 1t selfish
ness. I'd have given up everything IL
/ had thought that love would last!
My dear friend, 1t doesn't last You
and | are not children. We have seen
life. We know! But the woman's
lasts longest was afraid of that"
Il know" The man nodded II
liked you, too; liked you more than
was comfortable! | thought 1t out
many a time. 1t was more than lik-
ing, Marian.
81 was very tempted sometimes to
ask you to give me yourself; but
you see, | also have liked others; and
not enough. |, too, was not sure IL
liked you enough; but liked you more
than any OF the rest-much more. I
used to fancy that some night when
the moon shone--some night when
the end Of tha vovaoa and tho M RI