, 1909-06-24
m forward-how

would Nllle anu curse, row -r
aid haze me for falling to bot,
Lea to their course in face of DEAN,
Well. let them hate: my love wa.
worth by far the more, and the liza
and honor of Lady Darlington ou,.
rei~rad all else on board-ay, and the
reaslre of the Donna Isabel! I'm
nlicitly"- / saw her eyes again as She
id 1t. and sprang to the deck, fun,
ling in the darkness for the latch n,
y door
The main cabin was dimly lighted
d chill. the fire in the stove low.
raused to rattle it. and add a few
inns of coal from the scuttle stand.
nc near by. In spite of SURROUNDING
onforts what a grim, inhospitable
rlace this was for any woman like
,er, The very snuguess of the cabn
served only to emphasize the gloom
I'D reril without. the frightful polar
MYSTERY which surrounded us, which
rives men mad amid its awful dis.
ances. its shrouded silence.
Suddenly. directly opposite where
iood. | saw 1t again-that same
hapeless. white, gliding figure. An
instant Only L SlOou IootSu " TIE SpOt
ly blood like ice. my eyes full OF hor.
3r. Then the swift reaction came.
se reserve courage of a man ashamed
+ such weakness, and leaped
,rai~ht toward the misty object, crap.
~ at 1t with my hands. / touched
dining but air, falling headlong with
.iolelce Earring the entire cabin.
nd overthrowing a chair crashing to
re deck. Dazed, confused, | stag.
cred to my knees, staring about into
he dim shadows. A white-draped
cure was at my very elbow. and
prang to my feet, only to take a
uick step backward. grasping at the
Bile, as | recognized Lady Darling.
~.
Good God, was raj you? gasped,
he horror still possessing me.
IT! is certainly s." h answered.
Witty. But what do you mean
hat has occurred"
Il hardly know" and / looked about
re. and then into her face. breathing
heavily. 81 seem unable to separate
re real from the unreal. l am half
fr4id am losing my mind. Lady
arlington, II is not only the crew for.
var who are seeing ghosts on board.
laughed at my experience before, be.
lieving it a mere illusion that could
ever occur again. In that spirit |
old you about seeing a white, misty
igure in this cabin the night after
futile died. 1t vanished like a wreath
of smoke. and daylight made me be
lieve the vision was born of a tired
brain. But | have seen 1t again now
-yonder. as plainly as l can see you.
II was no dream, no imagination; yet
when | sought to grasp the thing, my
fingers encountered nothing but air."
| saw her hands tremble. her white
face turned whittier | pointed; but she
had not bpheld what ! had. and her
mind remained clear.
What was it you aw?
"A shapeless white figure, misty.
vanishing ike a bubble"
'Yonder. you say? just where you
saw it hefore?'
had not thought of that. yet 1t was
true-here. beside Tuttle's door. An
instant She stood motionless, her eye
searching the dim n of the cal
in. as though tracing some suspicion
awaks!cd within her mind. Suddenly
she clasped my arm.
I'VE do not believe in ghosts. Mr..
Stephens, you and l." her voice grow
ing firmer with conviction. Our edu'
cation and training make such a con
ce' ton impossible. There is a natural
cluse for this, a reason, an actual
presence back of the shadow. There
must be. and we must find 1t. Where
did you stand when you saw this ap-
partition"
/ stepped back to the spot beside
the stove. realizing that she still chung
tightly to me.
Here, and l lifted my eyes like
this"
I She leaned eagerly forward, her
breath on my cheek. her fingers clutch
ing my arm.
"Why-why that is a mirror you are
looking into! See! What is 1t re-
fected there? Turn W the light until
| locate the spot. Oh, I see now-the
open pantry door Mr.. Stephens, there
is where your ghost stood-it was the
shadow OF a man reflected in that
mirror
Our eyes met. all my former terror
fed, shame and anger dominating me.
"Dade?"
1T might be-certajnly some one
who sought in that way to terrorize
officers and crew, and thus compel
them TO turn back. Whoever 1t was,
he killed Mr.. futile, and now seeks to
accomplish the same end with you.
What are you going to do"
IT. re him down. The lest time
the fellow went directly from here to
ID. In AISLE There must be a
uaSsageway from stem TO stern"
She caught me as | turned. her gray