The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-12-15
MARION CRAWFORD


We'll" said Mr. Van Torp. lets
get to Naples. quick How long will it
take, captain"
About eight hours, sir, counting
our getting under weigh and out Of
J this crowded water, which won't take
long, for the tide will soon turn"
GO ahead" said Mr. Van TOrp.
Capt. Brown prepared to get under
weigh again as quickly as possible
/ The entrance to Messina harbOr is
narrow, and it was natural that, as he
was in a hurry, huge Italian man-Of-
war should enter the harbOr at that
very moment, with the solemn and
! safe deliberation which the move
ments of line-of-battle ships require
when going in and out of port, There
was nothing to be done but to wait
patiently till the fairway was clear
/ it was not more than a quarter of an
/ hour, but Capt Brown was in hur-
4 ry. and as there was a fresh morning
I breeze blowing across the harbor he
could no, even get his anchor up with
1 safety before he was ready to start
The result of all these delays was
that at about nine o'clock he saw the
Erinna right ahead, bows on and only
half a mile away, just between Scylla
and Faro, where the whirlpool is still
danger to sailing vessels and slow
steamers. and just as the tide was
turning against her and in his own
favor He did not like to leave the
bridge, even for a moment, and sent
the second mate with an urgent mes
4 sage requesting Mr.. Van Torp to come
up as soon as he could.
Five minutes earlier the owner had
sat down to breakfast opposite Lady
Maud who was very pale and had
| dark shadows under her eyes for the
| first time since he had known her As
soon as the steward left them alone
/ she spoke.
TT is Leven," she said. and he
wants me to take him back"
Mr. Van Torp set down his tea IN
tasted and stared at her. He was not
often completely taken by surprise,
but for once he was almost speech
less. His lips did not even move 81
J lently.
q was sure 1t was he" Lady Maud
said. but did not expect that
Well" said Mr.. Van Torp, finding
his voice, he shan't That's all.
No 1 told him so. If | had been
dressed I would have asked you to put
ME ashore at Messina. l thought you
were going to stop there-the stew
ardess told me where We were, but
she knew nothing else-and now we're
of again
Il can't help it, Maud said Van
Torp, almost in whisper, 81 don't be-
lieve it | don't believe in impOssi-
bilities like that beard of his. 1t may
sound ridiculous in the face of your
recognizing your own husband, but
it's a solid fact, and you can't get
over it wish could catch the Erin
Ma and show him to that Tartar girl.
Shed know in a minute He can't be
her man and Leven too. There's only
one thing to be done that ! can see
WHAT" asked Lady Maud sadly
and incredulOusly
Tell him you'll take him back on
condition that he'll shave
Mr. Van Torp, who was in dead
earnest, had Just given his best friend
this piece of sound practical advice
when the door opened. though he had
not rung. and the steward announced
that the second mate had a message
for Mr. Van Torp He was admitted,
and he delivered it.
The owner sprang to his feet
By thunder. we've caught 'em," ne
cried. as he rushed out of the deck sa-
loon.
Lady Maud leaned back and stared
at his empty chair, wondering what
was going to happen next
This was what happened The Ian
cashire Lass reversed her starboard
engine with full speed astern, put her
helm hard over to port, and turned
back towards the straits in the small
est sEace possible for her passing
less than a cables length from the
Scylla rock and nearly running down
half dozen fishing boats that pulled
like mad to get out of her way; fo-
they supposed that the steering gear
had broken down, unless her captain
had gone raving mad.
While this was going on. Capt.
Brown himself with the international
signal code in his hand, was calling
out letters of the alphabet to a quar-
termaster. and before his ship had
made half a circle the flags ran up The
single stick the yacht carried.
MY owner has urgent business with
your owner" was what the flags
meant in plain English
The Erinna was going slow, for Ba-
raka was only just ready to come on
deck haste being in her opinion, an
invention OF Shaitan's Logotheti.
who wished her to see the straits. was
just inside the door of the deck sa-
loon, waiting for her to come out of
her cabin. The officer of the watch