Evening star., 1909-05-22

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their own weight and sagged downward
again. Now the forecastle was half SUBJ
merged. and the water poured In and cut
through great rents. The vessel was
twisted amidships. the deck planking had
opened in places. and part of the music
saloon had fallen In, but the stern was
uninjured and lay in deep water. They
carried aft the boats that were available
and launched them there.
Beyond the oasis Of calm a heavy sea
swept shoreward In towering green
waves, until it reached a comb Of jagged
rocks. and poured through the openings
In sheets of foam to a long, sandy beach.
Three tossing boats were approaching the
rocks as slowly as the current would
suffer, looking for a passage through.
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 silently-except a tall
gentleman of about forty. He left the
rest and went toward lady, who stood
back a little. watching them. The rest
Of the women. 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
faintly at him. She was about flve-and-
thirty; could scarcely be called good
looking. but very likable when she smiled.
That's why she wouldn't go In tho
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 a mile away; not as II they wished
TO look at the shore, but as II 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
i don't think they'll be much USE He
nodded toward the breakers. 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. 81
should like to If may"
His grave face lit up for moment.
II shall like you to-" he told her. "You
are brave woman"
''Braver than thought she assented.
81 used to think that l was just-ordl-
nary; that we all were. Now 1 think 1t
was life that was ordinary. not we Wha.
shall we do with the rest Of 1.-THE ten
minutes?"
proposed. I'VE may venture now. Dear
lady. i 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 you?"
"No 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 tire shore. There were only
two now-no. three. One lay upturned
on the beach. Specks of humanity
crawled out Of the foam Some rushed
back. at the risk of their lives, and
pulled out others.
'Yes." he said. I'VE are braver than
We thought. DO you see the bounder
man. as we called him." He pointed to
the group at the stern. "One might have
expected him to fight for place in tha
boats. When / saw him carry the first