Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-04

Very well, Sir, then L IL De OH. IL .
about 1900 miles, and she's supposed
/ to do that at is knots with her own
1 coal. Say eight days. But as this is
/ her maiden trip we must make allow
/ ance for having to stop the engines
/ once or twice. Good-morning, sir.
"Good-day, captain. Get IN some
| coal and provisions as soon as you ar
! rive in Venice. | may want to go 10
/ Timbuctoo, or to Andaman islands or
something. I'm that sort of man.
| I'm not sure where I'll go. Good-by.
/ The captain stopped at the first tele-
graph office on his way to the Water
/ loo station and telegraphed both to his
chief engineer, Mr.. MCosh. and his
chief mate, Mr.. Johnson, for he
/ thought It barely possible that one or
/ the other might be ashore.
/ Must have steam by p. m. to-day
1 to sail at once long voyage. Coming
next train. Owner in hurry. Send
! ashore for my wash. Brown, Captain.
When the clocks struck five on
/ shore that afternoon, and the man at
/ the wheel struck two bells from the
wheelhouse. and the lookout forward
repeated them on the ships bell, all
| according to the most approved mod
ern fashion on large steamers, the
beautiful Lancashire Lass was steam,
ing out upon Southampton water.
Out of the merest curiosity Mr.. Van
Torp telegraphed to Cowes to be IN
formed of the exact moment at which
his yacht was under way, and before
six o'clock he had message.
Yacht sailed at 4:39."
The new owner was so much
pleased that he actually smiled. for
Capt Brown had been 81 minutes bet
ter than his word.
ct guess he'll do" though Mr.. Van
+ Torp. II only hope I may need him
He was not at all sure that he
should need the Lancashire Lass and
Capt Brown; but it has often been
noticed that in the lives of born finan-
ciers even their caprices often turn
out to their advantage, and that their
least logical impulses in business mat
ters are worth more than the sober
Judgment of ordinary men.
As for Capt. Brown, he was q quiet
little person with a rather pink face
and sparkling blue eyes, and he knew
his business. In fact he had passed
as extra master. He knew that he
was in the service of one of the rich
est men in the world, and that he com
manded a vessel likely to turn out one
of the finest yachts afioat, and he did
not mean to lose such a berth either
by piling up his ship, or by being slow
to do whatever his owner wished
done, within the boundaries of the
possible; but 1t had not occurred to
him that his owner might order him
to exceed the limits of anything but
mere possibility, such. for instance,
as those of the law. civil, criminal, ma
tional, or International
Mr.. Van Torp had solid nerves. but
when he had sent his yacht to the
only place where he thought he might
possibly make use OF II, he realized
that he was wasting valuable time
while Logotheti was making all the
running, and his uncommon natural
energy, finding nothing to work upon
as yet, made him furiously impatient
1t seemed to hum and sing in his
head, like the steam in an express en-
CINE when 1t is waiting to start
He had come over to England on an
impulse, as soon as he had heard of
Cordova's engagement. Until then he
had not believed that she would ever
accept the Greek. and when he learned
from Lady Mauds letter that the fact
was announced. he saw red and his
resolution to prevent the marriage
was made then and there. He had
no idea how he should carry it out,
but he knew that he must either sue
coed or come to grief in the attempt,
for as long as he had any money left,
or any strength. he would spend both
lavishly for that one purpose.
Yet he did not know how to begin,
and his lack of imagination exasper-
ated him beyond measure. He was
sleepless and lost his appetite, which
had never happened to him before; he
stayed on in London instead of going
down to his place in Derbyshire, be-
cause he was always sure that he
meant to start for the continent in a
few hours, with an infallible plan for
success; but he did not go.
He was meditating on the future
one morning, over an almost untouched
breakfast, between nine and ten o'clock, \
when his man Stemp brought visit
ing card.
II "olS - idIhei Id &c ChIu, UedIluS
in the middle two or three odd-looktng
signs which meant nothing to him,
but underneath them he read In plain
characters the single word "Barak."
'Barrack!" grumbled the American.
"Oh. the writings on the back,
see. Now, that's very curious, must
say" he said, after reading the words.
That's very curious" he repeated.
laying strong and equal emphasis on