The Mena weekly star., 1910-06-09

rms Wretched philosopher! As no re- sistance came from him, she pres ently stopped the feminine in her slowly rising to the fore.
 She realized now that the irrevoc- able had happened: that there was no longer room for two of them on that ship. As the mists of passion cleared away, although the fire of rage still burned in her heart, her mind cleared also. She thought with such rapidity as she had never thought before
 First she picked up cloak, threw 1t about her and went on deck cabin attendant was standing at the compan- ionway, as was always the case, wait ing possible summons. She told him that his master was i'll and did not desire to be disturbed. He did not even want the dinner things cleared away. He wanted to be left entirely alone until morning. The servant smiled slightly, she thought, in the light from the cabin skylight. She noticed that 1t was a moonless night, cloudy, overcast, for she could see no stars. She knew what that smile meant; that the man realized what sort of sickness his owner and master was liable to. She bade him tell the officer of the deck her message and then dismissed him.
 Then she returned to the cabin and carefully locked the door. She glanced at the man as she did so. He lay just as he had lain before. She bent over him. He was still breathing, she noted with-was it regret? But she wasted no time over him. Time was the most precious of all things to her at that moment
 She had clear and definite pls- of action. She knew exactly what she intended to do and how she intended to do it. Fortunately the means of es- cape were at hand. They had passed one or two tiny islands during the day. mere treeless spots of sand or coral in the vast of the ocean, but prospects that others more inviting might be raised had caused the man to order the power tender to be got overheard. This was a good, sub stantial boat, 15 feet in length, broad beamed and built for heavy seas, yet powerfully engined and capable of good speed. By his direction the tanks had been filled and everything over hauled so that 1t would be in readiness for use. The sea was very calm and the gentle air scarcely raised a ripple on its surface. To save the trouble of hoisting 1t aboard again, the tender had been left trailing astern at the end of long line. It would be ready for instant use. She would escape in and how to steer the boat She had done 1t many time.
 Carrying her heavy boat cloak she entered her cabin. hastily packed her bag with what things she fancied she would need, returned to the table, took from 1t every scrap that was edible and portable; without much re- gard for the niceties she made 1t up in heavy parcel which she tied with napkins. She remembered that the water tank in the launch had been filled. so that for time at least she would lack nothing. Carrying bag and bundle in her hands and with the boat cloak over her arm and a straw hat tied on her head, after one long look at the man, she turned and went aft and re-entered the starboard after stateroom. her own.
 The boats painter had been affixed to the starboard side of the yacht She opened the stern window and looked out. She leaned far out and by great good fortune in the darkness caught the painter. The boat of course, was swinging to a long rope She pulled t this line cautiously, although the
 fort taxed her strength to the ut most. Indeed, she seemed possessed of fictitious strength for the time being else she never could have ac- complished her hard task. But she managed to get the boat practically under the cabin at last. She fastened the painter to her bed, which was of brass and securely screwed to the floor. Then she cut off the line and tied the bundle of provisions and her bag and cloak to the end of it. These she dropped down into the boat. Among the petty articles was a sharp sailors sheath knife fastened to a Ian yard She slipped this lanyard into-her blouse. Then she climbed up on the port sill and essayed the dangerous descent herself. She was glad that she was a strong, athletic woman, used to trusting to her own skill and powers, for 1t was no easy task to slide down that rope and get into boat trailing along beneath the coun- ter of yacht going perhaps 12 knots an hour Fortunately the engine was well aft and the bow of the launch was high out of the water; else her weight would have pressed 1t down and the back wash from the yacht would perhaps have swamped the launch
 At any rate, she succeeded, although after she got her foot in the bows she slipped and fell. But that she fell straight aft upon the cloak and bun dies she would have hurt herself se- verely. If she had not fallen that way, if she had pitched to the right or the left she would have gone overheard and that would have been the end, for she knew that she would have died rather than appeal to that ship for help. She was fearful that the noise
 4.-F.l L.I |.