The Columbus journal., 1910-04-20
CHAPTER xvlli.-Continued.

by heaven, for her sake, II for no
other reason. | would play the man!
Az. and i comprehended exactly what
such resolve would cost-realiZed full
" what that mongrel crew would say
and do the moment their ghostly ter
rors fed. and they knew | had given
up search for the treasure. l should
have TO command by brute force. by
threat and blow. There would be
mutiny aboard for every league until
we made port. | knew the nature or
that sea-scum forward-how they
would whine and curse. how they
would hate me for failing TO hold
them to their course in face of DEATH
Well. let them hate; my love was
worth by far the more. and the life
and honor of Lady Darlington out
weighed all else on board-ay. and the
treasure of the Donna Isabel I'm
plicitly'-I saw her eyes again as she
said IT, and srrang to the deck. FUN
bling in the darkness for the latch of
my door.
The main cabin was dimly lighted
~tGlu CliIi. lilt f4lt III INV.
paused TO rattle il. and add a few
Jumps of coal from the scuttle stand
ing near by. In spite of surrounding
comforts what grim. inhospitable
place this was for any woman like
her, The very Snu@nCsS of the cabin
served only TO emphasize the gloom
and peril without, the frishtful polar
(which Sttrynnn1aA which
drives men mad amid its awful dis
tances. it's shrouded silence.
suddenly, directly opposite where l
stood, saw il again-that same
shapeless, white, gliding figure. An
instant only stood rooted to the spot.
my blood like ice. my eyes full Of hor-
ror Then the swift reaction came.
the reserve courage of a man ashamed
OF such weakness. and l leaped
straight toward the misty object, Crap
pling at It with my hands. l touched
nothing but air. falling headlong with
a violence Earring the entire cabin.
and overthrowins a chair crashing to
the deck. Dazed. confused. | stag
sered TO my knees. staring about into
the dim shadows. a white-draped
figure was at my very elbow, and /
sprang to my feet only to take
quick step backward. grasping at the
table. as / recognized Lady Darling.
ton
Good God! was that you?" gaSped,
the horror still possessing me.
This certainly is" she answered.
swiftly. But what do you mean
What has occurred"
Il hardly know" and l looked about
me. and then into her face, breathing
heavily. Il seem unable TO separate
the real from the unreal. 1 am half
afraid I am losing my mind. Lady
Darlington, il is not only the crew for
ward who are seeing ghosts on board.
] laughed at my experience before, be-
lieyiug il a mere illusion that could
never occur again. In that spirit /
told you about seeing a white. misty
figure in this cabin the night after
futile died II vanished like a wreath
of smoke, and daylight made me be-
lieye the vision was born Of a tired
brain. But l have seen it again now
-yonGer, as plainly as / can see You.
1t was no dream, no imagination: yet
when I sought to grasp the thing, my
fingers encountered nothing but air"
l saw her hands tremble. her white
face turned whittier pointed; but she
had not beheld what l had. and her
mind remained clear.
What was it you saw"
a shapeless white figure, misty,
vanishing like bubble"
''Yonder, you say? Just where YOU
saw ii before?"
had not thought of that, yet 1t was
true-there, beside Tuttle's door. An
instant she stood motionless. her eyes
searching the dim corners Of the cab
In. as though tracing seme suspicion
awakened within her mind. Suddenly
she clasped my arm