The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-09-02
In His Anger He Resorted to Drink

him. She fell upon him with all her
force. His head went back and struck
the deck with frightful crash. She
herself was almost stunned by the
violence of her own fall, although his
body broke it.
She arose and stood over him for
a minute and then she lifted her foot
and brought it down upon him. He
had said she was mad woman and
it was true. She was crazed by what
she had heard, by the horror of the
situation. She had not changed her
dress for dinner that afternoon. She
was wearing pair of light boating
shoes. It was lucky for him. If she
had worn evening slippers with high,
rigid heels, she would have mashed
his face beyond recognition. AS it:
was, she left horrible marks upon it.
He lay absolutely motionless. She
could see that he was still breathing
and was not dead If she had had
weapon she might have killed him
in the fury and transport Of her rage.
This wretched philosopher! AS no re.
sistance came from him, she pres
emily 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 a cloak, threw
it about her and went on deck. A 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 it 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 babe 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 plan
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, SUBJ
stantial boat, Is 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 it would be in readiness
for use. The sea was very calm and
the gentle air scarcely raised ripple
on it's surface. To save the trouble
OF hosting it aboard again, the tender
had been left trailing astern at the
end Of a long line. It would be ready
for instant use. She would escape in
that She knew how to run the motor
and how to steer the boat. She had
done 1t many time.
Carrying her heavy boat cloak she
entered her cabin, hastily packed her