The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-03-13

suh," said the captain, in judicious
avoidance of extreme measures.
"Ah don't reckon this hyah's a case
TO- vi'lent O. conservative remedies.
I'll uncork that hatsho'n bottle!"
Carson pressed the wet towel to
the girls face; the captain held a
bottle labeled ammonia" to her
nostrils; she gasped, drew quiz
ering sigh, opened her eyes, and
saw over her head sloping roof on
which the mudwasps were plying
their masonry, rude walls of rough
boards, a rack of guns, some instru
ments nautical looking to her I'M
schooled eyes; A tall. rough-look-
ing, sailor-like man stuffing che
cork in bottle of pungent emana-
ton, and young face which would
have been girlish had it not been
for the little black mustache and
the deep coat of tan. The older
man was looking at her in father
ly way, and the young one was
sponging her forehead, his face near
hers. She sat up suddenly, felt
her coiffure, and looked about for
her hat.
you have had fall, madam.
said Carson, land are shaken up a
little: but you are safe and among
| friends"
ooh, thank YOU" she said, in a
tone of the most correct formality
ITS ever so kind of you, sir-I-I-
oh, | thought ] was lost!
thought I-Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!
| O-o-o-h!"
Suddenly, from the police COM
monplaces of speech she broke
into hysterical screaming. Then
she bowed her face in her hands as
| if to shut out some terrifying sight,
and moaned and shivered piteously,
asking them to pardon her, promis-
| ing to be calm presently, sometimes
looking up for moment with a
smile forced through the horror
stamped on her face by memory of
the ordeal through which she had
passed. and then breaking down in.
to hysterical crying again. Captain
Harrod poured a stiff glass of red
liquid from bottle. diluted II, and
took it to the shuddering girl, who
looked pathetically up into his face
for q moment, swallowed it obed-
iently. and coughed as if strangled
by it.
And now" said Mr.. Carson, Eve
will leave you. if you will excuse
us. Please feel at ease. You are
quite safe, and the cabin is yours.
We are in all ways at yo' service.
The captain here is my friend, and
we belong to a race that sees sis
ter in every helpless lady. l think
you will desire to sleep; and hope
you may awake refreshed; after
which we shall place ourselves mo-
definitely under your command"
She looked at him questioningly.
The softness of his voice. his little
inconsistent lapses into dialect as
he uttered the old-fashioned chival-
ric sentiments won her trust.
"Ah'd lie down, ma am" suggest
ed the captain, "ontil that medicine
gifts chance to wuk. Good-by,
ma am
Virginia lay back and closed her
eyes; but the potion brought no
drowsiness. Her face grew hot, and
she knew her eyes would shine if
she opened them, with brilliancy
quite fascinating to the young man
with the little black mustache. The
act that she thought of this startled
her. Was she growing flighty with
fever? Why this abnormal hilarity
of spirits, in the eXaltatiOn of which
all anxiety departed? She was UNI
able to dwell long in thought on the
uncertainty and grief of her aunt at
so losing her, first into the sky. and
then, supposedly, into the Gulf.
What difference did 1t make? The
world grew unaccountably roseate
with hope: more joyous because
she could not tell why. The one
insistent impulse of the moment
was to burst forth into song-re-
strained with difficulty by dwelling
on the bad form of vocalization.
She was sure, however, that she
was about to do something shock
ingly unladylike. Perhaps it was
the ozone of the immense altitude
of the helicopter. The room seemed
afloat on the waves that roared
outside, but this struck her as eX-
tremely jolly. Really. 1t appeared