The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-03-11
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ma'am," said Harrod.
Virginia grew pale, and asking
for the glass, scanned the great
aerostat with the lowered lift, like
nexus, to the ground.
Cant you go a little faster ?"
said she, laying down the binocu-
lars.
"Aftah we clear Weeks Bay"
said the captain, "we'n go raght
brisk, Miss. But we CANT go
much taste hyah. Ah'm afraid. I"
His tones were low, sympa-
thetic. respectful, incurious, per-
fectly courteous. She felt calm
ed. Why be agitated? She could
not be forced to return with the
Shaynes; and what chance was
there, for that matter, for them
to find this speck of a launch, and
they so high above it and so far
away?
Once clear of the channel they
stood for the south shore, the en-
gines firing in continuous explo-
sion, as the captain threw on the
last speed. The bay was a great
mirror. A fishing schooner, be-
Gained with all sails set, floated
like a cloud above her own elong-
ated image; the cumulus clouds
cleaned in pearly immensely from
the CLASSY depths, more imposing
than in the sky; and the pursu-
ing gulls occasionally embraced
their own white wraiths as they
dipped in the wave of the wake,
the real kissing the ideal. So
thought Virginia, forgetful of the
great aerostat at Carson's Land
ing, forgetful Of everything except
the calm bay, the speeding boat,
the meeting before her-the real
kissing the ideal. Suddenly with
little scream, she leaned out to
look upward past the awning. In
the water, instead of bird or sail
or cloud, she had seen, coming up
from the depths under their rail,
the Roc, under full speed, her
great engines purring like tiger
cats, her screws shimmering, her
giant hull a Respondent bubble of
steel. Looking up, Virginia saw
her overhead, and covered back
into the boat; for peering over the
rail and calling like an evil bird,
was Silberberg.
"Shall All answer the hail,
Miss" asked the captain.
"No!" whispered Virginia.
Take no notice, I beg of you,
Captain!"
The Roc swept on like a me-
teor, leaving the launch behind.
Virginia asked the captain if he
supposed she had been recognized.
"Ah reckon not, Miss" said he.
"Jist "a chance meetin', All
reckon"
The captain told of accidental
meetings OF sailors in strange
parts, of encounters in the
woods, and of experiences along
the waterside of Mobile and Pen
sacola. The Roc, dead ahead, her
reflection whipping in the water
like a stripe of nickel-plate, was
miles away, and Virginia breathed
freely. She was not frightened,
she told herself-but she didn't
care to meet the Shaynes, or Sill
berberg.
"She's come to, raght owe the
Inn," said the captain. "We're
ove'haulin' her."
els there no way of getting to
Theodore" said Virginia, adopt
ing language that drew a smile
from Mrs. Scott, except by
passing them?"
"No, Miss" said the captain.
"It's thataway O. none"
Virginia sat under the middle
of the awning, quite in a tremble.
The boat slowly threaded the
shelly entrance to the Bayou, and
passed the wharf of the Inn. The
people on the quay were craning
their necks at the descent of the
passengers from the Roc.
Hurry, Captain, hurry!"
urged Virginia.
"Ah CANT, ma'am," said he.
"Ahrl hev to lie to a minute, fob
that boat. Neve' fear, Miss; yo'
all raght with mel"
"Here you see." said a voice
from the wharf. 1.-TWO soon-to-be-
discarded modes of navigation
the boat displacing water, and the
aerostat floating in the air upheld
by gas. The hydroplane must re-
place the boat; the aeronef, the
aerostat. / have made specially
of this. l know. The value of
that cigar-shaped craft up there
as junk, deducted from her pres
ent value, is the measure of Mr..
Finley Shayne's loss when our big
show opens its ticket wagon.
Seest thou?"
Virginia looked attentively at
the speaker, startled to hear her
uncle's name mentioned almost
in his presence. She saw young
ish man of medium height, thin
habit of body, and long, thick
hair, who was gazing. with every
appearance of interest, not at the
air-ship, but at lady of perhaps
ltwenty-seven years, short, plump.
admirably gowned in sort of re-
reduced half-mourning, with her
jolly little face turned toward
the Roc, her brown hair tousled
about her face. her prominent lit
tie chin carrying the facial angle
forward and downward.