Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-23

Gr,pes. until, as the ship cleared her
SELL IL capped the pile or wreckage
S'rewlng the ice IN front or ana
around 1t with the end and broken
s.ahchions Of the bridge. And IN this
shattered, box-like structure. dazed by
the sweeping fall through an arc OF
seventy foot radius, crouched Row
laho, bleeding from cut In his head
ana sui holding to his breast the little
girl. now too frightened to cry.
10y an effort Of will he aroused him
SELF and looked To his eyesight,
twisted and fixed to shorter focus by
tho drug he had taken, the steamship
was little more than blotch on the
moon whitened fog, yet he thought
lie could see men clambering and
working on the upper davits, and
the nearest boat-No. 24-seemed to
De swinging by the tackles. Then the
log smut her out. though her position
was still indicated by the roaring Of
steam from her iron lungs. This
ce"sed In time. leaving behind 1t the
horrid hummin2 sound and whistlipg
J Of air and when this. too, was suddenly
hushed and the ensuing silence broken
by dull, booming reports, as from
bursting compartments. Rowland knew
mat the holocaust was complete; that
the lnvincible Titan, with nearly all Of
her people, unable to climb vertical
floors and ceilings, was beneath the
surface of the sea.
Mechanically bis benumbed faculties
had received and recorded the impress
slons or the last few moments. He
tould not comprehend to the full the
horror of 1t all. Yet his mind was
keenly alive to the peril Of the woman
whose appealing voice he had heard
and recognized--the woman of his
dream and the mother Of the child in
his arms. He hastily examined the
wreckage. Not boat was intact.
Creeping down to the waters edge, he
hailed, with all the power Of his weak
voice, to possible but invisible boats
beyond the fog, calling to them to come
and save the child, to look out for a
woman who mad be-. . i.' *. under
the bridge. He shouted this woman's
nnme-the one that he knew-encour-
aging her to swim, to tread water, to
float on wreckage and to answer him
| until he came TO her. There was no
response, and when his voice had
grown hoarse and futile and his feet
numb from the cold Of the thawing ice,
! he returned to the wreckage, weighed
down and nil l,,t p,-tchol l,x- tba al ocI,
est desolation that had so far come into
his unhappy life. The little girl was
crying and he tried TO soothe her.
II want mamma" she walled
Hush, baby, hush.' he answered
YEARLY and bitterly $50 do more
than heaven. But think our chances
are about even now. Are you cold, lit
tie one? Wen go inside and I'll make
house for us"
He removed his coat, tenderly
wrapped the little figure in it. and
with the injunction. Don't be afraid,
now" placed her in tie corner Of the
bridge. which rested on its forward
side. AS he did so the bottle Of whisky
fell out of the pocket. 1t seemed an
age since he had found it there, and It
required a strong effort of rea soning
before he remembered its full signifi-
canoe. Then he raised it to hurl It
down the incline Of ice, but stopped
himself.
'I'll keep It," he muttered. ut may
be safe in small quantities, and we'll
need it on this ice" He placed 1t In a
corner; then, removing the canvas
cover from one Of the wrecked boats,
he hung it over the open side and end
Of the bridge, crawled within and
donned his coat-a ready made. slop
chest garment designed for larger
mainland, buttoning 1t around km-
self and the little girl. lay down on
the hard woodwork. She was still cry
ing, but soon. under the influence Of
the warmth of his body, ceased and
went to sleep
Huddled in a corner, he gave himself
up to the torment of his thoughts
Two pictures alternately crowded his
mind-onc that of the woman of his
dream entreating him to come back,
which his memory chung TO as an ora.
Gle: the other OF this woman cold and
lifeless fathoms deep in the sea. He
pondcred on her chances. She was
close TO or on the bridge steps. The
boat, 2i which he was almost sure was
being cleared away as he looked, would
swing close to her MS it descended She
could climb in and be saved unless the
swimmers from doors and matches
should swamp the boat And In his
agony Of mind he cursed these swim.
mers. preferring to see her mentally
the only passenger in the bost. with
the watch on deck to pull her to safety
The potent drug he had taken was
still at work. and this. with the mu.
steal swash of the sea on the icy beach
and the mutllcd creaking and cracking
beneath and around him-the voice of
the iceberg-overcam me Elm finally, and
he slept To waken at daylight with
limbs btfreped and numb--ainaort fro
zen
And all night as he slept boat with
the No. "a on her bow. pulled by
eturdy sailors and steered by brass
buttoned officers, was making for the
southern lane-the highway of spring
traffic. And crouched In the stern.
sheets Of this boat was n moaning,
praying woman, who cried and scream,
ed at intervals for husband and baby
and would not be comforted, even
when one of the brass buttoned officers
assured her that her child was safe In