The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-23

4 there.
| Rowland grunbled, as sailors may
when aggrieved, and obeyed. The man
he relieved reported his name. and
disappeared; the first officer saunter-
! cd down the bridge. uttered the off,
cial keep a good lookout" and re-
! turned to his post: then the silence
| and loneliness Of night-watch at
! sea. Intensified hv the never-ceasing
! hum of the engines. and relieved only
! Ly the sounds Of distant music and
! laughter from the theater. descend
ed on the forward part of the ship.
/ For the fresh westerly wind, coming
with the Titan" made nearly a calm
| on her deck; and the dense fog,
/ though overshone by a bright STAR
! specked sky. WAS so chilly that the
last laxative passenger had fed tc the
| light and life within
/ when three beiis-haif past nine
/ had sounded, and Rowland had given
/ in his turn the required cali-alrs-
/ WELL" the first officer left his pos;
and approached him.
/ Rowland" he said as he drew near;
| II hear you've walked the quarter
/ deck"
| 4 cannot imagine how you learned
| il. SIR" replied Rowland II am not
| in the habit OF referring to it,
! You told the captain. / suppose
! the curriculum liz as complete at
Annapolis as at the Royal Naval Col
! leee. What do you think of Maury's
/ theories Of currents
! They seem plausible" said Row
F., land. unconsciously dropping the
| sir: but l think that in most par
ticulars he has been proven wrong
Yes. / think SO myself Did you
ever follow up another idea of his
that OF locating the position of ice In
fog by the rate of decrease In tenn
perature as approached
Not to any definite result. But IL
seems to be only a matter of calcula-
ton, and time to calculate. Cold is
negative heat and can be treated like
radiant energy, decreasing as the
square Of the distance"
The officer stood a moment, looking
ahead and humming tune to him
self; then. saying: Yes, that's So
returned to his place.
Must have cast iron stomach"
| he muttered as he peered into the bin
nacle: "or else the boatswn dosed the
! wrong mans pot"
| Rowland glanced after the retreat
ing ofhcer with q cynical smile. Il
wonder" he said to himself" why he
comes down here talking navigation
| TO fcremsst hand. Why am / up
! here--out Of my turn. Is this some-
5, thing in line with that bottie?" He
! resumed the short pacing back and
forth on the end Of the bridge, and
the rather gloomy train Of thought
which the. officer had interrupted.
How long" he unused, would his
ambition. and love Of profession last
him after he had met. and won, and
lost, the ooly woman on earth to him.
Why IL ft-that failure TO hold the
affections Of one among the millions
OF women who live. and love, can
outweigh every blessing in life, and
turn mans nature into a he'll, to
consume him? Who did she marry :.
Some one. probably. a stranger long
after my banishment. who came to
her possessed Of few qualities Of
mind or physique that pleased her
who did not need to love her-his
chances were better Without that
and he steps coolly and easily into my
heaven And they tell us. that GOD
doeth all things WELL and that there
| IL heaven where all our unsatisfied
wants are attended to--provided We
have the necessary faith In IT. That
means. II 1t means anything, that after
| lifetime Of unrecognixed allegiance,
during which I win nothing but her
FEAR and contempt I may be reward
ed by tho love and companionshtp or
her soul. Do ! love her soul: Has
, her soul beauty Of face and the axure
and carriage Of Venus? Has her
soul deep, blue eyes and a sweet, mu-
steal voice? Has 1t wit. and grace, and
charm? Has II a wealth Of pity for
suffering: These are the things
loved. do not love her soul, II she
has ono. do not want II. / want
I her--i need her" He stopped In his
walk and leaned against the bridge
railing, with eyes fixed on the fog
ahead. He was speaking his thoughts
aloud now. and the first ofYicer DIR ~
within hearing, listened a moment. and
went back. Working on him." he
whispered to the third ofiicer. Then
he pushed the button which called
the captain. blew a short blast of the
steam whistle as a call to the boat
swain. and resumed hts watch on this
fTarngxed lookout. while the third OF.
sficer conned the ship.
The steam call to the boatswain Is
So common q sound on a steamship
az to generally pass unnoticed. This
cali affected another besides the boats
vain. A little niEht-gowned figure
srose from an under berth in a saloon
rtateroom. and. with wide-open, star
ing eyes, Rroped It's way TO the deck,
unobeerved by the watchman Tho
white, bare little feet felt no cold
as they battered the planks OF the
deserted promenade. and the little fis-
ure had reached the steerage entrance
by the time the captain and boats
vain had reached the bridge.
And they talk went bn Row
land. as the three watched and lis
tened: "of the wonderful love and
care OF a merciful God. who controls
all thinKs-who has given me my de-
ferts. and my capacity for loving, and
then placed Myra Gaunt In my way.
liz there mercy to me In this? As part
Of great evolutionary principle. which
develops the race life at the expense
~ the irstvidral " nioht Ne con-
sistent with the idea Of a 0od--a
,rst cause. But does the individual
WHO perishes. because untitled to sur.
vfve. owe any love. or gratitude to this
fsnd? He does not On the support
tion that ne exists. I deny II. And
on the compIete lack Of evidence that
no does exist. affirm to. myself the
integrity OF cause and effect--which
Il enough to explain the Universe.
and me. A mercifui Coda kind
loving. ust and merciful Cod" he
hurst into a At Of incongruous laugh
ter. which stopped short N he clapped
his hands 10 his stomach and then
"a his head. What ais me- he
u.~~AA. or fnAl al thoa1h haA swnl.