The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-07-24

0A VIC P0At az oudIp OIuGT6 WtTt
being given. He crowded TO the rail-
ing. straining his eyes TO see. and
found that they were transferring the
ships company to the boats. A rope
ladder swung from the deck to a boat
beneath, which bobbed like a cork be
side the big. plunging yacht. Two PEG
pie were in the boat. a sailor standing
at the bow, and a large mufled figure
or a woman sitting In the stern. Jim
my at once knew her TO be the
apathetic fat woman he had seen Q
few minutes before on deck. His eye
searched the company crowded about
the top OF the rope ladder. and sudden
iy his heart leaped. There she was
at the edge OF the deck, waiting for
the captain to give the word for her to
descend to tho boat below. As Jim,
my,s eyes grew accustomed to the
darkness. he saw her more and more
plainly. a pale face framed In a dark
hood, a tall, cloaked figure waiting
calmly to obey the word from the su,
perior officer.
IL was the third time Jimmy had
9 her, but he felt as If he had found
n dearer than himself. His eyes
dwelt on her. She was not terrified;
her nerves were o shaken. II am
ready" she said, turning to the cap
tain. 1t was the same fine, free voice,
suggesting-Oh, what did II not sug.
gesti Never this dark, wild night OF
danger! Jimmy thrilled to it again as
he had thrilled to 1t once before. He
waved jubilant hands. Agatha Red.
mond!" he called, across the space
and heads that divided them
Whether she heard his call he did
not know. At that moment the word
was given. and she turned an almost
smiling face to tho captain in reply.
She knelt to the deck and got footing
on the slippery rope. Men above held
1t n helped as best they could, while
the sailor below waited to receive her
into h little boat. She was steady
n quick as a woman In such a peril.
Gus position could be. AS she de.
scended, the rowboat, insecurity held
to the Jeanne Dare, cid sternward
q few feet; and while she waited In
midair for the boat to be brought up
again, the Jeanne Dare gave q
mighty plunge. The captain shouted
from the deck. a sailor yelled. then
another; the dipping sea tossed the
yacht so that for an instant the boat
below and the woman on the ladder
were hidden from Jim's view. He
climbed over the rail and edged alons
the narrow margin OF the deck until
no was a few feet nearer the rope
his heart humping with fear O,
calamity.
And even as the thought came. thu
thing happened. The w%renching q
the ropes. insecurity OF their fasten
ings. some blunder on the part of tn,
seamen-whatever 1t was. the rop
loosened like a filament OF gauzs. and
with It's precious burden, dropped int,
the angry water. before a breath
could be drawn. the black waye,
! churned over her head.
As. for the second time. Jim saw
disaster engulf the Vision that ha,
such power over him. he was seize,
by a cold numbness.
"Oh. you brutes!" he groane,
aloud: but his groan had scarcely es
capped him when he heard loud alter
cation among the men. and liz q me
ment, the usual tones OF Monssev,
Chatelard commanding:
Never mindi Quick with the boa
on the other side!"
The seamen rushed to the opposit,
side, now impatient to make tn,
boats. In the fear that was CROWN,
momently upon the men. there wa
no one to give a thought to the van
ished woman. Jimmy chung to tn,
rail for a second, peering over tn,
water. With q cry of gladness b,
saw her pale face rise to the surfac,
of the water several feet away an,
toward the bow.
Keep up a second! It's all right
he shouted. Quick al thought h,
snatched a life p~reserver from 1t
place on the rail. and ran forward
He called thrice. Keep up. I'm con-
ing!" then threw the cork swifti,
and accurately to the very spot wher'
she foated. A second longer h
watched. to see II she gained II. /
seemed that she did. and yet some
thing was wrong. She was not abb
to right herself immediately in tn
water. but hourdered helplessly. jim
my knew that her clothes were ham
pering her. or else that the rope lad
der had entangled her feet,
He turned and gos his balance Of
the narrow ledge. pointed his hand
| high eheye his head. and took
good breath. Then he dove towar'
the foating face. When he came d
the surface she WAS there. not lei
strokes away. He IVAN to her
placed Arm hands under her arms
and steadied her while she CLEARED
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