The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-01-17
ALL The MANS FAULT
BY GERTRUDE MILLETT.

lahe trip. Mrs. Clark invited me to
- t. t.scanaba with her and Fay on
a freight boat. was delighted. Fay
haG becn On the trip before and she
rarorted that she had the time of
her life
The trip to Escanaba was a dream.
The caltain and sailors could not do
cnousn or rs. 1t was moonlight and
.ho lake looked beautiful | felt as
Il was on a private yacht 1t was
Perfect till We started back.
AZ Escanaba they loaded the boat
with tons of iron ore. The vessel sank
deeper and deeper into the water, un-
til it began to look like submarine
Then when we started for Chicago we
] were towing a barge loaded with
more tons and tons of ore.
I'VE had been on our way day,
when saw that the sky looked like
lead. with ugly yellow streaks across
it. said to Mrs. Clark. I think we
shall have storm
iOu nhON INV OplIluloIlC BIC 10
With that sky above us, she gayly
remarked. oh. do you think So?
1T was not long before the storm
broke. The wind came suddenly and
the rain came down like an overturned
sea. We hurried into the protection
of the cabin and watched the storm.
1T was awful the way the boat
creaked. ! will say nothing about
the way it rocked The rope which
pulled the barge broke like thread.
In few minutes it seemed miles
away.
Presently saw sailor make his
way to the lifeboat | watched him
anXiously. He was working at the
ropes.
Il said to Mrs. Clark, lie is going
to lower the life boat and you must
know what that, means
she did not answer me, but pushed
the screen door open and rushed IN
to the man, pulled his sleeve and
asked, Are you going to lower the
lifeboat" He paid no attention to
her.
She came back. threw herself into
a seat and sobbed. l shall never see
my husband again
Tables and chairs were sliding
about In despair dropped upon the
floor. Oh. why did | ever come!
Tons of iron below me. could see
; the boat go down into the lake like
a cannon ball.
81 know when strike the water.
l cried I'll go straight to the bottom
Fay answered despairingly, we
all will. Thcrell be no other plac.
to go
Like a fash all the mean thing.
| had ever done rushed through m,
mind. never knew before that crisis
IN the lake that there were so man,
Of them.
Suddenly Fay jumped up. / an
: going to p,i Oh lie preserver,' sh,
exclaimed
There WIS none in sight. We be
gan to hunt frantically. The boa
pitched us in every direction.
I'VE looked on the ceiling, on tn
walls and even tore the cushions from
the chairs. There was no sign of lif
preservers. Where could those mel
have put them? At last Mrs. CLAIR
q found them in closet, covered wit
l. insect powder We pulled them GU
and each grabbed one.
Fay was wriggling into hers
n looked like doughnut. l had on
4 cork jacket with the back to the from
Tie it.! kept on screaming to then
4 Mrs Clark had one on and wa
j, trying to get into another. We wer
q all sneezing because of the insec
I powder.
Il Mrs. Clark ran to the door fo
!, fresh air. oh, girls. she cal!et
Z There is the steward bringing us te;
8 And the lifeboat is sill in its place
y Fay and made dive for tn
n door. Yes, thore was the lifeboat!
u could hardly believe it.
q by this time the steward came III
9 Is the boat going to sink? cried Mr.
81 Clark
sink? No. everything is all right
s. he said.
q "'Why, that sailor was lowering tn
q lifeboat,' shreked Fay.
& "The captain came in at that mil
VI ute. He was sent to fasten it NOR
n securely said the captain.
"'Then why couldn't he say so
81 cried Mrs. Clark.
81 never could tell you how thos
men laughed. We began to pull Z
those life preservers. When min
came OF I looked as IL had bee
rolled in insect powder. It was
comfort to see the other two look a
If they had just escaped from an Il
sane asylum.
my puffs are gone!' cried Fa,
feeling her flattened head. The
were brand newt
ut won't natter said Mrs. CLAIR
Brown puffs do not match yello
hair
"'Iusect powder in my hair
screamed Fay. It's all that man
fault
Ibid you really think you wei
e going DOWN. asked the captain.