Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-01-05
ALL THE MANS FAULT
BY GERTRUDE MILLETT.

a freight boat. | was delighted. Fay
had been on the trip before and she
reported that she had the time of
her life
"The trip to Escanaba was a dream
The captain and sailors could not do
enough for us. 1t was moonlight and
the lake looked beautiful. l felt as
If l was on q private yacht 1t was
perfect till we started back.
'At Escanaba they loaded the boat
with tons of iron ore. The vessel sank
deeper and deeper into the water, I'M
til it began to look like a 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 l saw that the sky looked like
lead, with ugly yellow streaks across
it. l said to Mrs Clark, I think we
shall have storm
You know how optimistic she is!
With that sky above us, she gayly
remarked. oh, do you think SOP
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 a thread
In few minutes it seemed miles
away
Presently l saw a sailor make his
way to the lifeboat | watched him
anxiously. He was working at the
ropes
Il said to Mrs Clark, He is going
to lower the lifeboat and you must
know what that. means
she did not answer me, but pushed
the screen door open and rushed up
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. 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
I know when | strike the water
cried I'll go straight to the bottom
Fay answered, despairingly, We
L.. L..
to CO.,
Like a flash all the mean things
l had ever done rushed through my
mind. ! never knew before that crisis
on the lake that there were so many
of them.
Suddenly Fay jumped up. I am
going to put ON g life preseryer, she
exclaimed.
There was none in sight We be-
gan to hunt frantieally. The boat
pitched us in every direction.
I'VE looked on the ceiling, on the
walls and even, tore the cushions from
the chairs. There was no sign of life
preservers. Where could those men
have put them? At last Mrs. Clark
found them in closet, covered with
insect powder. We pulled them out
ard each grabbed one.
Fay was wriggling into hers-it
looked like a doughnut. / had on a
cork jacket with the back to the front
Tie it, | kept on screaming to them.
Mrs Clark had one on and was
kuxr &1 Enk1
all sneezing because of the insect
powder.
Mrs. Clark ran to the door for
fresh air Oh girls, she called.
There is the steward bringing US tea.
And the lifeboat is still in it's placel
Fay and | made dive for the
door. Yes. there was the lifeboati l
could hardly believe it.
by this time the steward came up
Is the boat going to sink?' cried Mrs.
Clark.
Sink? No, everything is all right
he said.
Why, that sailor was lowering the
lifeboat, shrieked Fay.
The captain came in at that min
ute. He was sent to fasten it more
securely said the captain.
Then why couldn't he say So?
cried Mrs. Clark.
Il never could tell you how those
men laughed. We began to pull at
those life preservers. When mine
came of / looked as II l had been
rolled in insect powder. 1t was a
comfort to see the other two look as
II they had just escaped from an in
sane asylum.
my puffs are gomez cried Fay,
feeling her flattened head. They
were brand newt
1t won't matter, said Mrs. Clark
Brown puffs do not match yellow
hair
Insect powder in my hair?
screamed Fay. It's all that mans
fault
Did you really think you were
going down.? asked the captain.
Did we think we were going
down. we cried Ia chorus
He looked at the general disorder
Il