Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-06-05
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BIZ MARTHA DEddINGER
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BIZ MARTHA DTaLLINGER
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gone. Sick at heart, he again rushed
on deck. Was he mistaken after all?
Or had they hidden her In some Sc
cret part of the ship where he could
not find her?
When Jimmy got back to the deck
he saw that the groups had gathered
on the port side. Sharp orders were
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 peo-
pie were in the boat, a sailor standing
at the bow, and a large muf1ed figure
Of a woman sitting In the stern. jim
my at once knew her to be the
apathetic fat woman he had seen a
few minutes before on deck. His eye
searched the company crowded about
the top of the rope ladder, and sudden
ly 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 the boat below. As jim
my's eyes grew accustomed to the
darkness, he saw her more and more
plainly, a pale face framedgin a dark
hood, a tall, cloaked figure waiting
calmly to obey the word from the su-
perior officer.
1t was the third time Jimmy had
seen her, but he felt as If he had found
one dearer than himself. His eyes
dwelt on her. She was not terrified;
her nerves were not shaken. Il am
ready" she said, turning to the cap
tain. 1t vas the same fine, free voice,
suggesting-Oh, what did 1t not sug-
gest! Never this dark, wild night OF
danger! Jimmy thrilled to 1t 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 the captain in reply
She knelt to the deck and got footing
on the slippery rope. Men above held
it and helped as best they could, while
the sailor below waited to receive hel
into the little boat. She was steady
and quick as a woman in such a peril
Gus position could be. AS she de
scended, the rowboat, insecurity hello
to the Jeanne dare, slid sternward
a few feet; and while she waited II
midair for the boat to be brought w
again, the Jeanne DArc gave 6
mighty plunge. The captain shouted
from the deck, a sailor yelled, thel
another; the dipping sea tossed tn
yacht so that for an instant the boa
below and the woman on the ladde
were hidden from Jim's view. H,
climbed over the rail and edged alon,
the narrow margin of the deck unit
he was a few feet nearer the rope
his heart humping with fear O
calamity.
And even as the thought came, tn,
thing happened. The w~renching O
the ropes, insecurity of their fasten
ings, some blunder on the part of tn,
seamen-whatever it was, the rop
loosened like a tilament Of gauze, anG
with its precious burden, dropped int
the angry water. Before a breat.
could be drawn, the black wave
churned over her head.
AS, for the second time, Jim sa,
disaster engulf the Vision that ha
such power over him, he was seize
by a cold numbness.
ooh, you brutes!" he groane
aloud; but his groan had scarcely Ell
capped him when he heard loud altea
cation among the men, and in a m
; ment, the usual tones of Monsieu
:. Chatelard commanding:
; Never mind! Quick with the bos
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 wi
y no one to give a thought to the va
: ished m Jimmy chung to tt
: rail for a second, peering over Il
water. With a cry of ~gladness l
saw her pale face rise to the surfa,
of the water several feet away ar
y toward the bow.
Keep up a second! It's all right
II he shouted. Quick as thought |
snatched a life preserver from |
a place on the rail, and ran forwar
n He called thrice, Keep up, I'm CO..
s. ing!" then threw the cork swift
r and accurately to the very spot whe
le she floated. A second longer
le watched, to g II she gained 1t.
seemed that she did, and yet son
le thing was wrong. She was not al
n, TO right herself Immediately In t
lg water, but floundered h~elpiessly, ii
as my knew that her clothes we're ha