Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-30

patu'e hesfe,s.
Copyright. 1910, by Louis Joseph vsnce)
THE SUNSET TIDE
pS 30 ss n. q IN H;s n. py ss ~ ss't a %
which. hrouGh hi. dssEhtsr judith woman Of violent
y. tnoy dsss whom rhine held r..Doa.lss q.
yin ana double. learns q her sister. campaign against
Ger dramatic Alan save: gas: % ana so
& % SF p . his S: 'Sn' .p SoS 2 sS
pSteo'e sac srssy ,s'pSnseis for 'hpwrseh to Nan.
friend Barcus in a pOwsr-drvsn nfeboat
1.-THE MASKED VOICE.
For a matter OF twelve hours the fog leaden
dank, vscous. as inexorable as the dominion Of
evil, had wrapped the world in an embrace as
foul and noxious as the coils Of some great grey
Shiny serpent
Through fits sluggish folds the ponderous power.
impelled lifeboat crept at snail's pace its stem
parting and rolling back from either flank heavy.
hearted sea OF gray.
In the bows young woman rested in a state OF
semi-exhaustion. her eyes closed, her head Dill.
lowed a cork-belt lifepreserver.
In the stern Tom Barcus presided morosely over
the steering gear; and Law more jealousy
heedful OF his sweetheart than Barcus OF the
heavyduty motor that chugged away purpose
fully at It's business OF driving the boat heaven
knewwhere.
Lacking at a compass. all notion whatso
ever Of the suns bearings. and any immediate
hope OF the fog lifting chance bring them either
TO land or 10 rescue by some larger and less
fortress craft Barcus steered mainly through force
OF habit.
And now for more than an hour the silence had
been uncanny constant, broken only by the rum.
Bile OF the motor the muted lisp OF water slipping
down the SIDE the suck and gurgle OF the wake.
Forebodings no less portentious than Laws
crawled in the mind Of Barcus. II was as likely
not that the lifeboat travelling straight out
TO sea- And gasoline tanks can and oftentimes do
become as empty as an oficial weather prophets
promise Of fair weather for a holiday.
More than this. Mr.. Barcus was n confirmed
skeptic in respect OF marine motors
In view OF all OF which considerations he pres.
entity threw open the battery switch
And the aching void created in the silence by
the cessation Of that uniform drone startling
enough to rouse even Rose Urine from her state OF
semisomnolence.
With look OF panic she sat up. thrust damp
hair back from her eyes. and nervously inquired
What's the matter"
Nothing" Barcus told her. Il shut the engine
of-that's all"
Tempers were short in that hour; and Alan was
annoyed to think that the rest OF his beloved
should needlessly have been disturbed
What did you do that for2" he demanded
sharply.
Because jolly we'll wanted TO-" Barcus re.
turned in a tone as brusque.
"Oh, you dd-ehf
Eyes. did-ehl I happen to be bossing this
enc OF the boat and to have sense enough to real
Ire there's no sense at all In our wasting fuel the
way we are-cruising nowhere!"
We'll" Law contended. struck by the fairness
OF this argument. but unable to calm his uneasi
ness-"just the same, might"
Yes; OF course might" Barcus snapped
I'VE might a whole lot. We might. for instance
be heading for SPAIN for all you I know TO the
contrary. And in such case. for respectfully
prefer to have gas enough to take us home again
II ever this da-blessem fog liftsl"
And for several seconds longer the stiffness
strangled their spirits in its ruthless grasp.
Then Of a sudden cry shrilled through the fog
30 near at hand that Il seemed scarcely more dis.
tant than the side:
"Ahoyl Helpi Alloy thsrei Helpl"
So instant, 40 urgent was It's accent that eou.
pied with the surprise II brought the three as one
to their feet, all atrembc. their eyes seeking
anothers faces. then shifting uneasily away
What can It BET" Rose whispered aghast
shrinking into Alans ready arm.
He replied. obviously with an effort overcoming
the superstitious construction OF his throat Some
other unfortunate =" But still his flesh crawled
with dread; for he knew that voice; and Il was
the voice Of whom he had believed dead,
drowned fathoms deep in the sound. miles from
that spot
"A woman" Barcus put in harshly.
Judith" the girl moaned.
Alan shook himself together. "Impossible!" he
commended II her go down ."
That doesn't prove she didn't come up" Barcus
commented acidly.
"Ahoyi MetOrbost ahO-O-oyl HsIpi"
anu thoI puEbucu sadly just proves
she did come up-bame the luck! Alive she is.
and kicking; stand clear. An able-boded pair of
lungs was back OF that hail. my friend: and you
needn't tell me don't know the dulcet accents of
that angelic contradict"
Without needing him, Alan cupped hands to
mouth and sent an answering cry ringing through
the murk:
"AhoyI Where are your Where away"
Heron the Neutrality-suspicious. with
chilli"
sHo.y doea NV vokna hs.r,, Alan r.iI.a h.ok
What the dickens do you carer" Barcus inter
poiated suspciously
ITO port" the response rang through the fog
"starbeard your helm and come In sIowiyI"
"Rlsht-oi Half q HInutsl" Alan replied reas-
suringy.
Like hell" Mr.. Barcus muttered in his throat
as he jumped down into the sngine-pit and bent
ever the hy-vheel
Leaping on the forward thwart and balancing
himself perilously near the gunWsle, Alan strained
nis vision yainiy against the opacity Of the fog.