Evening star., 1914-08-23

fabulating out here at this hour
He stepped back two PAGES, and vanished
like shape of dream.
FOR a moment or two the girl fingered,
listening keenly; but, hearing nothing,
not even Craven's retreating footsteps, took
heart and moved quietly forward beside the
rail-
But she had put barely eight PAGES be-
hind her when she checked smartly, with an
inarticulate gasp, just short of one whose
burly figure, motionless, barred her path.
And then, as she stepped back and turned
in toward the superstructure, thinking in
her panic to escape by sudden dash tor
the companionway, some whim of chance
caused the tenant of the nearest stateroom
to turn on the lights, and two square win
dows leaped refulgent out of the gloom, the
nearer silhouetting the head and shoulders
of another man into whose embrace, as well,
she had been on the point of throwing her
self.
simultaneously strong hands fell upon
her shoulders from behind, she was whirled
about into the hollow of a powerful arm,
and an incipient scream was smothered on
her lips by the impact of heavy palm.
CHAPTER XIII
T ATER she recalled that one of the fog
II horns agonized squalls had seemed like
a signal for the attack. 1t was reverberat-
ing in her ears, like the shrek of damned
soul, all the while she was struggling in that
brutal embrace. 1t was still yammering
even when she was released.
Throughout her consciousness was faith
fully registering nightmare impressions
of the second man closing in to aid her first
assailant; of savage tearing at her cloak;
of cynical accents breathed hatefully in her
ear, 4Easy nosc! Take it easy, little one, if
you don't aoant to get hurH Steady-so!' of
someone swearing fretfully; of a third
voice rapping out an oath of rage; of sounds
like the crack of pistolshot, the thud of
heavy fall, grunt of pain, vile expression
from him who held her
And then she was free-and the foghorn
still screeching!
She staggered back to the rail, her brain
reeling, no true conference in her conscious
ness: only the struggle between instructive
desire to scream and the knowledge that
for some reason she mustn't.
Then a friendly voice saluted faculties
just beginning to comprehend that chance
had sent rescue dYou, Miss Craven2
You?" Quoin was bending solicitously over
her as she clung trembling to the rail.
Words come with difficulty from a throat
parched with fright. aOhi" she cried, one
hand to her bosom. @Mr. Quoin!'
you're quite safe now. But are you
hurt, Miss Craven?"
@I'm all right. Oh, thank you'll
@There! I've done nothing: just hap
pened along at the right time-thank God!
But the first thing is to get you out of this
confounded fog!'
@No-please- moment"
The girl was searching frantically for the
lining pocket in her cloak.
And then she found it, and it was empty.
SHE turned vacant stare to Quoin' puz-
- zled regard. A sense of sufocatipn op-
pressed her, and his voice sounded as from
far distance:
3What's the matter? You're sure you're
not hurt? Can 1 do anything?'
4I've been robbed!' she managed to
articulate piteously.
@Then, he urged, 4let me see you to your
stateroom. Afterward I'll find the Cap
tain"
4No, no! Oh, please, no! Don't tell any
body"
He stared. 4Let me get this straight
he said after moment. you've been sub
jected to dastardly attack, and robbed,
and don't want me to lodge complaint
with the oficers?'
4Yes, yes!' She nodded 3Yes, that's it
-dor't taI1 ap1,hodx, Dro,,,;ca mo