Evening star., 1914-10-04

moment the girls hand fell on the case of
recording instruments. There was jarring,
silencing sound, and next instant she was
facing them like a young tigress.
@Since you men think I'm not to be
trusted, even to save my own life, she said,
at is fair to tell you that my husband is
chief wireless operator on the Princess Alice!
l am booming him, maybe, to"
u suspeecioned that-it is why l spoke
as 1 did, the Captain said. "If the liner
has fire in her bunkers, she has hours to live;
while we of the Lass have but minutes
Aye, listen!'
A dull rumbling came up from below that
was not the rumbling of the engines. The
freighter lurched, creaking in every plate
and rivet, as she rolled into the trough of
the sea- Little by little the noise of the en-
gines died down.
@The pounding will open her up-what
the gas and water may do-we're a lost
ship" the old chief croaked. "At the mercy
O. woman's whim!"
The little operator was not listening
save to that faint interminable call for help,
like man who ignores all else to squeeze
the last volt of power from his instrument in
hope of salvation for a thousand souls.
at is terribly weak sending, and still it
comes plainly, when you listen close-like
a man whispering nearby-I cannot under
stand it!' The grip of the mysterious mag
netic power was on her now, who had long
been professional, Injured to danger and
to calls of peril.
Frowningly she glanced at the pad, where
Skipper McNaughton had noted the rcla-
tive positions of the passenger liner and the
freighter; the latter as close as he could
figure it by dead reckoning and the day run
since they had sighted the liner.
"a hundred miles apart, maybe, and if the
warship comes to us, the Others must wait!"
she whispered. "But we could never wait.
God send that do right-and forgiveness
if do wrong!"
Steady as the iron-nerved little Captain,
Wireless Operator Ramsay reached down to
the sending lever. As she did SO the many
noises Of the Glasgow Lass died away in
utter silence. The ship was numbering log
in the sea lop, with the vapor of exploding,
deadly gas yelling from every deck aper-
ture. Skipper McNaughton had told no
ie-the Lass was beyond human help!
OUR position9' the girl said @Oh, yes,
~ 1 see! The warship would surely find
us?"
aThe God o NIercies would send her
straight-with her calcium light on the fog"
McNaughton responded. aAt least, Mis-
sy,' some spirit moved the little Captain to
cry out, @if you weigh lives in the balance,
give both positions. Let her take her own
choice!"
The spark crashed up, with gasping
breath in unison from the officers in the
doorway. They did not fear for themselves,
those rough men of the freighter, but for the
women aboard that death moved over, the
very woman whose slender fingers at that
moment might be f1icking away their lives
or saving them. @'Twill depend on the
weight O. love on the scales!" the chief had
said
Il have got the Salem The warship can
hear us, but not the Princess Alice" the girl
was working the key, without looking up.
1She is ready to come running, the opera
tor says"
"Then give them our position-and waste
no more time, in Gods name!'
The long sparks streamed up, with only
that momentary hesitation.
Latitude" Operator Ramsay said,
looking down at the paper-"and longi-
tude-"
Not man there could read the signals she
sent out. Swapping off the key, she waited,
nodded as some answering signals came;
then she turned on them, look on her face
that none of the men could fathom.
"It-is-done!' she said, swaying as she
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