The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-10-26

- -
we are-by my reckoning, somewhere
in Nantucket sound, west of Mono
moy."
Grasping a small brass handle
affixed to the wheel box, he jerked it
ellarply three times. and the automatic
horn blared raucously threefold re-
Spouse up forward.
Keep that going" he begged,
three blasts In row and a minute
interval-and IL the devil takes care
of his own we may possibly escape be-
ing run down"
With sigh, relinquishing the wheel,
he collapsed upon the deck and was
almost instantly asleep.
The wind had fallen until barely
enough air stirred to keep way on the
vessel; she moved in silence, spec
trail ship upon a spectral sea OF long,
oily swells and the complexion of lead.
Hitler and yon in the obscurity, fog
signals OF other shipping sounded q
concert of discordance-the man
power horn of a catboat crying the
warning back to the deep-throated
whistle of coastwise steamship and
the impertinent drumming Of a motor
boats exhaust with the muller cut
out
This last boxed the compass, sound
ing now near, now far, though the com
plants Of other shipping diminished
in volume and died away in the dis
lance, giving place to others still, thu
plutter-plutter of that motor was never
altogether lost; il at times 1t faded
It seemed certain always to return II
even louder volume.
Vainly straining his vision agains:
the blank pallor of the encompassing
fog, Alan wondered, worried, dreaded!
At irregular intervals, starting
from preoccupation, he would mantpu
late the brass pull on the wheel.box
provoking the horns suffering blasts
OF protest; But the need for unremit-.
ting vigilance and exercise OF the fog,
signal failed none the less to reconcile
Alan to that blatant clamor which SC
widely and so hideously advertised
their whereabouts.
If there were anything still to be,
feared from Judith and her cTew-it,
for instance, as Barcus had suggested.
they had sought out one of the life.
saving stations on Nauset beach, ap-
propriated its power-driven lifeooat
and renewed the pursuit, IL ever they
heard that horn there would beyond
question be the devil to pay!
The loneliness Of his vigil was even
tually relieved by the appearance on
deck of the woman Alan loved.
The tableau that greeted her vision as
she emerged from the companionway,
OF the haggard, unshayen wretch at
the wheel and the other who lay, at his
feet, where he had fallen, in a stupors
OF fatigue, instantly wrung from Rose
little cry OF solicitude. And she was
quick to do what little she could to
alleviate their discomfort. For Barcus
she fetched q pillow and blanket from
the cabin, and this one suffered her
minlstrations without once ropsipg
from his slumbers. Then Fastening
forward, she got the galley fire going
and prepared a makeshift breakfast
for her half.famished lover.
Warm food and hot coffee-such as
they were-lendlpg a little tone to
Alan's spirits, he was presently able
to discuss their situation with some
optimism. Yet nothing could gloss.
the fact that the problem confronting
them was one whose solution battied
their utmost ingenuity-one the simple
contemplation Of which taxed their
courage and intelligence to the ex:
treme, f
He summed up: 81 can't see any
thing for 1t but father and Judith are
determined to have my scalp, and I'm y
hanged IL can see how TO protect my
self without taking q leaf out of their.
books. What I'm most afraid Of =