The Washington herald., 1914-09-06

Alan and leaves her home to aid him whom she loves I'm
wins her love But failure to shake his conssney to
kndles Judhs jealousy and settles her IN her honisdal
she sFGy & % & fGs KIN IN Nan Nan
friend Barcus in a poWer-driven nfeboat
THE MASKED VOICE.
For a matter Of twelve hours the fog, leaden
dank, viscous inexorable as the dominion of
evil, had wrapped the world in an embrace as
foul and noxious the coils Of some great, grey
Shiny serpent.
Through its sluggish folds the ponderous, power
impelled lifeboat crept at snail's pace its stem
parting and rolling back from either flank heavy
hearted of gray.
In the bows young woman rested in state OF
semiexhaustion, her eyes closed, her head pill
lowed a cork-belt lfe-preserver.
In the stern, Tom Barcus presided morosely
the steering gear; and Law more jealously
heedful of his sweetheart than Barcus Of the
heavy-duty motor that chugged away so purpose
fully at its business Of driving the boat heaven
knew-where.
Lacking at once 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 to rescue by some larger and less COM
fortress craft Barcus steered mainly through force
Of habit.
And now for more than hour the silence had
been uncannily 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.
FOre0OQlngS
crawled in the mind Of Barcus 1t was as likely
as not that the lifeboat travelling straight out
to sea. And gasoline tanks can and oftenttmes do
become as empty as official weather prophets
promise Of fair weather for a holiday.
More than this, Mr. Barcus was a confirmed
skeptic in respect of marine motors.
In view of all Of which considerations he pres
emily threw open the battery switch.
And the aching void created in the silence by
the cessation Of that uniform drone was startling
enough to rouse even Rose Trine from her state OF
semisomnolence.
With a look Of panic she sat up thrust damp
hair back from her eyes, and nervously inquired:
What's the matter"
Nothing" Barcus told her. 81 shut the engine
on-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 for" he demanded
sharply.
Because I jolly we'll wanted to-" Barcus
turned in a tone brusque.
"Oh, you did-eh?"
Yes, I did-eh! I happen to be bossng this
end of the boat and to have sense enough to real
ize there's sense at all in our wasting fuel the
way we are-cruising nowhere!"
Well" 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 or know to the
contrary. And in such case for one respectfully
prefer to have gas enough to take US home again
if ever this da-bessem fog lifts"
And for several seconds longer the stiffness
strangled their spirits in its ruthless grasp.
Then of a sudden cry shrilled through the fog.
so near at hand that it seemed scarcely more dis
tant than the side:
"Ahoy! Help! Ahoy there! Help!"
So instant urgent was its accent that, cou-
pled with the surprise it brought the three one
to their feet all atremble, their eyes seeking
another's faces. then shifting uneasily away.
What can it be-" Rose whispered, aghast,
shrinking into Alan's ready arm.
He replied, obviously with effort overcoming
the superstitious construction of his throat: Some
other unfortunate . =" But still his flesh crawled
with dread; for he knew that voice; and 1t was
the voice Of one 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
contended Il saw her go down >"
That doesn't prove she didn't come up" Barcus
commented acidly.
"Ahoy! Motorboat aho-o-oy! HeIp!"
And that" Barcus pursued sadly, lust proves
she did come up-bame the luck! Alive she is,
and kicking: stand clear. An able-bodied 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:
"Ahoy Where you? Where away"
Thereon the reef-haIf-drowned-pe with
chill"
"How does my voice bear" Alan called back
What the dickens do you care?" Barcus inter-
poated susPiciously
40 port" the response rang through the fog
"starboard your helm and come In SLOWLY"
"Riaht-o! Half q mInuteI" Alan replied reas
Euringly.
Like hell" Mr.. Barcus muttered in his throat
as he jumped down into the engtne-pit and bent
over the hy-wheel.
Leapng on the forward thwart and balancing
himself perilously the gunwale, Alan strained
his vision vainy against the opacity Of the fog.