Evening journal., 1914-09-07

THE SUNSET TIDE.
sYNoPsIs-The Of Hearts Is the death sign"
which through his daughter judith. a woman Of Violent
he @aa nov dead whom fTns fi Sa resDonsSs for the
aeGaent % which made him helpless cripple Rose Suaiths
Ala Alan and Leaves her home to aa him whom she Gye. I'm
%ns her loy But failure to shake his constancy to Rose
,o5S ss T. @ largely gs BE, for sDwrse & IN NS sS
friend Barcus in a power-driven feboat
1.-THE MASKED VOICE.
For matter Of twelve hours the fog. leaden,
dank, vscous, inexorable as the dominion Of
evil, had wrapped the world in embrace as
foul and noxious as the coils Of some great grey,
Shiny serpent
Through its sluggish folds the ponderous, power
impelled lifeboat crept at snails pace, its stem
parting and rolling back from either flank heavy
hearted sea Of gray.
In the bows young woman rested in state Of
contamination, her eyes closed, her head pill
lowed on a cork-belt lifepreserver.
In the stern, Tom Barcus presided morosely over
the steering gear; and Law was no more jealously
heedful Of his sweetheart than Barcus Of the
heavy-duty motor that chugged away purpose
fully at its business Of driving the boat heaven
knew-where
Lacking at once compass. all notion whatso
Of the suns bearings, and any immediate
hope of the fog lifting or chance bring them either
TO land or to rescue by some larger and less com
fortless craft Barcus steered mainly through force
Of habit
And now for more than an 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.
Forebodings no less portentious than Laws
crawled in the mind Of Barcus. It was likely
as not that the lifeboat travelling straight out
TO sea- And gasoline tanks and oftentimes do
become as empty an ohicial weather prophets
promise of fair weather for holiday
More than this, Mr.. Barcus 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 even Rose Trine from her state of
semi-somnolence.
With a look Of panic she sat up thrust damp
hair back from her eyes, and nervously inquired:
What's the matter"
Nothing" Bercus told her. Il 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.
turned IN tone as brusque-
oh you did--ehT"
Yes did-eh! I happen to be bossing this
end Of the boat and to have sense enough to real
lze there's no sense at all In our wasting fuel the
way we are--cruising nowhere!"
well" Law contended, struck by the fairness
n this argument but unable to calm his uneasi-
ness-"iust the same we might"
Yes: Of course, might" Barcus snapped.
we might whole lot We might for instance.
he 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
II ever this da-hlessem 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,
Sc near at hand that it seemed scarcely more dis
tant than the side:
"Ahcy Helpl Alloy therel Helpl"
So instant, so urgent was its accent that cou-
pied with the surprise It brought the three as one
TO their feet all a-tremble their eyes seeking one
anothers faces then shifting uneasIy away.
What can It be7" Rose whispered, aghast,
shrinking into Alan's ready arm.
lie replied, obviously with an effort overcoming
the sunersitious construction Of his throat; Some
other unfortunate =" But still his hesh crawled
with dread; for he knew that voice. and II 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. lmpossibe! he
contended. Il saw her go down
"That doesn't prove she didn't come up" Barcu'
commented acidly.
"Ahoyl Motorboat aho-o-oyl Helpl"
And that" Barcus pursued sadly Just proves
she did come up--bame the luck! Alive she is
and kicking: stand clear An able-bodied pair o
lungs back of that hail, my friend and you
needn't tell me ] don't know the dulcet accents o.
that angelic contradict"
Without needing him. Alan cupped hands e
mouth and sent answering cry ringing through
the murk:
"Ahoyl Where are your Where away"
Thereon the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Will
chill"
"E4ow does my voice bear" Alan called back
what the dickens do you carer" Barcus inter
poated suspciously
ITO port" the response rang through the fog
"Starboard your helm and come In slowlyl"
suringly.
Like hell" Mr.. Barcus muttered In his throa
be jumped down into the engine-pit and ben
over the hy-wheel
Ieapne the forward thwart and balancing
iimsef perilously near the gunwale, Alan strained
his vision vainly against the opacity Of the fog.