Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1915-06-24


with nurses. companions I hated.
chosen for their wealth and rank.
Later I was decked out. cent % a
finishing school. all my nature
cramped and hardened By luxury and
convention. And I always lonsed for
my emancipation.
do you know what we women have
% look forward 90! Marriage. That
10 oil. And we are not free 20 choose.
My father is not unkind 70 me. but
he understands nothing. Il is not he
who traded me. but convention AGAIN.
n 10 the pressure or circumstances.
or environment. more terrible than
physical force. So am traded for the
coronet Of viscouns. That IN WHY I
am going 20 Engiand-to marry him.
And IL could be q man and free as
you are free. then only could begin
TO live. Good-by."
She turned away hurriedly and nm
saw the tears streaming down her
cheeks- He made no effort to follow
her. but stood watching her, like s
man In . dream.
He dreamed OF her during the long
night. when the cattle ship pitched
and tossed heavily In the trough OF
the channel. and the binding fog came
down The timbers of the old shir
groaned as the waves huifeted her
AT his post the captain strained 20
catch sight OF the Foreland lights.
suddenly. with q crash that sent
every timber Earring. the liner
stopped. shivered. and keeled over
The shock sent the cattlemen nyins
from their hunks. They rushed out
into the open space between the pens
From the upper deck came cries and
the sound Of seamen running. Wom,
en- began TO scream. Through the
haze ioomed np the squat form OF a
collier.
There was no possibility Of mistak.
Ing what had happened. The liner.
rushing at full speed through the
fog. had struck the collier. not with
her bow. but amidships. q glancins
blow which had ripped her outer
sheath nearly halfway from the bow.
She was keeling lower-she would
90 under within q few minutes. There
were no water-tight partitions on the
old ship. and. n there had been, they
would have been OF little aid I'm such
Q situation.
After the first confusion the cattle
men gathered between decks ana
waited. outcasts % these men were
they had the discipline Of the sea.
They did not know that Mayne vas
Iying unconscious upon the fo'c'stls
aoor. whore he had been flung hy the
sAeeh Thcy ~zfreu QuIekfy enoueh
hsfsnlng 60 the racket overhead. The
seamen were trying 20 lower the
boats. But those on the port side
we're near the water. those on the
starboard unable TO be launched ow
Ing to the angle Of the vessel
The passengers had been assem-
oled. The stewards were runnina
hither and thither with lifebeIts. Ths
grimy faces Of the stokers appeared
above the ladder. The fires had nj
ready been flooded.
Fortunately the cattle ship carried
few passengers. Even the port boats
suniced TO contain them The collies
had backed away and megaphoned
through the fog. Order was restored
out OF chaos. Even the cattismen'
were remembered.
Only. before all could be taken
away. the ship keeled over and dis
appeared In the swiriing waters.
Az she went down the fitting deck
Sid Mayne into the water. The shock
OF the immersion revived him: he
found himself gasping and battling foi
life In q whirlpool OF believing cat
tie and floating planks from the pens
He managed to catch one and sup
ported himself Over the invisible
water came cries and screams. which
gradually grew fainter.
He was awake now. He knew what
had occurred. IL was strange that aa
that moment he thought. not OF his
past love 80 dishonored. but OF the
girl he had seen.
And. an he pictured her, he saw her
face painted upon the drifting hase
Another instant and he was starins
into her eyes.
She was ciinging TO the keel Of IN
upturned boat. which had been swept
down into the rapids. carrying its In
mates 20 destruction In the swamp
OF the liner. How she had lived
through those moments Of agony she
never knew: she thought afterward
II was because Mayne was 90 near,
because there was q life for both OF
them. TO be lived together.
He saw her upturned face ana
swan toward her. A moment later
he was clinging 20 the boat beside
her. supporting her. He climbed
upon the keel and pulled her up after
him. She sank back into his arma
Day broke and the fog drifted away
Upon the horizon appeared the white
sails Of fishing schoope.. Sac was
bearing down upon thsmA The girI|
hfted her haggard face, = "a = -.
FAN my past. al I have, my: fashtix.
my friends were on ths ship--in the
boat that went down." she sasd-
And my past" mo begnn.
"Listen!" he cried ferceiy. II want
% Hve again. . new lie, antroubisa
by any thoughts Of the past. I have
money In my ciothes--enough 20 heIp1
me 10 begin that life.,, And ! want 10
help you to begin yours ~5-.
-ours." she said graveiy-fo.- ons
does not speak lightly In such d mo
ment Perhaps. out Of our ship
wrecked past fairer future may arise
for each Of N"
More Chance Co Win.
{ Never bet on a sure thinx whan Won