Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-11-20

water In front Of the dock and the
boathouse.
This is not to infer that the boats
themselves would benefit. by this
chance. Nothing Of the sort To an
Choir them twenty or thirty feet out
and trust to luck and the strength OF
the cables. that was their hope OF sal
vntion
As for their occupants. they woulA
have 70 slip o~er the sides and wade
In. water chest High. az The mercy OF
the buffeting surges which would be
flying over the shaaL
The sweils lifted Internationally they
had disappeared-and the north waves
battered and smashed against nleir
quarters growing in height each mo-
ment The wind sang like an orches-
ira of bassoens. It was useless TO talk.
Uncle Billy had steadled down to
half power, praying under his stubbly
mustache as he had never prayed be-
fore that the engine would not break
down, go back on him. To him a
hundred dollars was large sum. a
third OF what he made all summer
with steady work. but as the shaft Of
the light on Pidgin grew clearer and
nearer the value Of hundred dollars
diminished proportionately.
Gladly would he have turned back;
gladly would he have given hundred
to be snug in Grimshaw's, the lee side
Of Long island. But behind him was
the resoiute will Of a woman, grown
suddenly strange and not understand
able.
There was no fear on her face. Some
how It looked lean and lioness-Iike. He
wished that his tilier rope was hemp
instead Of cotton. That Lester was
grimly tagging on behind was his only
consolation. Two boats in a gale were
always safer than one.
He turned and bawled against the
wind; I'm a thunderin. tarnation
fool. Miss Wynne I'm old 'nough t
know better. I'm riskin' your life n
my own. That hundred fooled me.
/ F they's anythin on that DANCED is
land wuth staekin' our lives against
I'd like t know whut it is
"A rajahs ransom. Uncle Billy. And
nm trying TO prevent crime.
Well, I'm committin one bringin r
ont here. \ lirin gale, Twin gale"
A comber broke and seethed over
the stern.
The spray blinded the girl and partly
sTangled her. She tucked the raincoat
snugger about her knees and feet
Wisely she had not put it over her
head and shoulders.
J If there came a spill she wanted free
play She was a good swimmer. and
the life belt would hold her up If she
tired Once she looked back over her
shoulder.
/ 4 warm little thrill ran over her He
was following, following, She was al
once glad and worried glad that he
should wish To share her danger. wor-
! ried for fear he might fiud out what
desperate need had made her tempt
( fate
/ In some manner she must trick him
( -shabbily trick him. No faint Of dis
honor. such rs it was. must be his.
For her there was none~she was sim
! ply righting wrong If he learned
/ the truth he would step aside, smother
! his conscience; for her sake he would
ignore his oath bound duty.
So many times had the truth cried at
her iips-so many times she had reso-
ulteiy shut her jaws. Tomorrow she
! would write it ali, ask forgiveness and
vanish, She was ohsessed with the
/ idea of leaving him suddenly and new
er seeing him again All, If he only
knew.
For three years now she had been
engaged i'll government work identical
to his-only she had posed as a stew
ardess, not as a person of leisure.
To right wrong, almost personal,
she had elected to betray just once the
Office which fed and clothed her gen.
erousy, Vaguely in her work she had
heard of Cranford-a word dropped
! here and there by high officials.
/ Thus. that day-she would always re.
member it.-in Uncle BilIys boathouse
the introduction had struck terror to
her heart.
For few days she believed that he
was here for the same purpose as she
but his frank confession, the address
| OF his valet In case harm befeu him
together with the avowal that he loved
, her, convinced her that he suspected
nothing, that he had really come a-flsh-
ing.
All. this miserable business. She had
not dared to put it off till the morrow
She had seen the hydroplane arrive
and depart. Storm or no storm. the
time TO act was now
While she had effectualIy blocked tel.
egraphic communication there was no
way Of stopping the arrival OF letter
In the morning.
sudden silence. cessation Of vi
hration-she came back TO aetualities.
The dreaded thing had happened The
engine had stopped Now for the real
battle between humanity and the ele-
ments,
Uncle Billy quick to appreciate that
this was nc time to tinker. slung OUT
his stsrboard oar and pulled with both
hands. Fortunately the mishap took
place after they had made the shoal
II required quick work with the oar
TO get the boat back in line with the
light Still pulling with his left hand