The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05

Va oNhO 10 hOt hhihh W mCs Doh
he understands nothing. It is not he
who traded me, but convention again.
1t Is the pressure OF circumstances.
Of environment. more terrible than
physical force. So | am traded for the
coronet of a viscount. That is why |
am going to England-to marry him.
And if l could be a man and free as
you are free. then only could l begin
to live. Good-by."
She turned away hurriedly and he
saw the tears streaming down her
cheeks. He made no effort to follow
her, but stood watching her, like a
man in a 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 ship
groaned as the waves buffeted her.
At his post the captain strained to
catch sight of the Foreland lights.
Suddenly, with a crash that sent
every timber Earring, the liner
stopped, shivered, and keeled owe
The shock sent the cattlemen flying
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 cream. Through the
haze doomed up 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, a glancing
blow which had ripped her outer
sheath nearly halfway from the bow.
She was keeling lower-she would
go under within a few minutes. There
were no water-tight partitions or the
old ship, and, If there had been, they
would have been Of little aid in such
a situation.
After the first confusion the cattle
men gathered between decks and
waited. Outcasts as these men were
they had the discipline of the sea.
They did not know that Mayne was
AyAhS ubSOhoNAOu6 uPOh AhC Az otAO
floor, where he had been flung by the
shock. They waited quietly enough,
listening to the racket overhead. The
seamen we're trying to lower the
boats. But those on the port side
were a the water, those On the
starboard unable to be launched ow-
ing to the angle of the vessel.
The passengers had been assem-
bled. The stewards were running
hither and thither with llfebelts. The
grimy faces of the stokers appeared
above the ladder. The fires had al
ready been flooded.
Fortunately the cattle ship carried
few passengers. Even the port boats
suff1ced to contain them. The collier
had backed away and megaphoned
through the fog. Order was restored
out of chaos. Even the cattlemen
were remembered.
Only, before all could be taken
away, the ship keeled over and dis
appeared in the swirling waters.
AS she went down the fitting deck
slid Mayne into the water. The shock
of the immersion revived him; he
found himself gasping and battling for
life in a 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. 1t was strange that at
that moment he thought. not of his
| past love so dishonored, but of the
girl he had seen.
And, as he pictured her, he saw her
face painted upon the drifting haze.
Another instant and he was staring
into her eyes.
She was clinging to the keel of an
upturned boat, which had been swept
down into the rapids. carrying its in.
mates to destruction in The swamp
Of the liner. How she had lived
through those moments of agony she
never knew; she thought afhSrward
it was because Mayne was so near
because there was a life for both Of
them, to be lived together. \
He saw her upturned face am
swan toward her. A moment late
he was clinging to the boat besid,
her, supporting her. He climbe,
upon the keel and pulled her up afte
l him. She sank back into his arms.
Day broke and the fog drifted 10y
: Upon the horizon appeared VIE
sails of a fishing schooneT Tne was
bearing down upon they ms sni
: lifted her haggard face m.
: "AI my past, all AZ sbinLn NY
/ my friends were %'" she said
boat that went n" he n
5 And my 80 nercely. az want
Listen" heA new life, untroubIed
to live agents of the past, / have
by ~ clothes-enough to help
e money Yin that life. And / want to
y me tofto begin yours"
n nel2H," she said grayely-for one
dLXsabt speak lightly In such a mo-
~ Perhaps, out of u shin
1t led past a fairer future may arise
le zach of u.s."
Ill.
~